Starbaby is our little miracle baby - he was conceived after nearly 2 years of trying (including 2 miscarriages), hung in there through very heavy bleeding from a subchorionic haematoma throughout the 1st trimester of his pregnancy and made it through some very scary events surrounding his birth.
At Starbaby's 20 week anomale scan we found out he had unilateral talipes (also known as club foot). I had had a strong feeling something would be picked up at that scan, so initially I was relieved it was 'only' talipes as my fear had been something much, much worse. However, when the news sunk in, I started to worry how he was going to cope with the long treatment ahead of him. The Ponseti method is amazing, in that is rarely requires surgery more than a procedure under local anaesthetic, but it is a long road, starting at just a few weeks old and going on until age 4 or 5.
In the following weeks I read several blogs written by parents whose children were going through talipes treatment... at times it was sad, but most of all it was inspiring. I felt like if their families could get through it ok, so could we.
Starbaby's pregnancy was a rocky one. At 24 weeks a followup scan in the fetal medicine unit picked up further 'soft markers' - he had a 2 vessel umbilical cord (the norm is 3 - 1 vein and 2 arteries - but Starbaby had only one artery), his fluid levels were low and he was very small - around 1st-3rd centile for most measurements. This raised the chances of his talipes not being an isolated issue. We turned down an amnio as we didn't want to risk triggering very premature labour. I was scanned in the fetal medicine unit every 2-4 weeks until 34 weeks, when I decided to decline further scans as they weren't telling us anything conclusive and were just increasing my stress levels. After that I saw my independent midwife every week and kept a close eye on Starbaby's movements, as they are the best indicator as to whether a baby is healthy in there.
At 39 weeks Starbaby's movements suddenly reduced and after a CTG showed he was in major distress, he was born with the help of a caesarean section in the early hours of 20th March 2013. A far cry from the calm home water birth we had planned, and something it will take me a long time to come to terms with. It was absolutely necessary, but at the same time the scariest time of my life. Starbaby was pretty poorly, but after an 8 day stay in NICU we both came home.
Starbaby started his talipes treatment at 5 weeks and 6 days old. He will have repeated casting until his right foot is 'corrected', a tenotomy (operation to clip the achilles tendon), a further cast, then he will move onto a foot brace, often known as 'boots and bars'. He will wear this for 23 hours a day for several months, then move down to nights and naps. At the moment it seems like a long journey, but having already been a parent for over 3 years, I know it will just fly by. I want to cherish every moment and not wish the time away.
Starbaby also has what appears to be muscle problems in various parts of his body - we are seeing some specialists and he also has regular physio appointments. A lot of 'wait and see' on that front right now...
I am a long-time online journaller - 13 years and counting - and have started this blog in order to raise awareness of talipes, share our journey with friends and family, keep a record of Starbaby's early months (and years?) and to help me process everything that is happening. I hope you enjoy reading about our wonderful little Starbaby!
Daddy, Big Sis, Starbaby and Mummy
Great Blog! We also provide the Treatment For Clubfoot with the famous Ponseti Method without performing any surgery. Visit our website and take a look at our specially designed Club Foot Shoes and ankle abduction orthosis that holds the foot firmly and comfortably in place without causing sores.
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