Hip Brace

When Mara was about 7 weeks old we had to get an ultrasound taken of her hips because of the breech position she was in at (and before) birth. They require an ultrasound for all breech babies to make sure their hips are forming correctly and that there isn't any permanent damage. Well...Mara must've been in this position longer than we thought!
The ultrasound showed that Mara's hips dislocate when pressure was placed on them; called Hip Dysplasia. It occurs 4 in 1000 births, is more frequent in first-borns, girls, and breech presentation. (well we hit all 3 didn't we?!) Earlier this week we had an appointment with an orthopedic specialist and he put Mara in a "Pavlik Harness." The harness holds her hips in place so that the head of the femur (or ball) can mold the acetabulum (or the cup). As the ball molds the cup, it deepens the cup, resulting in a stable hip. As you can see in the picture below, her hips are in a flexed position and "abducted" (to the side) of her body. How's that for a little anatomy lesson?!:)She can still move her legs, but cannot extend them-this is the only time she gets mad because she loves to lay on the floor and kick!
Needless to say, it's been a rough couple of days...mommy's cried quite often. It's been hard having to keep her in the brace 24/7. We only take the brace off for a quick change of clothes or bath. We can still change her diapers, but are limited on clothing with the position of the brace. We aren't sure how long she will need to wear it; we have heard anywhere from 1-3 months, and if this doesn't work then casting is the next step to re-set her hips.
We are asking that you please keep Mara & us in your prayers! It's hard not being able to do anything for your little girl-although she doesn't mind it & continues to be a content & happy baby! So we are taking it one day at a time. We are hoping to find out more information next Tuesday after 3 doctor appointments in the same day! Thanks for reading.