Hip Dysplesia

This is something that enters into my mind everytime I see a BabyBjorn or Snugli. I had one with my son and I hate how floppy he was in it. His head flopped, his legs flopped and I felt like he was going to fall out when I bent over. I sold it shortly after I got the Moby Wrap. My friend let me borrow her Mei Tei and my husband loved it. So we ended up buying one for ourselves.  2 years later I read about this and was extremely happy I got rid of the crotch dangler.

 

Baby Carriers, Seats, & Other Equipment

• Home
• Developmental Dysplasia Of The Hip
• Prevention
• Baby Carriers Seats And Other Equipment

IHDI Educational Statement

Hip Health in baby carriers, car seats, swings, walkers, and other equipment
Summary Statement: The Medical Advisory Board of the IHDI does not endorse nor advise against any particular baby carrier or other equipment. The purpose of this educational statement is to provide information about healthy hip development to guide manufacturers in the development of safe designs of infant equipment, and to help parents make informed choices about the devices they use for their babies. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to choose a baby carrier that allows healthy hip positioning, in addition to other safety considerations. When babies are carried, the hips should be allowed to spread apart with the thighs supported and the hips bent.
Education Statement: The IHDI recommends healthy hip positioning for all babies to encourage normal hip development. Within the womb, a baby spends a long time tucked in the fetal position, in which both hips and knees are bent or flexed.

Baby in normal (fetal) womb position.

After birth, it takes several months for the joints to stretch out naturally. Babies that have been in the breech (bottom first) position may need even more time to stretch out naturally. The hip joint is a ball and socket joint. During the first few months of life the ball is more likely to be loose within the socket because babies are naturally flexible and because the edges of the socket are made of soft cartilage like the cartilage in the ear. If the hips are forced into a stretched-out position too early, the ball is at risk of permanently deforming the edges of the cup shaped socket (hip dysplasia) or gradually slipping out of the socket altogether (hip dislocation). Hip dysplasia or dislocation in babies is not painful so this may go undetected until walking age and may also result in painful arthritis during adulthood. The risk of hip dysplasia or dislocation is greatest in the first few months of life. By six months of age, most babies have nearly doubled in size, the hips are more developed and the ligaments are stronger, so are less susceptible to developing hip dysplasia.
The most unhealthy position for the hips during infancy is when the legs are held in extension with the hips and knees straight and the legs brought together, which is the opposite of the fetal position. The risk to the hips is greater when this unhealthy position is maintained for a long time. Healthy hip positioning avoids positions that may cause or contribute to development of hip dysplasia or dislocation. The healthiest position for the hips is for the hips to fall or spread (naturally) apart to the side, with the thighs supported and the hips and knees bent. This position has been called the jockey position, straddle position, frog position, spread-squat position or human position. Free movement of the hips without forcing them together promotes natural hip development.

SEE: Hip Healthy Swaddling
Some types of baby carriers and other equipment may interfere with healthy hip positioning. Such devices include but are not limited to baby carriers, slings, wraps, pouches, car seats, exercisers, rockers, jumpers, swings, bouncers and walkers, and molded seating items. These devices could inadvertently place hips in an unhealthy position, especially when used for extended periods of time. Any device that restrains a baby’s legs in an unhealthy position should be considered a potential risk for abnormal hip development. It is also important to assess the size of the baby and match the device and carrier to the size of the child so that the hips can be in a healthy position during transport. Parents are advised to research the general safety and risks of any device they wish to use. When in doubt, we recommend involving your primary health-care provider in any further decision-making that may be medically relevant.
These series of drawings demonstrate typical devices that allow healthier hip positioning in comparison to those which do not.

Car Seat Positioning

Not Recommended:

Tight car seats prevent legs from spreading apart.

Better:
Wider car seats provide room for legs to be apart, putting the hips in a better position.

Baby Harnesses

Not Recommended:

Thigh NOT supported to the knee joint. The resulting forces on the hip joint may contribute to hip dysplasia.

