Caring for Baby with one arm

Treatments, Rehabilitation, and Recovery
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AimeeMorera
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2010 4:43 pm
Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Husband has Brachial Plexus injury as a result of the a motorcycle accident on September 30, 2009.

Caring for Baby with one arm

Post by AimeeMorera »

Hi...my husband only has the use of one of his arms. We are expecting our third child, but this will be the first time he cares for a newborn after his accident. Does anyone have any pointers on how to care for a baby with one arm?
Master DIVER TOM
Posts: 759
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 11:51 am

Re: Caring for Baby with one arm

Post by Master DIVER TOM »

Interesting this question we never had kids, but I held babies :shock: Maid me nerves :oops: He mite surprised you because of practice with the other two, maybe. The favorite line in adapting , really is called TO be Determine?? ;) :shock:
I was better when the kids were learning to walk , I could always offer a helping hand.
Im sure he will figure out how he can help one handed .
There are many here who have post on this topic,
There are something others learn to adapt ware I could not figure how to, my mouth Drops sometimes :o
Hope this helps?? :roll:
Tom
Carolyn J
Posts: 3424
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2004 1:22 pm
Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: LOBPI. I am 77 yrs old and never had a name for my injuries until 2004 when I found UBPN at age 66.

My injuries are: LOBPI on upper body and Cerebrael Palsy on the lower left extremities. The only intervention I've had is a tendon transplant from my left leg to my left foot to enable flexing t age 24 in 1962. Before that, my foot would freeze without notice on the side when wearing heels AND I always did wear them at work "to fit in" I also stuttered until around age 18-19...just outgrew it...no therapy for it. Also suffered from very very low self esteem; severe Depression and Anxiety attacks started at menopause. I stuffed emotions and over-compensated in every thing I did to "fit in" and be "invisible". My injuries were Never addressed or talked about until age 66. I am a late bloomer!!!!!

I welcome any and all questions about "My Journey".
There is NO SUCH THING AS A DUMB QUESTION.
Sharing helps to Heal. HUGS do too.
Location: Tacoma WA
Contact:

Re: Caring for Baby with one arm

Post by Carolyn J »

"Xiggers"
You are welcome to go onto the Forum of us "Adults with OBPI " , There we have several posts on how we handle our children when we only have 1 "good" arm/hand. I'll try to bump the topic thread up for you there.

BTW everyone is welcome on any of the Forum Message Boards.

Carolyn J
LOBPI/75 --raised 1 son & he's taking care of me now ! :)
Dan
Posts: 170
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2006 9:08 pm
Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Injured 5/11/86, had just turned 18 yrs old
Evulsed C5-T1
Intercostal into Bicep 10/86
Location: Los Angeles
Contact:

Re: Caring for Baby with one arm

Post by Dan »

AimeeMorera wrote:Hi...my husband only has the use of one of his arms. We are expecting our third child, but this will be the first time he cares for a newborn after his accident. Does anyone have any pointers on how to care for a baby with one arm?
Hi,

I have had my injury for 27 years and mine is a complete avulsed all five nerves, so I basically do life with one arm. As far as kids, mine are now 8 & 6, they are 21 months apart. As far as pointers or how to, best thing I can say is not to worry about it, get in there and like the Nike slogan says, "just do it!"

In case you might wonder how much I did, my wife went on women's three day weekend retreat when my youngest was just a month old. I took care of them by myself and they both survived! and yes diapers got changed:)

I don't have a specific pointer that comes to mind, other than tell him to be confident that he can care for his new child and to find what works for him. Also for you, let him know you trust him and are confident that he can do it, you have to let him figure it out, even if it looks scary or you are concerned the little one might get dropped. I am confident he won't.

Dan
Master DIVER TOM
Posts: 759
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 11:51 am

Re: Caring for Baby with one arm

Post by Master DIVER TOM »

There is the B plan, All ways ;)
There is all ways a B plan to Adapt, to Modify and to help at Camp 2014, I am sure you run Clinic to adapt one hand , there ways to do this? Oh, I could not really answer this but help is here.
If I only had 2 chairs and a table ,2014, I would try to show how to adapt by modification, What bugs you could be given to some that can try to show what they do , modifying is the challenge, There is so many post here on this topic , but modifying needs to be done in person. ;)
There is more than hope in our posts , it more about trying to give and share direction from OUR, experience from birth or latter in life injuries, Both suck!!! :evil: :twisted: I really think there is a vast amount of difference in limitation , so modifying is a on going experience . The equalizer to me is not when you were injury happen, it more about adapting to what you can, we can be this vehicle by what we learn in life to adapt in one hand, I think thats everyone here???? :shock: we can share to find away to modify what work for us??? :roll:
We post and hope to help :shock:
Tom :roll:
jmar
Posts: 528
Joined: Tue Aug 10, 2010 3:43 pm
Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: brachial plexus stretch during thoracic outlet syndrome surgery on may 18, 2010.

Re: Caring for Baby with one arm

Post by jmar »

i never had any kids. but at 49 years old, i was injured about 2 weeks before my great nephew was born. when he was 7 months old, he messed his diaper. i told his mama he needed changed. she told me you found it you change it. so i picked him up with my good arm, put him in the crib, and changed his messy diaper. BY MYSELF. WITH ONE ARM. it was not hard to do at all especially for someone who has never had kids. i think he can do it. 8-)
bill de brooklyn
Posts: 86
Joined: Tue Feb 02, 2010 10:49 pm
Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: BP injury July 20, 1968 the result of an auto accident(c5). No surgery.

Re: Caring for Baby with one arm

Post by bill de brooklyn »

I have 3 children ( all adults now) and now a second grand child. There are limits to what I do but nothing is impossible. I can change a diaper. I do not lift a child unless I can support the child's head ( newborn) too.
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