As you wait for the casting process to begin, the most important thing to do (besides finding a great doctor) is to get to know your baby and soak in your time with those sweet little feet. Rest assured that clubfoot can be fixed. In the meantime, touch and kiss those tiny toes as much as you can. Take pictures of them, do little ink footprints if you want, but spend time just enjoying your baby. Get to know him or her … start to figure each other out … embrace these fleeting newborn days. You will most likely be exhausted, overwhelmed, and emotional about everything (welcome to parenthood, right?), but try not to worry too much about the clubfoot treatment (I know, easier said than done!). Before your first casting appointment, it’s a good idea to purchase some baby leg warmers. You can find them on several websites, including babylegs.com, babyleggings.com, and huggalugs.com. These can be placed over the casts and will do a few things:
1.) They’ll protect the casts from getting dirty, in the event of a diaper blowout
2.) They’ll prevent the casts from knocking into each other, if your baby has bilateral clubfoot (meaning, both feet are affected)
3.) They’ll give some padding so the casts won’t scratch or chafe the other leg (if your baby has unilateral clubfoot) or you, as you’re holding or feeding your baby
4.) They look fashionable!
5.) They make it less obvious that your baby has casts on his or her legs, so you can avoid questions if you don't want to answer them
You should also have infant Tylenol on hand, in case your doctor recommends giving it to your baby for the first couple of days of a new cast. Many parents find that their babies like to have their legs elevated to offset the weight of the casts. Check the Products section for recommendations & reviews.
1.) They’ll protect the casts from getting dirty, in the event of a diaper blowout
2.) They’ll prevent the casts from knocking into each other, if your baby has bilateral clubfoot (meaning, both feet are affected)
3.) They’ll give some padding so the casts won’t scratch or chafe the other leg (if your baby has unilateral clubfoot) or you, as you’re holding or feeding your baby
4.) They look fashionable!
5.) They make it less obvious that your baby has casts on his or her legs, so you can avoid questions if you don't want to answer them
You should also have infant Tylenol on hand, in case your doctor recommends giving it to your baby for the first couple of days of a new cast. Many parents find that their babies like to have their legs elevated to offset the weight of the casts. Check the Products section for recommendations & reviews.
Another clubfoot mom created this helpful tutorial on how to change diapers while your baby is in casts. Thanks for sharing!