The orthopedist was really nice and unfortunately we'll get to know him pretty well over the next few months. I do have hip dysplasia and torticolis, although it's not as bad as they initially described. My left hip is affected - it doesn't pop in and out of the socket, but the ball of the joint isn't centered as it should be and the joint therefore doesn't have the range of motion that it should. The joint probably did pop out of the socket at my 5 day appointment with the pediatrician, but it has improved somewhat as I've grown. The orthopedist seemed very confident in the pediatrician's ability to diagnose the problem, so he didn't second guess the initial diagnosis for a second. The doctor thought it was rare for me to have this problem since mom had a "normal" pregnancy, a non-breech delivery and no other known hip problems in the family (anyone know of any grandmothers, aunts, female cousins who have had hip replacements??? If so, that's probably where this came from). What does this mean? A "soft" hip brace full time for 6-8 weeks, then half-time (12 hours/day) for another 6-8 weeks. They even gave me a pink brace! The brace doesn't bother me as much as it bothers mom and dad, although it does make diaper changes challenging and means I shouldn't be allowed to hang out in my carseat (it keeps my legs turned in, not out to the side). I let out a scream like mom was killing me when she changed me after we got home - dad had to come downstairs to check on me :( We'll have to have an x-ray of the joint after I turn 6 months old - before that my bones aren't fully formed and nothing will show up on the x-ray. There may be additional treatment past the first 12-16 weeks, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
I have to go back in 2 weeks to check the progress, then for another ultrasound with the brace on. In the mean time, I'm supposed to be carried with my legs turned to the outside as much as possible to let the hip joint fall into place. Mom tried out the other carrier when we got home and that does the trick pretty well! It's not supposed to be for babies under 15 lbs, but the doctor told us to use it and it's actually pretty comfy to sleep in :)
The torticolis isn't too bad either - we're supposed to just make sure I'm looking to the left to eat to encourage me to look that way. There's no better motivation for me than food!!!
Wish us all luck as we get used to this. Sleeping at night is already difficult enough, but the swaddle blankets won't work with the brace on, so it may be tough for a while. We'll do the best we can and will keep everyone posted!
