Katie's getting a Kimba

Jake & Katie's Mom · 09-26-2006, 06:26 PM

We took Katie to seating clinic yesterday for a feeding seat. We had her in her regular baby stroller, where she flops around unsteady. So they said she needed a chair too. They put her in a itty bitty wheelchair. I said, ummm, no thank you, that's a bit of overkill. Yeh, she's gonna need one in a couple years, but I would prefer not to have her in one just yet. So after going back and forth between the Kimba and the Tiger, they decided the on Kimba. With a high-low base for indoors (feeding and such) and a stroller base too. We probably spent an hour trying to decided between the 2. What decided it was that the Kimba has the formed seat to help keep her from thrusting her butt out, which she does. It does look more like a wheelchair than I would like. I really had decided on the Tiger, until we saw the seat. We got the green plaid upolstry. The one thing I'm concerned about is she HAS to be 90 degrees upright. She will fight hard to sit up. That's one reason why the baby stroller doesn't work, it's not 90. The Tiger goes 90, but the Kimba only goes 81. It didn't look like that big of a difference, but we'll see. Hope we didn't screw up.

moose53 · 09-26-2006, 07:42 PM

((((((Micky)))))),

It doesn't look as bad you think it does

Why does Katie-Bug have to be at 90 degrees?? If she's not "as upright" as she wants to be, won't the attempt to sit upright strengthen her core?? I hope the questions don't bother you. I'm just trying to understand.

BIG HUGS (and love).

Barb

Jake & Katie's Mom · 09-26-2006, 08:02 PM

She hates any recline. At all. She struggles to sit upright and when she is sitting up, she's just not stable enough so as you push the stroller, she's flopping around falling from side to side.

We have a really nice baby stroller. I was sure to buy one with a 5 point harness because I knew she would have tone issues. Problem is when I put the shoulder harness on it holds her up good, but it is a slight recline so she's struggling to sit up at 90 and when she can't she cries.

One thing they really want for her is to be able to keep her legs bent and strap her feet down to keep them in place. A baby stroller doesn't do that. Katie keeps her legs in extension straight out, so they have to be strapped down.

Tracy Sheppard · 09-26-2006, 09:07 PM

Wow....Micky that is a pretty awesome stroller/chair. I know how hard it was for us, when they mentioned the word "wheelchair" when Megs was little. I held off as long as I could. Just one of those things, made me feel like....well you know what it makes you feel like. This one looks really awesome and looks more like a stroller than a wheelchair. It looks like she will get the support she needs too. Good luck deary and Hugs to your mommy heart.
Love
Tracy

lauren'smom · 09-26-2006, 09:16 PM

Micky,

That looks like an awesome chair for Katie around the house and when it is in the stroller mode, it looks very similar to a stroller, very nice looking!!!

Hugs to you and Katie too,

Debi

Busymommie · 09-27-2006, 09:11 AM

((Micky))

I love that stroller!

Riley just got the Tiger a little more than two weeks ago and we love it, The pattern on the fabric is ugly but easily covered the one exception is it keeps setting off the security things at the doors everwhere that has them.

It was hard when we were looking, the rep suggested a Convaid Safari Tilt, and it looked so much like a wheelchair, more medical, ya know? I was not, am not ready. At 7 years old anything big enough is going to have a certain "look" to it though.

I hope it works out for her

WonderBoy · 09-27-2006, 11:04 PM

looking back, I wish we had gotten a full support stroller or a wheelchair sooner, rather than later.

The way our kids sit all day long affects their ability to maintain good posture when feeding. AND, seeing the world from an upright supported position affects how their brain develops perceptually. How their self-perception and their perception of their relationship to the world develops. This may be the most important part!

I think the chair helped my child to be viewed better by the community. Hands down the worst look I ever got was when I carried my child into the store once over my shoulder. People who had seen him for years in a chair had heartbroken looks on their faces. The chair allowed them the perception that he *could* sit all by himself, even if he couldn't.

I do understand the reluctance - I felt the same way. But I changed my views. I think it's really great of you to be getting the chair now.

The Kimba looks awesome - I looked at it years ago, but it wasn't available in the U.S. then I don't think.

wonderboy's mom

Jake & Katie's Mom · 09-28-2006, 08:28 AM

Jake has the Safari Tilt. I don't care for it. It's ok I guess, but I'm trying to get the Carrie Rover stroller base for his car seat.

jke had a Convaid , I think cruiser when he was 2. He got his wheelchair when he was 4 I think. The cruiser wouldn't work for Katie anyway because she MUST be sitting up, little miss nosey! I really didn't like Jake's position in it. Everyone with Jake was like "well, you don't know, he may not even need a wheelchair". They are saying that with Katie too. Honestly, I'm not a negative thinker, I think I'm a realist. They can say it all they want, I hope they're right. I hope she will walk, but I am not planning on it. Hoping, yes, but I have to "build" our future with thought of her being in a chair. Like a new vehicle, we have to keep in mind 2 wheelchairs will need to fit. Remodeling the house, go ahead and widen Katie's door along with Jake's, etc.

And Katie's pt doesn't want her in a supportive chair when she's eatting, she wants her to work on her balance. But I'm the one having to feed her and re position her every 30 seconds and miss her mough and get food everywhere. She said to just put her in an umbrella stroller because she's still so small. But I know she needs more support and I know we should go ahead and get the chair because she WILL need it.

BUT I just cant see her in a wheelchair right now. Realisticly yeh, she will need one, why not go ahead and get it, I just don't want it.

lisa6wks · 09-28-2006, 05:40 PM

Eating is a terrible time to be working on trunk strengthening. The way you eat, swallow and the chance of reflux goes up when you are not positioned correctly. Also she cannot be expected to use her arms effectively to eventually feed herself if she is busy trying to keep her balance.

Tell the PT she can work on trunk strengthening when she is doing something fun, like watching a video or maybe she needs hippotherapy?

Lisa

Heather · 09-30-2006, 10:48 AM

Hi Micky,
I think it looks great and wish I had something like it for Aidan. I'm about to switch hospitals because we're not getting enough support and interest, where we've been taking Aidan for PT. The vendors there don't get us enough necessary equipment, let alone what we want. I think part of the problem is lack of a Dev Ped overseeing.
Anyway, I think a slight recline, which causes Katie to crunch her tummy muscles, might be good, in the long run.
I'm thinking of trying that with Aidan's gazelle stander. I hate that contraption and he doesn't tolerate the restaint when leaning forward. But, he needs to strengthen his trunk and do more stomach contracting to look around, instead of always going into extension. So, I'm going to see what happens if he's leaning back instead.
Are you still giving Katie those injections?
How is Jake doing?
Love,
Heather