Better:


Thigh is supported to the knee joint. The forces on the hip joint are minimal because the legs are spread, supported, and the hip is in a more stable position.

Baby Slings

Not Recommended:

Baby carriers that force the baby's legs to stay together may contribute to hip dysplasia.

Better:

Baby carriers should support the thigh and allow the legs to spread to keep the hip in a stable position.

---

Back to Prevention of Hip Dysplaisa

Make a DonationGet InvolvedContact Us

Breastfeedings Biggest Myths

Since I joined an online community, I've been enjoying reading different stories and such that other moms have posted. What is really shocking to me is how many myths about breastfeeding there really are out there. Some of them have been passed on through family, others are passed on by Doctors and Nurses, and some by poorly educated lactation consultants. So I've decided to round up some of the biggest myths that I've come across, put them up here and debunk them.

1. You only make what you are able to pump.  
This one is so very very wrong. You make much more than you are able to pump. Some mothers are able to pump several ounces and others are only able to pump a few, if any. This is not an indication of how much milk you are making. A breast pump is a marvelous invention, but it has one major drawback compared to how a baby nurses. It doesn't knead the milk ducts in your breast the way a baby does. It only sucks. When a baby nurses it both kneads and sucks. Any mother who doubts her milk production because of what she is able to pump, only needs to nurse her baby after a pumping session. Lean in and listen closely to the sounds your baby is making. You are most likely to hear the sound of swallowing as your baby taps into milk that was not released when pumping.

2. My milk never came in.
Granted there are some women who do have medical conditions and they really do not make milk. This is for the moms who never experience the burning sensation of engorgement from their milk coming in. My only question in return, is if the mother has been nursing their baby this whole time. There are some babies who drink so much that they actually drink everything their mother is making, so the mother never experiences the pain of engorgement. Every baby is different and once again all you have to do is listen to the sounds that baby is making while nursing and whether there are plenty of wet diapers. If there are, than your milk has come in and your baby is simply enjoying it so much and has saved you from engorgement.

3. My Supply is Gone.
This is a hard call to make on your own. There are many mothers who believe because they don't feel "full" all of the time that their supply is gone and that their baby is going to starve. Granted there are times, when baby throws a fit at the breast. This can be for a list of reasons. They are overtired, they are suffering growing pains, or they have gas pains. Sometimes, it is because they have had all that is in your breast and are still hungry. In these situations, the mother needs to drink more hydrating fluids (NO COFFEE or SODA) and continue to put baby to the breast. The more baby is put to the breast, the more milk will be made. The longer the baby is allowed to stay on one side, the more thoroughly the breast will be emptied and the more milk baby will get. The letting down mechanism in the breast works in waves. All the milk is not released at once. As the baby continue to nurses, different muscles squeeze different milk ducts, releasing more milk. If you pay attention you will notice it.  Also it goes back to the basics of  "Is baby wetting enough? Is baby Gaining?" if the answers are 'YES' than your supply is not gone.
Also, your breasts change feeling when you have been nursing for a while. They go from feeling firm all the time to soft. This simply means that your body has adjusted the supply to meet the demand of your baby.  This also gives out the idea that your supply is low. There are supplements that you can take to increase your supply or keep a steady high supply.

-Mother's Milk tea
-Brewers Yeast
-Oatmeal
-Fenugreek tablets
-Lactation cookies

These are but a few that can be ingested to increase milk supply or help with a healthy supply.

4.Nurse for only 10mins on each side.
This is something that hospital lactation consultants say to new mothers, not to create that habit, but to get them used to nursing on each side. After nursing has been established, this trend needs to be adjusted. If you continue this trend, it will actually affect your milk supply. Baby needs to eat on each side until they are sated on that side. The habit of putting baby on the last breast that was nursed on last needs to be started.  For example: baby started on the left and finished on the right during the last session. For the next session, baby needs to start on the right and finish on the left. This give each breast the chance to be fully emptied and for a true supply and demand system to function properly.

