[Apparelyzed]

Here's me with Charlotte, it used to be good as I could go out with my wife, otherwise I would of been stuck in the House for months!

I think it was called a Popoose.

Simon.

This post has been edited by Apparelyzed: 25 March 2006 - 11:49 AM

[hillarymcarter]

That is too cute!!

[wendza64]

nikki, on Mar 15 2006, 03:20 AM, said:

Hi my name is Nikki Allum, I am a rehab asst student. I have one more project to do. I need to know some tricks or tips on how you looked after a baby when you are paraplegic. Either ideas you brought or things you created. Thanks

Hi,
When i had my first daughter, she was a real live wire! even when she wqs crawling!! It was very hard for us, as i am L1 incomplete, i walk with callipers and crutches and so does my husband he is T11&12. So when she bagan to walk she wasn't content with the length of the reigns, she would get so annoyed!! But we daren't let her go without anything as we couldn't run after her and didn't want her getting into danger. So i came up with the idea of buying an extendable dog lead and clipping it to her reigns, it was great, we were all happy,she had freedom. I used this with my second daughter too!!

[Joed]

I used a leash-type thingy too...it was a wrist strap and was sufficient for us as I had more ability back then. He always minded very well too, so that was a plus, although he tested me occasionally, of course. ;)

When he was an infant I just pushed the bassinet from room to room as needed...then later I used an umbrella stroller in the house.

Then he began crawling and it was a whole new ballgame!

Those bouncy/rocky excercise saucers are great for that stage, as it keeps them in one place, yet they're having a blast and don't seem to notice too much, plus they're getting good leg excercise. Depending on level of injury, it may be difficult to place the child in and out of one though.

If you can manage them, make extensive use of child gates. They make some that have a gate built in for easy access through, but I don't know if a w/c would clear it.

This post has been edited by Joed: 10 July 2006 - 05:03 AM

[Martin Willms]

Hi there. My wife and I are currently in the process of adopting four year old and eleven month old boys. Especially re. the eleven month old, how to care for babies has been on our minds.

I'm a T6 para and I'm pretty able. I get in and out of my chair easily and can crawl around, so I feel like I have most angles covered. However, I don't think I could pick a baby up from my wheelchair. I'm curious to hear the experiences of other paras and quads in this regards, or if Nikki had heard of anything helpful.

[TimRS]

My daughter is now 1 year old, and she was born a week after I got out of hospital so for her I've always been in a chair. I have found decent dungarees such as Osh Kosh are invaluable, as they provide lots of strong carry handles! I am strong enough to pick her up with one hand, which makes things easier
Now she's crawling it is getting a bit more challenging. She likes going around to the back of my wheelchair and effectively pinning me against the computer desk!
What I really need is a toy plough to fit to the front of the chair, as they tend to slow me up, and wooden blocks are particularly challenging, as any that go under the tyres tend to get fired out sideways at high speed...

I have her on my lap often, and now she's able to sit up, the papoose has been replaced by a simple chest strap which attaches her to me.
Also, by having a car with sliding back doors, I'm able to get up close enough to put her in the car seat.

[Ana]

Hi,
I was just wondering... how can you make your house babyproof but also gimpproof at the sametime? My guy and me want to start a family, but we don't have a clue yet how to keep our stuff away from little monkey hands lol, yet still make stuff accesible for my hubby. Anyone got ideas?

[Gary Anderson]

My mate is a high quad and him and his wife have 3 kids under 8.

The kids were very young when he had his accident and they got round that problem but making them aware that Dad was not AB and had to have things close at hand. I dont think it was easy but they have managed to do it - and very well. The kids know that Dad is restricted and so do not touch anything they see lying around.

I dont have kids but my sisters/brothers do. I think it is how you train kids that deems whethere they will touch everthing in sight and place things into videos, etc. At least, thats what they tell me.

[Ana]

Hi Gary
Yea, you are right... and we figured we had to go that route. Like you said, if the child is trained to not touch everything in sight and made aware that that could cause problems for daddy, it will work out. Hence we don't even have kids yet, lol, so it is a bit early days to worry about that. But I was just wondering.

[Abby]

All my children were grown by the time I was in a chair, but I have friends with small ones and I do watch for them as a babysitting exchange.
The 8 month old I use a "snuggly" and the older crawlers I use a really big playpen.

I even use my Power wheels to move them around when they are heavy and they love the ride. I just use a chest strap to hold them on.

[BillS]

One day when my daughter was very young I set her in my lap and she fell right between my legs. I managed to grab her before she hit the floor but it put a big scare into me. I decided then I needed something to prevent it. I went and grabbed an old belt and cut it down to the right size and punched the right holes in it. I then belted my legs together and it provided a perfect lap for her. I like it so much that 22 years later I still use that belt to help me carry things.

