Pavlik Harness breaking DDs heart and mine :(

[CuttingOutTheCrap]

My 3 week old DD had a pavlik harness fitted yesterday, she'll have to wear it 24/7 for 12 weeks. I realise it's an important, non invasive treatment for a potentially serious condition, but right now I could burn the bloody thing in the fire! DD is usually extremely laid back, rarely lets anything upset her and when it does, she's easily calmed in seconds - basically we're extremely lucky and she's brilliant. BUT since the harness went on, she's a totally different girl, she's cried her little heart out constantly, day and night. Even breastfeeding does little to console her, her feeds have become difficult and stressful for her and winding her is almost impossible as she screams and fights against it. She usually loves cuddles, especially on your chest, but now she only calms for a moment before screaming again. I don't think she's in any pain, she just seems incredibly unhappy :(

Does anyone have any experience of this? I'm hoping it's just a case of her getting used to it, but I'm worried I'm doing something, or NOT doing something that's making it worse for her.

The hospital just wanted me to check the harness isn't digging in or rubbing her, which its not, but its clearly bothering her, i suspect because it's restricting her movement? I (they seemed to think I'm projecting my own feelings and blaming the harness for ordinary tears,. I'm really not, this is totally out of character for her. If I'd have known in advance she was getting the harness fitted I'd have been confident she would have reacted well to it, like everything else)

Any tips or insight anyone has would be hugely appreciated. It's breaking my heart seeing her so unhappy and being unable to help her and obviously me being upset at her tears will only make the situation worse!

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Hi Cutting, I know nothing at all about this, but searched for you and found this old thread here which might give you some reassurance, or at least make you feel less alone. You've probably already searched but just in case.

Completely different but I remember when one of my DC had an ng tube placed at 7 months old how upsetting it was for us to watch.

I hope things settle down for you and your DD very soon.

I hope things settle down for you both soon. The only thing I would say is that colic and reflux can both raise their ugly heads around this time, so if she doesn't settle, don't be afraid to consider other causes.

Hi, my DS2 was in a pavilion from 3 weeks old for 12 weeks. I was in tears at the beginning and found it hard to deal with. He suffered terribly with wind and having restricted movement made it hard for him to get it out so he would scream [sad.. What helped us was putting him in a carrier. You need to make sure it's hip friendly (we have a beco Gemini, definitely no baby bjorns) and have them parent facing only. I promise things do get easier and with early diagnosis the pavlik is usually very successful. My DS is fine now (7.5 mths) and the brace feels like a distant memory. We just have regular x-rays now. Hang in there as there is light at the end of the tunnel. It will all be worth it .

How is she doing now OP? I hope things are improving for you? Let me know if you have any more questions.

Hi, 2 of my boys had the harness and although it was awful to start with both times I was amazed at how quickly they adapted to it. As silly as it sounds, I just kept focusing on the good it was doing - I was born with the same condition 36 years ago and the treatment was quite horrendous then, my mum thinks the harness is amazing in comparison! Just hold in there and give her lots of cuddles!

My son had this for 12 weeks too- he did get used to it, my major annoyance was keeping it poo free.

I second the sling idea (I had a mamas and papas flexi sling), instant calm from crying!

Congratulations on your new baby! My daughter had one, she had it within 24 hours of being born so she got used to it really quickly. I felt lucky that she was my third child and so I knew that this was a very minor problem compared to other friends who had babies who were born prematurely. My daughter is now 13 and v sporty, she only wore it for a few months. It was so much better than her having to wear a cast (which a friend of mine had worn as a toddler). My daughter was given a 2nd harness once she was about 3 weeks old so I could give her a bath. My mother had a hip replacement in her 50s, my brother has a sore hip (40s) and so do I. I hope we have avoided this for my daughter. I sound a bit preachy but can you try to be grateful we live somewhere where a baby can be helped quickly and how lucky we are that our DDs won't suffer as toddlers/teens/adults? I think I've posted pictures of her in her harness before, you can pm me if you like.

Sorry for the lack of reply, ive been offline for a while, so just back. Thanks everyone for your replies, they're really helpful. Thankfully dd has settled down and got used to her harness now (so have I!) It really only took about two days before we were pretty much back to normal, although it felt like eternity at the time! The only thing that's causing any problems now is that she hates being washed with it, after previously loving bath times (now it's a wash with cotton wool/flannel instead), but we can deal with that easily enough and we can all look forward to splashy baths again when the harness comes off!

For anyone reading inthe same position i was, rest assured it will be fine, and far faster than you probably think. We've had to put away all her newborn and 1-3 month clothes as she can't wear them now and will have outgrown them by the time the harness comes off (sad but hardly the end of the world), she now has a fantastic wardrobe of 3-6 month sized dresses, which fit well over the harness -trousers and leggings just don't work in my experience as they're too tight regardless of size. She's still breastfeeding well and enjoying time in her mei tai, just as she did before, despite my worries and warnings from others that she may not be able to carry on as before.

When the harness first went on, I felt that our time with our beautiful, cuddly newborn had been snatched away. It really wasn't, cuddles are every bit as lovely as before, with the added bonus that we're now confident that DDs little hip will be fine as it's being treated at the earliest possible time. (And the daft tears I cried for the first 24 hours really were daft, but she's my pfb, so thats ok! )

My eldest had one for 3 months and I bloody hated it. I felt just the same as you - it's natural. Keep a close eye on the skin in the crease of the knees - itcan get damp and infected very quickly. I'd keep a sprinkle of baby powder in that area generally.
What you have to keep in mind is that she won't remember and it's preventing problems for her. My baby got so used to hers that she used to scream blue murder when it had to come off for adjustments.
It'll be over before you know it so just try to enjoy her and pay it no attention. And hell yes!!! to the tears about your PFB!!! Mine is 16 now xx

Glad you are both getting used to it now! If you haven't already, may I also suggest looking up the charity steps? They are cracking for lower-limb stuff advice and practical help. I was born with cdh on both sides. It wasn't diagnosed until I was 2.5 so needed lots of surgery, and steps were incredibly supportive to my parents.

Very late to join in, your daughter is probably out of her harness with healthy hips by now! But I want to reassure you, there's nothing daft aboit your tears! My dd was also in a harness and dh and myself cried for ages, dd herself screamed for a day or two, everytime she tried to kick her wee legs. But then she was totally fine, and she just had her 1 year x ray check up and it showed two perfect wee hips. Brilliant news, as you'll find out soon yourself!

what we found difficult waa keeping the harness clean, particularly from nappy leaks, poonamis! Everytime the harness got covered meant an extra stressfultrip to the hospital, so I developed a protective cover that goes over the harness. I'm starting to produce and sell them, still almost a working prototype, but anything to minimise extra trips to the hospital!

The harness covers have a waterproof layer but the fabric against the babies skin is 100% cotton, so it's far softer than the harness against the baby's skin. They fasten easily with velcro, sonthey can be removed and thrown in the washing machine - far easier than trying to clean the harness while it's fitted on your baby.
www.spanglefish.com/pavlikprotectors/