5  Your baby will starve because the supply does not meet the demand.
This is a lie. This is what mothers say to other mothers to make them give up or not try to nurse.  I read a wonderful story about a mother who had only one functional breast and she breastfeed all of her children, including a set of twins. Saying this is like saying that you can only get a glass of water from a faucet. Every time you put baby to breast, you will make more of a milk supply for baby. Every time you turn on the faucet, you get more water out (unless the city shut off the water, but you get the idea.).




There has become this mentality of showing support to mothers who let themselves fail at breastfeeding.  They are allowed to think that their half hearted attempt at nursing is ok. They shrug their shoulders and say "At least I tried."  The worst part about this trend is that they tell their story to other moms who say they are thinking about nursing, which may make these expectant mothers think "Well it didn't work for them, maybe it won't work for me...". Then when they "fail" at nursing, there is a group of women who pat them on the back and all say "At least you tried." when really, they didn't. They did a half hearted attempt and spent less time and energy on finding a real answer then they did picking out their baby's last outfit. This is the destructive mentality that is out there, breeding and spreading like a wild weed.

The Target Issue

Mostly everyone is aware of what has happened recently at a Target store in TX. If not I have copied and posted the mothers statement below.

"Here is the lengthy official details feel free to cut and paste and share everywhere:

I'm not the best public speaker or the most educated or outspoken person in breastfeeding rights but I am a mom of 4 who has been harassed and humiliated by Target for nursing by infant in their store. I was Christmas shopping with a basket full of items when my infant woke up hungry, so I found a remote area of the store in the ladies clothing department close to the fitting rooms and sat Indian style on the floor next to my basket and a display of jeans and nursed my hungry baby with a blanket completely covering him. Briefly I will say that 2 women employees came and verbally asked me to move. The 2nd one told me that Target employees had been told/trained to interrupt nursing and to redirect mothers to the fitting rooms. Even after I informed the 2nd employee of my legal right to nurse in public she still suggested me moving closer to the jean display, turning to face another direction, and also turn my basket a certain way which would have put me practically underneath the jean display and totally barricaded me in. Employee #2 even said in a hint around but threatening way you can get a ticket and be reported for indecent exposure when nothing was being exposed and there was more boob showing from low cut shirts several shoppers were wearing that night. This does not include the other 3-4 employees besides the 2 verbal ones who were all watching and making a spectacle of my nursing by walking by standing around pretending to do something and giving me mean looks and shaking their heads no back and forth. In a side note not a single non-employee customer ever saw the incident so I'm not sure why the employees were trying to act like I was offending "the public" and that it was their job to step in. 

After I left the store I decided to call the Target corporate office and speak to a guest relations person to notify them of the situation and to suggest that they educate their employees as to the legal right I have to nurse in public. The phone call however took a turn for the worse. The lady (I wish I would have gotten her name) told me that she and Target were aware of our legal rights as nursing mothers, but that Target has different policies because they are a family friendly public place. I can't think of a more family friendly act than breastfeeding and providing the irrefutably proven healthiest diet to my baby. She continued to inform me repetitively that Target's policies were different than the law and even went as far to say several times that just because it is a woman's right to nurse in public even without a nursing cover like I was using doesn't mean women should walk around and I quote "flaunting it" and was extremely rude. I also talked to the supervisor of this rude lady and that didn't get anywhere either.

It saddens me that mothers are being treated this way as if breastfeeding is vile and offensive. If this would have happened to me with the first child I nursed I would have considered giving up on nursing due to embarrassment and that is what concerns me the most. I know that breastmilk is best and that nursing is hard work and a selfless act that mothers choose to do for their babies, and I would hate for this to happen to someone else causing them to give up on nursing. Please help me support the best nutrition for babies and to make a stand in support of nursing in public so this doesn't happen again."

I was upset by this on two different levels. The first is the fact that I have worked at a Target store for the past five years. I have been in the lower management bracket, I stepped down after having my children so I could work part-time and be able to devote my energies towards my children. As a employee, I was outraged. 

