Spica Parent's Name:

Katey

Spica Baby's Name:

Finn

Spica Baby's Age When He or She Was First Casted:

21 months

Weeks In The Cast:

6

Favorite Spica Journey Memory:

How happy Finn remained while in the cast. He is such an active boy and was just becoming independent before being casted so I was expecting the worst. After the pain from surgery was controlled, he was so much more content than I could have imagined!

Biggest Lesson Learned:

Learn quickly how to properly diaper your spica baby - and know this will change depending on the cast! (He had 2 casts in his 6 weeks and each one needed different diapering skills!)

What Do You Wish You Knew:

This will be a long haul. I did a lot of research ahead of time so felt pretty well prepared with supplies, furniture, etc. Kids are incredibly resilient and this is so much harder on the parents than it is on them!

Favorite Gear or Must Have Item:

Spica table!! My husband is pretty handy and made 2 of these; one for home and one for daycare! Finn spent most of his time in this where he was able to color, play and eat. It was a real life saver!

Final Thoughts or Advice:

Finn was diagnosed late (18 months) with left hip dysplasia and had surgery at 21 months which was not successful. We're currently preparing for surgery #2 in a few weeks with another casting to follow. For many parents, this is going to be a long road of follow up care and treatment. I feel much more relaxed this time around, having done this once before (and I even have a 2 month old now on top of it!). Do your research and prepare ahead of time if you have the time to do so! Again, you'll really be surprised at how well kids cope with this - just do your best to hold it together for them and keep a good bottle of wine on hand for the rough days!