Newest Raborns on the Block!: 20 Week Update and Club Foot Diagnosis

I'm sorry I haven't' updated you guys on life or anything since New Years day. Not long after New Years we had our 20 week anatomy scan and everything looked great except for what we suspected at the 17 week scan, his little left foot is clubbed. Cody was born with clubbed feet and so was his dad so he inherited the same gene mutation. From the start I knew I would have a little boy and he would have clubbed feet. I have known it in my soul for years. I was right except for his right foot looks normal so far. Even knowing this deep down, it was still a hard pill to swallow and was devastating to learn. I'm grateful for technology to know and see this so early on so we can prepare.

So with all of this information I wanted to wait to share until we met with the specialist to make a plan moving forward. We did that a few weeks ago and here is the update:

Meeting with the specialist was somewhat encouraging, just overwhelming. He's open to trying different treatment options like the better one we've researched in Maine but making it actually happen is another story and we are praying about pursuing it. So the method we will most likely be using is the local one but is extremely aggressive. Starting at 2 weeks old, requires 8 weeks of a new cast a week from hip to toe, then to sever his Achilles tendon and do 4 more weeks of casting, then go into boots and bar bracing (keeping his feet locked together) for 10 months then he will wear the bracing every night until he's SIX YEARS OLD. Like what. And it doesn't matter the severity or if it's one foot or both with this plan, it's the same protocol no matter what. With Cody's feet he didn't need any of that but just had a one time surgery at 4 days old and casting for 10ish months and his dad just had casting for a little while. I can't help but feel this new aggressive method feels primal and not progressive, like we're taking a step back in this specific medical treatment. My mama heart is telling us to look into the better option which requires after casting, a single leg dynamic brace and only for 2.5 years but we'd have to travel to Maine a bunch and wouldn't have close doctor supervision. It's very overwhelming but I'm grateful this is all, because in the big picture it's truly so minor.

The bar and brace will affect his hips, knees, and ankles but it's the price he will have to pay to have a pain free life. I'm glad Cody is familiar with all of this and he can help me through it. I had never even heard of clubbed feet until I met Cody. This will make life as a first time mom challenging, affecting his breastfeeding, baby wearing, sitting in high chairs, park swings, car seats, crawling, sitting, pulling up, and walking. Not to mention that during his casting process he can't get a bath. He will be sponge bathed and stinky for 13 weeks. Yikes.

For now I'm keeping his ultrasound pictures of his feet and ankles private but you will see soon enough after birth his little foot.

On a happier note, I am grateful to be 20 weeks along, and baby Raborn is half baked like the Ben and Jerry's ice cream!

I've been waiting to do this for so so long!

Look at how much space baby takes up in my body! I love the day-by-day pregnancy book so so much!

Most days baby Raborn hides deep inside and isn't visible lol. It's amazing he's in there somewhere!

Nothing like putting together a puzzle on a snowy day!

Prepping for valentines day with a run to Target!!! I love this fake flower arrangement I put together!

Since I'm not really showing, I bought this shirt to help strangers know I just haven't eaten too many donuts and there's a baby in there!

I've been continuing to eat healthy and exercise throughout my pregnancy which has honestly helped me and my bump stay so small. I have never been "skinny" and I've never hated my body but I was always very aware I didn't look like my family and it bothered them so much when I was growing up making me think about my appearance daily growing up knowing I can never reach their unrealistic expectations for me. I have an athletic build and my body can do so much. But with that all being said, since I'm so muscular, I'm SO much tinier pregnant than everyone else was because my strong stomach muscles have held baby in so tightly (even at 32 weeks while I'm writing this). It gives me such justification that just because I carried fat on my stomach always, didn't mean I was lazy fat and weak, it's just my build and I love eating right still and exercising and my muscles are there and even stronger than most, you just have to feel under the slight layer of fat. So now that baby has pushed and stretched my fat away, I finally look like I fit in and normal. I love my pregnant body!

But seriously, where is he lol!

My beachbody prenatal workouts have been incredible at keeping me feeling my best during this pregnancy and I still do them 3-4 times a week or more! I love them so much! The program has like 40+ prenatal workouts!