Verbatim from the Policy on breastfeeding

" Target's Breastfeeding Policy:

Guests may openly breastfeed in our stores or ask where they can go to breastfeed their child. When this happens, remember these points:

-Target's policy supports breastfeeding in any area of our stores, including our fitting rooms, even if others are waiting.

-if you see a guest breastfeeding in our stores, do not approach her.

-If she approaches and asks you for a location, offer the fitting room; do not offer the restroom as an option."

This store is apparently working on it's own set of policies according to the views of the managers and employees. This is ignorance at it's best.  The people on the 800 number she called should of known better than to comment the way they did. Though I can understand, because we have all seen the pictures on the 'People of Walmart' website where mothers have their entire breast exposed to nurse their baby. This is probably what the operator thought of despite what this mother was telling her. I have always gone out of my way to deal with guests appropriately and to the best of my ability. If I don't know what to do, I radio for help. That is what these team members should of done first. If the HR manager had been on, a few clicks on the computer would of been the answer and this situation would of never happened. 

Then there is the other side of the coin. I am furious over this as a nursing mother.  There are some who breastfeed that say they would never sit on the floor and nurse. I understand that. There are some who say they would just go out to the car. I understand. BUT that is missing the issue completely. If she had been sitting on the floor giving her baby a bottle, no one would of said a thing to her. 

It is a hard thing to switch the mindset about breastfeeding. There are still so many who feel that it is inappropriate or even sexual. (Breasts Function and Pleasure)

My opinion is simply this mothers should be able to breastfeed wherever and whenever they need to.

There is a line to draw when it comes to appearance when breastfeeding in public: the whole breast should not be exposed (this is hard to do with older babies).  There are covers that you can use when they are small or if you/they don't mind be covered up. But as the mother of one who does not like being covered up, you simply pull the shirt down to cover the part that is not in use. Leaving enough for the baby to feel comfortable and for you to feel comfortable. 

The other issue is the simple fact that if we can eat while we are shopping, if toddlers can snack and drink at will. Then infants who need both nutritional and emotional nourishment should be allowed to eat when they hunger, without having to be moved to an "appropriate area". 

This was the norm for centuries, our species would not of survived without it. Mothers and wet-nurses nursed the babies. Men and children were accustomed to seeing a baby nursing. And any husband/man you asked didn't think that the woman was any less attractive because she was nursing. Breasts are life bringers and nourishers, that is why they are attractive. 

I am not bashing bottle feeding mothers. I do bash how they feed their babies, I think very poorly of every mom who just props up the bottle for the baby to eat. This is horrible for the emotional growth of the infant. 

There is nothing more important than the development of the child. We should have a mutual respect for both breast feeders and the formula feeders. Both should be allowed to feed their child when it hungers and they should be allowed to feed the baby in whatever way is comfortable to the mother. 

And if it's ok for us to see women out in public with it ALL hanging out, then it's ok for a mom to nurse her baby with out without a cover.

Breastfeeding stories

I'm having one of those days where I just feel like I'm under attack about breastfeeding and how I've done it. 

So, I have decided to tell the two very different stories of my two children, when it came to breastfeeding. One is still in the works, but is still very much so valid. 

My Son:  Our bonding relationship in general was off to a rough start due to how his birth was. I didn't get to hold him until he was cleaned up and wrapped like a baby burrito. I remember holding him and staring into his jelly looking eyes (due to the antibiotic eye ointment) and him staring back at me. I failed to nurse him during the crucial time after his birth. Later, the pressure was then on to get him to eat. I had nurse after nurse come in telling me that he had to nurse. I had lactation consultants coming in and fussing with my boobs and my baby. They drizzled formula on me to try and get him to latch on. By the time I left, he was nursing, but he was still sleepy and not really interested. 

