My 3.5 year old daughter broke 4 of her metatarsal (sp?) Bones in her right foot Monday afternoon. Those are the bones that connect the toes to the ankle. Yesterday morning she was fitted for a fiberglass cast. It can't get wet! I really need to give her a bath, but I'm at a loss for how to do it. Any suggestions? I thought about doing a sponge bath, but her hair needs washed too. TIA!
Mamazita: I know, right!? No, the care instructions just say not to get the cast wet. The Dr said we could "cover" the cast. But I'm a newbie to broken bones and casts! So I figured the mamas on her could help. :)
You could place one of those plastic chairs in the tub. Let her cast leg, enclosed in a trash bag, rest on the edge of the tub. Use a hosed shower head to bath her and rinse her. You can always go back to the regular shower head when the cast is off.
Poor baby girl..
Here is an example http://www.homedepot.com/p/Delta-7-Spray-Handheld-Handsho...
I'm really surprised this wasn't discussed at her appointment! They didn't give you a sheet with care/bathing instructions?
I would call the doctor and ask.
My oldest just got a cast off her arm. We put a garbage bag around it and gave her a shower.
You could put your daughter in the tub, foot bagged, and have her legs towards the back of the tub. Wash her hair, body, without getting any water on that leg, and then have her turn sideways to do the other leg.
It took me a couple of times, but we got really good at it, and we kept the cast dry.
If she's not tall enough to sit cross-ways in the tub and prop her foot on the side, you may have to do a sponge bath for her body, and wash her hair in the sink. Either let her lie down on the kitchen counter to get her head under faucet (or use the sprayer if you have one), or let her stand/kneel on a chair and bend her head over the sink. I've done it both ways.
Is your shower head removable? If you sit her on a chair or stool with her foot covered in a plastic bag that and her back toward the shower (so her foot is farthest away) that might work. When I broke my arm I used the skinny bags that newpapers come in and put duct tape around the top of it. It stayed water tight during my showers. I don't know if I would submerse it for a bath though. Just shower/sponge her off.
Hope she heals up soon!
I have a relative who is a surgeon and right now his 7 yr old has a bad broken arm with large cast from hand to mid upper arm.
The have a special "sleeve" that blows up and this kid is swimming in the pool.
I'll ask about the specific name but all I know is a sleeve and it blows up to protect the cast.
You sponge bathe her.
For her hair, you can lay her down in a dry tub and wash/rinse her hair with a little soap and gentle pour water through it with a large plastic cup.
When my dd broke her arm, we ordered a cast cover from a company called DryPro. It was excellent and kept it completely dry. We ordered it because she broke it one week before a beach vacation. If not for the vacation, I probably would have just used a heavy duty garbage bag and tied it with a rubber band.
Maybe you can have her sit sideways in the tub so that her foot is out of the water. It won't be real comfortable, but yo u can make it a quick bath. But still cover it with a garbage bag just in case any water splashes on it.
you could buy a cast protector:
http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/walgreens-pediatric-wate...
It's specifically for bathing.
You have to sponge bathe her in the sink.
My DD broke her tibia in the summer when she was 2. Not fun!
Her body is easy... put a towel down, a towel over the cast, and the sponge her down.
Her hair...you'll have to have her stick her head under the faucet and wash it that way. Or have use a bucket full of water, if running water is not happening for her. That was the worst part of us, my DD hated that.
The ladies gave good suggestions - use what works for you!
My grand broke her left forearm one summer. They were surprised we never had to go back in to have the cast replaced due to it getting wet! We just did the plastic wrap, tape, and bags! She got baths (quick ones) and we used one of those things that attaches to a faucet for doggie baths! She also went swimming some - but one of us would be holding her as she wasn't big enough to stand up and touch pool bottom yet!
Sponge bath, yes. Wash the hair over the sink like at the salon or even take her to the salon for it to be washed.
Cover the cast if laying down with feet propped up is uncomfortable, try sitting in a plastic chair with her feet resting up on the edge of the tub. Whatever is comfortable and hope she doesn't wiggle too much.
My 3 year old was just in a cast and it was a pain! I would use syran wrap around the top of the ankle, wrap that in a sock to absorb water, cover with a trash bag and tape tight, syran wrap that, and try to give a bath with the foot elevated on the edge in as little water as possible. That's the only thing I found worked for us. It was a super hassle but easier that those dry pro things and less traumatic. :) my daughter actually kind of liked the routine.
My DD broke the same bones.
I put a shower chair in the tub (borrowed from a relative that is elderly). I wrapped the cast in plastic garbage bags wrapping the top with masking tape. I had her set the cast hanging out of the tub/resting on the edge of the tub. Using the removable shower head, I gave her a bath/shower. Also I would put a think towel over the top of the plastic bag to catch any spray that flew that direction.
Or you can lay her on the kitchen counter and wash her hair in the sink.
