https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 25 May 2026 01:17:05 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/broken-arm-advice#post-2752226 Mon, 26 Jun 2017 16:43:19 +0000 PinkElephant 2752226@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@youboots: I'm so sorry :( that's definitely much tougher than an arm. How's DD doing now? I will say, a friend who was around 2.5 broke her leg in a slide last summer and I was floored by both how quickly she learned to get around in the walking cast/boot and how quickly she healed.</p> <p>@macintosh: Good tip - thanks! I'm realizing we need to do this for getin in the car seat as well. I totally took for granted the amount of torque a typically mobile arm has! I'm hoping over the next few days/ weeks she learns to use her casted arm a little. She's currently really frustrated she can't use it to pull her pants up/down, hold her regular cup, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/broken-arm-advice#post-2752212 Mon, 26 Jun 2017 16:19:23 +0000 youboots 2752212@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm in the same boat- DD broke her leg Thursday but no waterproof cast. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/broken-arm-advice#post-2752171 Mon, 26 Jun 2017 15:37:08 +0000 macintosh 2752171@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PinkElephant: I'm sorry about the injury but that's awesome that they have a waterproof cast for her! </p> <p>For your dressing dilemma, I would help her dress they way I help my hemiplegic husband dress. Take a t-shirt, for example. You can thread it over her casted arm, then she can put her "good" arm in the other arm hole and lift the neck hole up to her head. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/broken-arm-advice#post-2752165 Mon, 26 Jun 2017 15:22:49 +0000 PinkElephant 2752165@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Update: We just got back from the orthopedist; amazingly DD2 wasn't that swollen and they were able to cast her today. She was raging mad while they set her bone, casted her, and for a good 30 minutes after....but we are home now and she's doing better. She's in a (purple) "waterproof" fiberglass cast with a Gore-Tex liner and can be in and out of the pool as much as she likes - they even recommend running water down the liner if she gets hot or itchy! </p> <p>Thanks for weighing in! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/broken-arm-advice#post-2751974 Mon, 26 Jun 2017 09:12:08 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2751974@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PinkElephant: Im so sorry. We dealt with a broken arm but during the winter months. </p> <p>1. Activities were off limit. We had to be careful of my daughters because the break was high and couldn't be casted. Playground was off limits. They told her "Feet on the ground". No climbing, no jumping, no swinging etc. </p> <p>For swimming My friend did use a rubber cast protector for her daughters elbow last summer which was casted. She still had a blast in the pool all summer. </p> <p>2. We found some stretchy tops or button dresses easiest. </p> <p>3. Ill see if I can find the link. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/broken-arm-advice#post-2751937 Mon, 26 Jun 2017 08:12:21 +0000 Truth Bombs 2751937@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PinkElephant: this girl was older (probably like 14?) but the cast went from her wrist to her mid bicep and she was totally immersed in the pool! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/broken-arm-advice#post-2751935 Mon, 26 Jun 2017 08:09:18 +0000 PinkElephant 2751935@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Shopoholicmom: thank you for this. It's so hard when it's your own child, but the moms of older kids at DD1's party reminded me that pretty much ALL of their children did this at some point, and they heal quickly. It was really just the worst possible timing -beginning of summer, mid birthday party! ☹️ DD's is the same. Mid-shaft (pretty low, actually, simple fractures in both bones).</p> <p>@Truth Bombs: I've heard about this but have no experience with it! Was the child completely in the pool?! That would be amazing - I think from what I'm reading you only qualify if the cast is below the elbow, which I'm not sure DD2's will be, sadly. But I'm going to ask! They also sell these silicone cast covers that might work. </p> <p>@EKo: thanks. I really hope it's less of a big deal than it feels like right now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/broken-arm-advice#post-2751897 Mon, 26 Jun 2017 07:03:06 +0000 Shopoholicmom 2751897@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm so sorry. My 6yo broke both bones in a his forearm a few months ago so I know how you're feeling. But kids will be kids, so try not to let the guilt get you down.</p> <p>I'm not sure where on her forearm she broke it, but my LO had a mid-shaft break on his non-dominant arm. He was in the temporary cast (applied in the ER) for 2 weeks until the swelling went down. The pain was the worst for him for the first 48 hours. After that, we did around the clock ibuprofen and tylenol for a week. During that time, he went to school so I don't think he was that uncomfortable.