First read Our Shriners Journey- Part 1, and Our Shriners Journey- Part 2.
Baths with a Pavlik Harness
For those first six weeks when our daughter was in the harness full-time, as soon as we got back to a room at Shriners and they gave us the go ahead to remove the harness and strip her down for her exam, we did. We couldn’t wait to touch her skin, to hold her like the little baby she was. As rough as those appointments were (hours long!), we couldn’t wait to hold her close and give her a bath. To see her soft little belly.
And her feet. I missed seeing her feet more than I ever could have imagined.
Her newborn skin was sloughing off her feet, but stuck in the boots of her harness. Look at that beautiful little foot!
We were able to see our baby naked once a week, for about 20 minutes, at Shriners when we gave her a bath in the sink in the cast room. That was the only time I could touch the skin on her back or belly for 6 weeks. 6 weeks. It’s unnatural. I’m her mom. It’s in my blood, after giving birth to her, to make that physical connection with her and experience that almost euphoric release I feel when I hold my baby close and she almost melts into me.
It was so painful.
We didn't wear gloves. A very helpful nurse helped us give our little lady her first real bath.
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