Navigating Clubfoot and Postpartum
Before they knew it, three months had passed, and Theo had completed his six rounds of casting and moved on to boots and braces.
“Honestly for us, the first few weeks of Theo being in his boots was harder than the casts,” Kendrie said. “His skin just got really sore and was hurting him. But eventually, his skin healed up and got tougher, and we got really good at getting his boots on while distracting him.”
While learning the art of distraction, Kendrie was also learning how to navigate postpartum, learning how to run on no sleep, take care of her baby, and take care of herself.
“I don’t want to be negative at all, but it was hard, it was a lot, but it did go by fast,” Kendrie said. “And really because he was our first baby this was all I knew, so we were like 'OK this is our normal.'”
One thing Kendrie did to find relief during those first few months of motherhood was to make a day out of Theo’s appointments. Whether it was going on a family walk around a park, going to see the cherry blossoms at the Utah State Capitol nearby, or heading downtown to show Theo around the city, any kind of outing seemed to make those days brighter.
Kendrie also credits the atmosphere and level of care at Shriners Children’s Salt Lake City for making Theo’s care a positive experience for the whole family.
“We love how it doesn’t feel like a hospital here, it’s just cozier if that makes sense, it makes everything a lot less stressful,” Kendrie said. "Our doctors and nurses are also so great; Theo likes all of them. They are always happy and treat us more like family than regular patients. They’ve also been very honest with us too; we’ve never felt misled or anything like that, which is appreciated.”
Looking Back
Now that Theo only wears his boots at night, things have gotten much easier for the little family, and Kendrie has had some time to reflect on their experience. Overall, her main piece of advice for other parents of a child with clubfoot is to remember that it’s fixable.
“Try not to overthink and get ahead of yourself, just take it day by day,” Kendrie suggested. “There were times when I would get so overwhelmed thinking, ‘Well, what am I going to do when he’s at this stage?’ and things like that. But overall, it’s no big deal, Theo adjusted to everything really fast, and it’s just normal for us. It’s really not that bad.”
As new parents, worry tends to be a constant companion, and the ever-present fear of the unknown just comes with the territory. An unanticipated complication can add a new layer of complexity, but amidst the initial shock, parental determination along with an experienced care team can help face that challenge head-on together.
Kendrie’s last piece of advice? Take a bunch of pictures of your baby before the casting process starts! You will want to remember that time in their life.
