Dobbs Dynamic Bar

In more recent years there have been some advancements from the typical Mitchell Sandal and Ponseti bar that my children have both worn. Dr. Dobbs invented the Dobbs Dynamic bar that allows for more movement by having the shoes be on a hinged bar instead of a stationary one. Many parents swear by them and say they are a great benefit to have for allowing the baby to become mobile easier. There is a great video on their website to show the same child crawling with the Ponseti bar VS Dobbs bar.

I didn't even know they existed until a few months ago, and the option of having one was never given to us with our son. For that matter it has never been offered to us with our daughter either, I only found out about it online through support groups. I am on the fence about obtaining one for our daughter since they are not covered by our insurance and really the straight bar didn't hold my son back too much. He was crawling at 11 months and walking by 18 months. There is no guarantee he would have done this any earlier by having the mobility of the Dobbs bar.

I've heard out of pocket that the bar runs around $150, and that there is also an adapter you need to get if you are going to use the Mitchell Sandals. For now my daughter seems perfectly happy in the standard bar and shoes. She has no blisters, no trouble sleeping, and does not seem frustrated. We also have no trouble with compliance because we are very strict with ourselves and avoid the extended shoe break pity parties that I think many parents fall into by feeling sorry for their children and leaving the braces off for longer periods of time then they are supposed to do. You know who you are...

I'll keep the idea in my back pocket, but for now we are going to stick with the standard. Worked well for our son.... why mess with a good thing, right? :)