</p> <p>He was pretty frustrated for the first couple of weeks at not being able to do his normal activities (we had just signed him up for baseball and swimming, neither of which he was able to do). The playground was off limits. Anything that would put him at risk of falling basically a no-no. He played a lot with his remote-control car, drone, video games. We definitely relaxed the rules on TV time during the first 2 weeks because I wanted him to be resting his arm as much as possible.</p> <p>After 2 weeks, he was casted in an above-the-elbow hard cast (we had to restrict movement at the elbow in order to keep the fracture sites stable). Water-proof was not an option for us for this reason (our orthopedics group does not do water-proof for above the elbow). He was much happier in the hard cast as it was lighter and smaller. He was in it for 3 weeks before they took it off and gave him a removable brace which he wore for 6 weeks.</p> <p>If they follow a similar course for your LO, she may be able to swim in August (which is supposed to be really great for their recovery). If she had a simple, closed fracture, hopefully she won't need surgery. Best of luck, momma! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/broken-arm-advice#post-2751895 Mon, 26 Jun 2017 06:55:41 +0000 Truth Bombs 2751895@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We were at the pool yesterday and there was a girl with a cast over her elbow that was in the pool with no protection. My husband and I were remarking how we'd never seen that before. So there must be a new kind of waterproof cast, so ask.about that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/broken-arm-advice#post-2751894 Mon, 26 Jun 2017 06:32:20 +0000 Eko 2751894@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO has not broken a bone, but my cousin did recently. They make waterproof casts now and that is what he had, which is great because that is the hardest part. If you can't get it wet then bathing and water activities are really hard. I have broken my leg and arm during the summer and it's not as limiting as you would think if you take out water of the equation. The pain subsides quickly. I remember when I broke my foot (6), I didn't feel much pain.. didn't know it was broken. She should still be able to wear most cloths during the summer. My cast only went up about halfway up my bicep so short sleeves are an option. Good luck and hope surgery isn't required! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/broken-arm-advice#post-2751871 Sun, 25 Jun 2017 22:48:28 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 2751871@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PinkElephant: he didn't have to have surgery and the pain went away pretty quickly. I hope it does for your lo too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/broken-arm-advice#post-2751866 Sun, 25 Jun 2017 22:31:31 +0000 PinkElephant 2751866@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Green Grass: thank you! When did he stop hurting so much? Did they put him under to set the bones? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/broken-arm-advice#post-2751863 Sun, 25 Jun 2017 22:12:12 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 2751863@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son broke both bones too and it affected us less than I thought. But it wasn't summer so we didn't have to deal with no pool :/. I don't have advice except that kids are so resilient. I was shocked how little it affected my son after the initial pain. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/broken-arm-advice#post-2751859 Sun, 25 Jun 2017 22:07:09 +0000 PinkElephant 2751859@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My poor sweet three year old broke both bones in her forearm this morning (ten minutes into her sister's birthday party at a gymnastics venue). Aside from the obvious guilt and sadness I feel over her pain (she's in a lot) and fear, I'm also worried about the impact this will have on our summer, which is suddenly going to look very different (we'd just joined the pool, were planning to go purchase bikes for the girls tomorrow, planned two weeks at my inlaws' lake house, signed up for gymnastics camp). We are currently playing a waiting game to see if she'll need surgery, and when swelling will reduce enough to cast it. So while we wait, I'm trying to think of ways to make summer fun for both her and her five year old sister without water/super physical activities. I'm wondering:</p> <p>1. If your LO has broken an arm, what could/couldn't they do in terms of physical activity? Was the playground off limits? How about all water activities? Is there anything she may struggle with because of her cast that I may not be thinking of? </p> <p>2. Any tips on dressing a little girl with her arm in a big splint/cast that goes over the elbow? Right now I've got her in a spaghetti strap top that buttons up the back so she can step into it...but will need to find some other options.</p> <p>3. Any tips for keeping a cast clean/dry?</p> <p>4. Any activities, toys, apps, etc. that your LO enjoyed while their physical activity was limited?</p> <p>Thanks in advance and sort if this is a bit of s ramble...my mind is racing! </p>