Braces at Night

Adeline has been fitted for her nighttime braces. She is expected to wear them each night. The idea is that they will hold her foot in a position that will stretch her calves during her sleep. Over time her calves have become tight and her heal cords have tightened as well. All are a sign of Cerebral Palsy but we are forging ahead in hopes of escaping the diagnosis.

For her first night wearing her braces we were expecting a fit, lots of crying and restless night of sleep. I even plugged in the monitor so that her soft cry would wake us should she wake up during the night. Surprisingly, she let me put them on her awake and went down without much of a fight. She was up pretty late that night which helped in her willingness to go down without fighting her braces. Even more surprising was that she slept through the night and even later than usual into the morning.

She still has some learning to do. She doesn't think she can walk in these or get up to a standing position. They aren't made to wear outside of the crib but at age two, there is a lot of activity that goes on in the crib. I felt a bit sorry for her when I went into get her. She usually greets me standing up and jumping and instead was laying flat on her back waiting for me to pick her up.

So for the only problem has been a blister that developed on the outside of her heel. These braces are meant to go over PJ's but I sleep her in a footed pair which makes it hard. We might have to play around a bit to find the right combination of warmth and comfort when it comes to pajamas.

Let's hope night number two goes as well as the first night did.