Let’s talk about the baby poonami. The infamous number 3. Perfectly defined by The Mother Load blog as "A monumental infant bowel movement of such quantity and consistency that no nappy stands a chance of containing it, resulting in a disastrous mess."
These occasions are terrifying for all parents however the challenge for parents of hip dysplasia babies is next level. My personal experience is with the Pavlik Harness however I have heard many stories about poonami events in a spica cast which bring fear to my heart.
For the first 2 – 3 weeks, Mackenzie had to wear the Pavlik Harness 24/7. We were given strict instructions to NEVER take it off and, anticipating a poonami event, we were told to “spot clean” the harness and the baby (we made it to day 2 before our first poo stain – you can read about it here). I was paranoid about getting poo on the brilliant white Pavlik Harness and struggled to find an easy way to clean up disaster zones without getting it on my hands (seriously, you get a tiny bit on your finger and you will never feel clean again, no matter how much you wash and scrub with soap). And, not being able to lift your baby by the legs during nappy changes is HARD.
So, I improvised and came up with my own poonami protection system.
The first step was to try to limit the leakage. I bought disposable nappies for Mackenzie that were 1 – 2 sizes bigger than normal and would put them on her as high as possible to limit explosions escaping out of the top of the nappy. Fortunately her stationery position kept the nappy in place with no big gaping holes around the legs. I then put a reusable nappy cover on top of the disposable nappy which added an extra barrier around all sides (it also looked adorable which was a plus).
The second step was to survive the nappy change process. I cut up an old black pair of toddler Chloe's leggings and put them over Mackenzie’s legs – just in case there was an ill timed kick, splash or smear. Then I would put on disposable gloves and dive right in without fear of direct contact with the enemy.
Like all things to do with hip dysplasia, we adjusted and got used to the new nappy change routine in no time at all.
To make this process easier for other parents, we put together a Nappy Change Kit for use with the Pavlik Harness. Our Nappy Change Kit contains a pair of long black leg covers, black nitrile - latex and powder free - disposable gloves (because poop on black gloves is less confronting than poop on white gloves!) and a stylish Leak Protection Nappy Cover (there are 10 different designs to choose from). You can buy your Pavlik Harness Nappy Change Kit here: http://www.hipsleepers.com.au/pavlik-harness-nappy-change-kit/
If you have any nappy change tips and tricks of your own, share them on our Facebook post here.
Good luck to you all!!
For more posts about life with a baby receiving treatment for developmental dysplasia of the hip, browse our blog here: https://www.hipsleepers.com.au/blog/
To view our range of specialty hip dysplasia baby clothes and accessories, click here: https://www.hipsleepers.com.au/shop-all/