United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Julie
The ball I was talking about is a huge rubber ball about 36 inches in diameter we call them therapy balls, (you probably call them that too - sorry!)
and from 4-5 months old, the physio would hold Gavin by his feet and lay him on his tummy draped over the ball to get him used to weight bearing on his tummy and she would gently roll him forwards and back, all the time holding onto his feet, it sounds awful ,but he LOVED it!
in the same therapy sessions we would also transfer him to his tummy but on the floor, after being on the ball and gently push his knees upwards into the crawling position.
Because he had been used to being on his stomach on the ball, he quickly got used to it on the floor and didn't mind weight bearing in that way.
He quickly started to pull himself along commando style on his tummy and then after a while he got up enough strength to crawl on all fours. Because of the size difference in his arms, he used to have the palm of his left ( unaffected arm) on the floor and make a fist with his right (affected) arm and managed to keep equilibrium that way.
We used to encourage him to crawl further by putting candy or fruit in a line and encouraging him to reach the next treat by crawling. It was amazing to watch how quickly he could go!
bye for now
Karen

Thanks everyone for your replies. Sorry, I don't get here every day.

I know about keeping going with positive energy and I do. No one around me knows what I'm really going through internally. I do not let it show and I certainly don't let on around either dd.

At therapy sessions, I am always really happy because Avery's getting help and encouragement from our wonderful PT and OT. I like being there. It's nice to be around people who know what's going on with Avery and don't say - "oh, but she looks really great!".

I just needed to vent the other day and thought that I could come here. I know to look for the positives - and I do, constantly. I know how well Avery really is doing (given her injury) and I know that she is ONLY 7 months old!

I assist her in daily activities. I bought a great 2-handled cup that she uses expertly! LOL

About the supination thing - I have read that active supination doesn't come until later but she can't even turn toys to play with them. kwim? She can't use her right arm to lift her cup. She can't turn her hand AT ALL. She does with her left arm so I guess I'm just noticing the differences.

We're off to Toronto next Tuesday so I'm sure that I'll have more answers and more hope after that.

Thanks for all the replies! Keeping exercising and playing (same thing! LOL).

TTYL

Hi Bonnie--You have already gotten a lot of wonderful advice...It is so easy to get lost in this circle and continue to think about all the negatives...I am having one of those days today and then have to remember to try to turn it into positive energy..I have drained myself so many times on the negative and realized that was not fair to my family or me, there is the day to day you just "get used to it" like this is normal life...and for us, I guess it is, the therapy, activities..and then there are the days that you just want to inflict the same type of pain on the dr. who did this. of course all of the comments, well you can't tell anything by looking at her
and oh she/he looks great...so many different emotions...there are days when I keep thinking that one day this will go away, just disappear and it doesn't.....reality starts setting in and Francine (I hope you don't mind) summed it up in just a few words that hit home...that our lives have been changed forever. It is up to us as to how we are going to go on this journey. I sometimes get mad at my husband because I don't think he understands sometimes and I know the rest of my family doesn't understand the impact as much as I try to educate them and send them information, including those of child bearing years..hmmm, you think they would listen but no........
Well, sorry to ramble on so long.....bottom line---we are here for you.....
I found this quote on the internate the other day when I was looking up information...hope no-one minds me sharing it....
"Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness"...James Thurber
Well, have a great evening..
Tami

I work in a nursery. Children all develop at different rates. I had one little boy who crawled at 5 months and was walking at 8 and half months. I had another one who at 10 months has only been crawling for about a month. He is still sort of wobbly. Neither one of these children have anything wrong with them. So please don't give up. Your little one and all little one need a lot of floor play. Spread a blanket on the floor and sit a liitle bit aways from your child, with a favorite toy and you'll be surprised what pure determination will do. (p.s. floor play and crib play are NOT the same thing. I have a lot of mother who let their babies stay in their crib all the time, for various reasons.)

What I was meaning obviously didn't come through in my post.

I am not comparing my dd with BPI to any other baby. What I was sad about was watching her struggle and get frustrated with her arm. If she had full function, she would be crawling and I feel like she knows that. She is compensating (which isn't necessarily a good thing) and she is moving but I hate to see her struggle.

When I see my other dd struggle or try something new I wish her strength and determination and I let her work it out. I just feel like Avery has hurdles that she shouldn't have to overcome.

I'm still working through the anger at the OB. It's not consuming me by any means, it's just still there, in the back of my mind. This injury is because of someone.

Thanks for your response. I guess I'm not very good at expressing myself properly here - especially when I'm mad! LOL

fI totally understand the frustration. I have been watching my beautiful daughter struggle for the last 8 1/2 years. I have often wondered where her total determination comes from. I suppose as parents we really could learn a lot from our special special babies.