Cuddles…

My biggest regret from when I had Jessica is that I didn’t cuddle and hold her for every minute of her first 24 hrs of life..

You see, I did what most new mums do …. the right thing..  I ‘shared’ her.. of course what I really mean is that I let her absolutely doting Grandparents, Great Nana, Uncles and Aunties cuddle her and hold her when the visited me in hospital.. of course if i did it all again I wouldn’t change any of this.. but I would change that when I had her all to myself for those few hours on the hospital ward, that I had held her and never put her down.. because that’s what you miss..you miss holding your ‘newborn’ without feeling the hard full leg casts banging together..

Jessica was around 24 hrs old when I met a lady that is still a big part of our lives now.. Jane.  Jane in my eyes is a miracle worker.. (she is Jessica and Max’s physio)  Jessica was put in full leg casts the morning after she was born..

This is the clever part…

The Ponseti method works because physios work closely with the staff in the plaster room and between them, they position and set the feet, each week in a new pair of casts to reposition the feet and manipulate them to be straight.. I am still in awe of Mr Ponseti for his amazing work which led to this method now ensuring that not all children born with Talipes will need surgery.. it’s AMAZING!  another point for you happy feet parents though – doesnt it feel strange to see such a small person have casts sorn off! I remember cringing that it may hurt her.. Jessica meanwhile was more often than not, flaked out on the hospital bed oblivious to all of the fuss – what a life hey?

Jessica’s feet were both turned inwards and upwards and to see her at birth, it was hard to imagine that she would ever walk, let alone dance.. but this amazing treatment works and she is living proof x

If I am honest, the cast part wasn’t so bad.. we didn’t know any different and neither did Jessica so we just ‘rocked on’ with it we were lucky in that Jane explained every thing she was doing .. .we did however long to bath our precious girl and were on a serious countdown to week 5 when this would be possible and the boots would be off!!! wooohooooo

So week 5 came and sure enough Jessica had her final casts removed and I have to say that I had a little weep to myself – first hurdle COMPLETE!! 🙂

xxx

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