One thing we did before my daughter walked was dress her in overalls. I could grab the back of the overalls with one hand while she was crawling around and pick her up safely with one hand.

Once she became a toddler I would lean over sticking my arm out. My daugther would them grab my arm near the elbow from the front with her arms over the top of my arm. I'd just sweep her up into my lap with a 1 armed hug. Since I had my belt on my legs my lap became her prefered stroller. She would sit in my lap facing forward and we'd travel around.

This post has been edited by BillS: 05 November 2006 - 10:02 PM

[Nichole]

BillS, on Nov 5 2006, 08:51 PM, said:

One day when my daughter was very young I set her in my lap and she fell right between my legs. I managed to grab her before she hit the floor but it put a big scare into me. I decided then I needed something to prevent it. I went and grabbed an old belt and cut it down to the right size and punched the right holes in it. I then belted my legs together and it provided a perfect lap for her. I like it so much that 22 years later I still use that belt to help me carry things.

One thing we did before my daughter walked was dress her in overalls. I could grab the back of the overalls with one hand while she was crawling around and pick her up safely with one hand.

Once she became a toddler I would lean over sticking my arm out. My daugther would them grab my arm near the elbow from the front with her arms over the top of my arm. I'd just sweep her up into my lap with a 1 armed hug. Since I had my belt on my legs my lap became her prefered stroller. She would sit in my lap facing forward and we'd travel around.

That's how i pick up my puppy lol! I've taught her to grab onto my arm like that so i can lean over and scoop her up!

[Joed]

What a great picture of you and your daughter, BillS.

[BillS]

Thanks, that's my favorite picture of the 2 of us. She's 22 now and she's still a Daddy's Girl.

[jessee]

The belt is a great idea, I'll have to try that one. My son is now 11 months and he is crawling all over the place. I'm a t7 so I lack the ab muscles to bend over and pick him up off the floor. I'm newly paralyzed too so my strength isn't that great yet. One thing I did use when he was first born was the boppy pillow. I would wrap it around my waist and lay him on top of it. This worked up until he got too wiggly and too big for it. What can I use to make sure he doesn't fall off my lap?

[Joed]

Quote

What can I use to make sure he doesn't fall off my lap?

You could try wearing an oversized vest or sweater/shirt and fastening it around the both of you when he's sitting in your lap. (?) Do you think that would work?

I'm certain he will resist it once the novelty wears off, but with patience and consistency he will probably get used to it.

[BillS]

jessee, on Nov 9 2006, 11:35 AM, said:

The belt is a great idea, I'll have to try that one. My son is now 11 months and he is crawling all over the place. I'm a t7 so I lack the ab muscles to bend over and pick him up off the floor. I'm newly paralyzed too so my strength isn't that great yet. One thing I did use when he was first born was the boppy pillow. I would wrap it around my waist and lay him on top of it. This worked up until he got too wiggly and too big for it. What can I use to make sure he doesn't fall off my lap?

I never really had a problem with my daughter falling off. Maybe I was lucky but she never jumped out of my lap.

As for ab muscles, T8 here and I have none to speak of. That's why I always picked her up(or anything I pick up) with one hand. One hand is on my wheel and the other is bending down to pick her up. For me it's left hand on the top of the wheel providing support and lean right to pick up something that is next to the right wheel.

[Izziwhizzi]

Kids just learn - both mine could get up onto my lap themselves about the same time as they could walk - def by 14 months. They just used my chair as a climbing frame.

When younger they climbed from the front - footplates, ankle strap and then my knees. By 2 they would climb via the chair frame from the side.

I never picked them up - as my daughter says I have silly fingers! - but used my hand to guide them & stop them possibly falling backwards.

L xx

[wheeliebear75]

When they were infants I used those papoose type baby carriers. Once they were a bit to old and big for that I used a large belt to strap the child to me and the I would make a lttle nitch by sitting with one leg crossed over the other and infron/around the child I could get around and I never had to worry about folding a sroller LOL Also there are harnesses available to go around the chest of a toddler to hook on to a nylon leash. Some don't like the way it looks...but it's better than having a lost 18mo old. and the harness doubles as a pick up handle for getting a tantrum throughing toddler off the ground.

[outkastsl]

I am a T7 para and have no use of my ab muscles. I figured how to pick my nephew up from the floor with one hand. I would craddle my nephew in my arm and hands and then pick him up. basically my hands would craddle his but and his back would rest against my arm. the first few times i though i might drop him, but i would add just enough pressure on his butt where his back would rest firmly on my arm (basically like holding a football). He is now 15 months and walking. I do the same manuver to pick him up to this day.

This post has been edited by outkastsl: 09 March 2007 - 06:01 AM