Spica Cast Tips

Spica Cast Tips by Katie

Three weeks in the spica, three weeks to go.

Neve has adjusted really well following her procedure, however it has certainly been testing at times. For some reason I thought the spica was going to steal away our beautiful happy baby, but it really hasn’t and we’ve managed to get on with life reasonably normally (although it takes a lot longer to get from A to B!)

I just thought I’d share a few bits and pieces that might help others:

Nappies: she wears her normal size inside the spica, accompanied by a newborn nappy to push/hold it into place. We then seal the edges with folded dry wipes. Dry wipes from Baby Bunting have been amazing. To finish off, an extra large nappy on the outside of her cast. 

Smell: this has been the hardest part for me – my baby girl stinks and I can’t give her a bath. We do give her a sponge bath every night (and sometimes during the day too) with warm soapy water and then a thorough dry with the hairdryer on cool. I do her front while she lays on her back and then I lay her tummy down across my knees and do her back. I then lightly spray some tea tree oil on a dry wipe and insert it down the back of her cast (so the oil is facing out from her skin).

Clothes: we’ve got a number of long sleeve clip-under onesies which have been great. She has also been wearing her big sister’s long sleeve tops, along with onesies that are one size up. She’s also wearing her big sister’s socks.

Sleeping: we’ve kept her cot as normal as possible, with a couple of foam wedges popped under each leg to support them. She has been sleeping well – just a few rough nights which I think were due to the two teeth she has recently sprouted. She obviously doesn’t fit in her sleeping bags, so we have just been using blankets.

High chair: she didn’t fit in our existing IKEA high chair so we ordered one from Mocka online and it is great. She spends a lot of time sitting up in her highchair, which gives her a break from being on her back.

Pram: she wouldn’t fit in our City Select, despite many attempts to pack it out with towels, blankets etc. We ended up buying a Babyzen Yoyo stroller and it’s amazing. Expensive, but she’s super comfy in it and it has given us the freedom to take long walks etc.

It has been a big adjustment for us all, but we’re excited to be half way through. I was beside myself with anxiety before Neve’s surgery, but I’ve found the reality is actually easier than the wait was. Hope these tips are helpful to some of you.

 

Healthy Hips Comment: Thanks Katie for sharing these great tips.

 

Spica Essentials 

This blog contains more Spica Cast Tips.

 

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Written: July 2017

Disclaimer

This information is intended to support, not replace, discussion with your doctor or healthcare professionals. Every effort is made to ensure this information is up to date, accurate and easy to understand. Healthy Hips Australia accepts no responsibility for any inaccuracies, information perceived as misleading. This can be reproduce with acknowledgement to Healthy Hips Australia. Handouts are available to download free of charge at www.healthyhipsaustralia.org.au


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