At home, it took almost a week before my milk came it. The sweet sound of my baby gulping filled my ears. Then the misery started. He had a tucked in chin, making him resemble a baby bird, but also making it difficult for him to nurse. I suffered from cracked nipples that took weeks to heal. My left one is scarred from how badly it was cracked. With cracked nipples I suffered plugged ducts that turned into mastitis, leaving me useless and in bed with my baby shaking with cold chills. I struggled through nights of screaming as my son had emptied me and cried with hunger. I gave in a few times, giving him a bottle with the formula that 'magically' appeared at my doorstep. This would fill him up and he would sleep, then I would sleep. 

Pumping so the I could go back to work was challenging. I had a manual pump and I do not recommend them. I could barely get any out and we had to supplement with formula while I was at work. He took the breastflow bottle with his milk warm. It never seemed to bother him that it wasn't me. 

At 6 months, my son decided he didn't want bottles of any kind anymore. He ate only baby food and woke up when I got home from work. I would take him to bed with me and he nursed while I slept. 

He continued to nurse until he was 2. I nursed him through teething and a double ear infection that Christmas and then he never showed interest in it or asked for it again after. 

My Daughter: With my daughters birth, I was able to nurse her immediately after she was born. She suckled, not really interested in it for anything else but comfort. All she wanted to do was nurse. Her rooting reflex was beyond strong, with her going after anything that smelled like me or milk.  She has continued so far, making her demands quiet clear by head diving for it when I hold her. 

I am also working again, but this time with a dual electric pump. She doesn't like her milk warm and she doesn't like the breastflow bottle. It's almost as though she is saying "I know it's not mommy, don't even try to trick me." She hasn't ever been supplemented with formula and it hasn't 'magically' appeared at my doorstep. Coupons have, but not actual product. 

I am hoping that we will be able to continue as long as with my son. So far it is the lifesaver of teething. 

Party at the Crib

For the past two months, my darling daughter has been waking up at night. Sometimes this is once a week, the past two weeks, it has been three times too many.  The time that she wakes up varies as much as when she wakes up. Usually though, it's when I'm done for the day and getting ready for bed. I usually let her squawk for a few minutes. She does wake up in the night, let out a few cries, then goes to sleep. So I just wait to see if she's grunting out a fart or if she is really awake. 

If I realize she is really awake, I hurry, brush my teeth, wash face, and get in there before it turns into screaming hysterics. I pick her, sit in the rocking chair, and nurse her. There have been a few rare nights where she goes to back to sleep and I get to go to bed. Most times, she nurses and then proceeds to either play or scream. Mostly it has been the latter. Now mind you, my daughter is now 9months old. I was pretty sure this stuff only happened in the first few months. I endured this with my son and my husband found me many times in tears in the nursery, rocking him while he just screamed.  

I have also ended up in tears many times with my daughter. 

It wouldn't be so bad if she was just screaming and crying relentlessly. She has started grabbing anywhere that skin is showing and pulling at it until she loses her grip, scratching in the process. I keep her nails short, but even short nails hurt horribly. 

This whole endurance test has lasted up to 3hours. There have been two mornings (that I remember) where I was still awake when my husband woke up to get ready for work. 

The worst part is that she doesn't sleep in after being awake for 3hours in the middle of the night. Knowing you are going to be getting only 3-4 hours is a horrible reality sometimes. 

This past time, I just gave up, turned the light on and let her play on the floor of her bedroom. I sat in the rocking chair and dozed lightly while she threw her blocks across the floor. After half an hour of this, she crawled over rubbing her eyes.  I shut the light off, nursed her and she promptly went back to sleep. 

Half an Hour. 30mins. 

Not 3hours of intense mental breakdown and hearing loss. 

I felt so stupid. Why didn't I do this sooner?? Why was I torturing myself this way, by making her do something she just didn't want to do, but that I wanted her to do so desperately? 

This was a simple lesson to me as a parent. That despite everything that we may try to make our children do, they are their own person and have their own ideas and will. All we can do sometimes as parents, is just step aside and be there when they need us. 

At least now I know how to get more sleep at night and how to end it peacefully without tears.