Hip Helpers

When I started hearing about hip helpers, I kind had this "Yea, yea, like that would really help anything" attitude.   I guess there are times when I see all of the do this and that and give this vitamin and this supplement and don't let them eat this or do that, I just want to throw my proverbial hands in the air and say, "C'mon, let the kid be a kid."  Do I really need to worry that much about everything.  Do I really need to be afraid that if I don't give my kid an omega 3 supplement, she won't be smart.  There's no doubt it's all good stuff, but I also have to accept that she is who she is.  And she will be, who she will be.  There's nothing wrong with being proactive, healthy, and conscientious, but I also need to let go some too. 

Back to the hip helpers.  Before we borrowed our hip helpers, my PT tried using a piece of panty house around her legs.  It worked ok, but they did roll up while she was wearing them.  It didn't seem as effective. 

After hearing several positive feedback and convincing testimonies about hip helpers, I thought they might be a good idea for Kamdyn, so we gave them a try.  They might not be the most fashionable accessory that someone could wear, but they do keep those tiny, hypotonia-ed hips together.

Kamdyn weighs 18 lbs (with 2 layers of clothes and a full diaper lol), and she is wearing size B. Size A was super tiny, and I think that Kamdyn will soon outgrow the B's and need a C.

When we first put them on Kamdyn, they made her feel pretty wobbly.  She took a couple of spills, but then she adjusted her balance and figured it out.  A couple of weeks after she started wearing them, I noticed her trying to push up to sitting.  Maybe a week later, she had put the steps together and figured out the balance to push up to sitting.  There is no doubt in my mind that wearing the hip helpers gave her the extra push to be able to do that.  Did the hip helpers make her push up to sitting?  No.  Would she have done it sooner if I had put them on her sooner?  Maybe slightly but not much.  It was still a matter of having the fine motor skills, gross motor skills, coordination, balance, and everything else it takes to push to sitting.  I think it was all put together at the right time for her to reach that goal, but hip helpers gave her that one last push she needed.

At the same time, however, they do limit her movement.  At this point, she is not able to get around very well with them on.  Since I do not want to contribute in any way to limiting her movement or deterring her from exploring her environment, she does not wear them for long periods during the day. 

Here is a forum on downsyn.com where a few people weighed in on their thoughts about hip helpers.

And they can be nicely concealed under her dress: