Unstoppable!

I hear so many stories from BabyHipWear clients about how depressed and down they are that they "lost' their squishy baby to a brace, harness or cast. I was there and I know, it is NEVER how you imagined life would be. I urge you to keep somthing in mind: this is temporary and you are helping your child to develop properly and avoid so much more pain and suffering in the long run by handling the problem NOW. Shift your thinking if you may for a minute to the joy you will experience later... I just was emailing a client today and told her to trust me, before she knows it her son will be bouncing off the walls. After just getting back from the park, I am exhausted... Emma did not stop and ran all over like a loon. I never would have dreamed this day would be upon me when she'd actually be walking, let alone sprinting! So keep the faith. They will get there. And then they too will be unstoppable.

Continued healing...

You say potato, I say...NO WAY!

Potato sack... Potentially fun if you are in a race with one on, or are one of the Brady Bunch, but not so fun if you are trying to pass off clothing that is too big and you look like one.

When Emma was diagnosed with hip dysplasia she spent nearly 90% of the time looking like a potato sack. I tried, (I really did!), to find clothing appropriate for her. It wasn't summer, so dresses weren't a real good climate choice, so I resorted to buying oversized stretchy pants and oversized shirts to fit over her harness.



Witness Exhibit A.
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At the time I couldn't believe that there wasn't a company catering to these children's needs. So, I started BabyHipWear back in March of '08. Though the clothing wasn't officially for sale until July 4th, 2008 (a conscious decision to launch on that date to demonstrate the 'freedom' these children would one day have from their binding therapies), it took a while to get the clothing just right. I don't settle for anything in life, let alone settling for ill fitting clothes for my child. Dysplasia is hard enough on the people who love the child, why not put them in clothing that actually fits?



Witness Exhibit B.
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I take no greater joy than seeing children in BabyHipWear so please feel free to email me pictures of your child in his/her finest 'hip' attire and I will post it on my blog!

Continued healing...

Bathing in harness/spica cast

When Emma was first fitted for her harness at 3.5 months, I turned to the ortho in horror when she said she would need to be in it 24/7 and have a sponge bath ONLY. Spongebath ONLY?? For the three months she was guaranteed to be in the harness?? That was going to stink... in more ways than one.

I found that the 'bath' chairs (see above right) were the perfect solution as to where to place her for this 'oh so cheap' version of scrub -a-dub-dubbing she would have to go through the next few months. I wanted her to feel like she was in the 'tub' so I put the little bath chair in the tub and sponged away! That was all fine and good for washing her body, but her hair? Well that was a different ordeal, um , I mean story.

I would pick Emma up and hang her head over the side of the tub, trying to cover the harness straps with my one hand that was also holding her football style, and then pour water over her head with the cup in the other hand. Needless to say, I think I managed to keep the top of her straps dry about, hmmm....0% of the time.

What I didn't have, and hence later invented for BabyHipWear, was the HipCape. Think about when you go and get your hair cut. They put that huge cape over you. I took that concept and added some terry cloth (for extra absorbancy) at the neck and shoulders, some strategically placed velcro and voila! It's great for harness and spica to help protect the cast from getting wet.

Now you can REALLY wash that dirt right outta' their hair...

'Hip' kid in the making...

Every day I get emails and posts on the support group I started from people (mostly moms) who are just beginning their 'hip' journey with their child. They all have that underlying tone of fear of the unknown and usually, disbelief.

Hip dysplasia takes a lot of people by surprise. It even took us by surprise and I was diagnosed with bilateral hip dysplasia at 1 year of age. Emma, my daughter (and BabyHipWear inspiration) was a prime candidate for hip dysplasia and for reasons I have now had to come to peace with, went undiagnosed until 3.5 months. If I was truly shocked, I can only imagine the feelings of parents who have never even HEARD of this affliction.

One of the goals of BabyHipWear is to educate and bring awareness to hip dysplasia. Yes, we provide a basic need for your child, clothing, but at the end of the day, by us all becoming more aware, and sharing our stories, we can help early detection in other children by spreading the word anyway we can. Be it blogs, word of mouth, or just sharing your experience with a neighbor, education will come if you are a champion for it.

Feel free to comment and share your story anytime on this blog or at the support groups linked to this blog. Continued healing...

IT'S ALLIIVVVEEEE!!!!! (or it's 'LIVE' is more like it)

After a brutal three weeks of Bobbie (The Nifty Studio) and I changing and rearranging, we are DONE with the BabyHipWear redesign! *APPLAUSE*

'Hip' per and better than ever, the new site conveys the exact message I want to send to everyone that has a 'hip' kid in their life- shopping can still be fun for your hipster! No need for baggy shapeless clothes when there is BabyHipWear. I hope you love the site as much as I do... and now... I need a nap.

The ever changing face of BabyHipWear...

As we prepare to ditch the old and usher in the new website, I wanted to take some new shots of Emma in the latest BabyHipWear fashions. Once again, it was sheer torture for the both of us. She is at the age where she doesn't understand "Stay still" at all... trying to get her to smile, well that is even more impossible... and when she does smile she is bouncing up and down so fast, she becomes a blur. Regardless, I did get some keepers... I love the shot to the right... caught in mid dance...

I love this shot. Struggle of

mom verse daughter...