Teddi Mellencamp has revealed her daughter’s neurosurgery, that she underwent on Thursday, has been successful.
Taking to Instagram on Thursday evening, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star thanked the team of doctors who cared for her five-month-old daughter, Dove.
‘Thank you for all your prayers. Baby Dove had a successful surgery.’ Teddi, 39, wrote on Instagram stories.
What a relief: Teddi Mellencamp has revealed her daughter’s neurosurgery, that she underwent on Thursday, has been successful
‘So much gratitude to her amazing surgeons Dr. Danielpour and Dr. Urata and all the loving nurses that will continue to help us care for her as she recovers. We are forever grateful.’
Teddi has been very open about her daughter’s condition, called Lambdoid Craniosynostosis, and her nervousness ahead of the neurosurgery.
She revealed earlier this month that she was choosing to talk about it to help other parents who might be going through the same thing.
She said when she first announced the news, ‘I was torn as to whether I should share this information, but as someone who tries to be as transparent as possible, and knowing I have a platform to reach others in similar situations, I would like to update you all.’
Forever grateful: Taking to Instagram on Thursday evening, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star thanked the team of doctors who cared for her five-month-old daughter, Dove
Precious tot: Teddi has been very open about her daughter’s condition, called Lambdoid Craniosynostosis, which is where a baby is born with, or develops, an abnormally shaped head
On Wednesday’s episode of the Teddi Tea Pod podcast, the reality TV star revealed she would have to ‘dream feed’ her baby girl in the middle of the night before the early operation, saying ‘tonight I’m going to feed her at one in the morning because she can’t eat tomorrow morning.’
‘We need to be at the hospital at 5:15[a.m.] and she’s not allowed to have a bottle before her 7am surgery,’ said the Bravo star.
Teddi also revealed that she had debated whether on not she should go public with Dove’s health concerns.
She cited her two reasons for doing so as ‘to hear other people’s stories’ and wanting other moms ‘not to go through the exact same situation that I did where they weren’t prepared’.
During the episode, Teddi also spoke to her daughter’s surgeon, Mark Urata, about the impending operation for her rare condition.
The doctor spoke of Dove’s cranial condition as a ‘sporadic entity’ that moms should not feel ‘guilt’ about.
The big day: On Thursday ahead of the operation the reality star shared this snap and message
Sibling love: During Teddi’s podcast on Wednesday she spoke to her daughter’s surgeon, Mark Urata who said the condition is a ‘sporadic entity’ that moms should not feel ‘guilt’ about
Struggle: Teddi also revealed that she had debated whether on not she should go public with Dove’s health concerns
The reality star learned of her daughter’s condition – which is a rare skull problem that causes a baby to be born with, or develop, an abnormally shaped head – during a visit to her pediatrician.
While the doctor initially though the problem could be corrected with a DOC Band, they advised seeking a second opinion first.
The doctor was like, ‘Yeah, we’re definitely leaning in the direction of needing the DOC Band. But before you go to those specialists, I want you to go to this neurosurgeon, just so he can have a look,’ she said on her podcast earlier this month.
The neurosurgeon came back with the new diagnosis, leading the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star to thank her daughter’s team of doctors who ‘caught this early’.
The reality star learned of her daughter’s condition during a visit to her pediatrician and then got a second opinion to see if surgery was needed
According to the Mayo Clinic, the condition can give a newborn’s head a ‘misshapen appearance’ and surgery is needed ‘to correct the shape of the head and allow for normal brain growth.
As for recovery, ‘It’s two days in the NICU then it’s four to five days in the hospital,’ explained the mother-of-three.
Teddi is also mom to daughter Slate, seven, and son Cruz, five, with husband Edwin Arroyave. Edwin also has a daughter from Isabella, 11, from a previous relationship.