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Post by logansmom on Aug 13, 2004 22:06:42 GMT -5
Hi Christine! Welcome, and congratulations on your pregnancy. We didn't know that Logan had Down Syndrome until after his birth, but we knew that we were at a higher risk than most parents due to our ages (I was 41 when he was born). Logan is now 17 months old, and we are so happy that we were blessed with him as our son. I'm sure that you will feel the same way about your daughter.
Since I totally understand that you are looking for information about Down Syndrome (I read everything I could get my hands on), I wanted to make two more recommendations. One is for a DVD titled Down Syndrome The First 18 Months. You can order it from Amazon.com at the following address: <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0001I54PM/102-3141025-7527332?v=glance>. This DVD talks about newborns, health concerns, therapies, and expectations for children with Down Syndrome. It is very positive, and the clips of children are heartwarming. I would recommend it to every new parent of a child with Down Syndrome. The information is complete and up-to-date. It is a great resource and educational tool. I wish that my husband and I had access to this video immediately after Logan's birth.
The other recommendation is for a book. It is called Common Threads: Celebrating Life with Down Syndrome. This inspirational book includes beautiful photos and essays about the accomplishments of people with Down Syndrome. We really appreciate the positive approach that is seen in this book. This book is not a teaching resource or source of medical information . . . it is a book for the spirit. I think you will like it. It can also be found at amazon.com, and the address is: <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1930868049/qid=1092450382/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/102-3141025-7527332?v=glance&s=books&n=507846>.
If you have any questions or would like to speak with me personally, feel free to send me an email.
Kim
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Post by Robin on Aug 13, 2004 22:33:43 GMT -5
Hi Christine....you found the perfect place to be while awaiting your daughter's birth! This is an amazing place with good people full of love and wisdom who have been exactly where you are right now. We all understand how you feel and how confusing and stressful and SCARY this is and you are right, while your family and friends can be very supportive (that is so wonderful!) they dont understand what you are going thru. Welcome to Unomas where hopefully you will find everything you ever need right here. I am mom to Chase who is just 12 recently, where did the time go...and we live in Mid Michigan. Chase is the light of our lives! He makes the sun shine on the gloomiest of days and creates laughter for us when there would be tears. So tell me about your daughter to be, when is her due date and does she have a beautiful name yet??? As mom of four sons I have been eagerly awaiting the day I can help name a girl baby, LOLOL, ......I am kidding there! But seriously, tell us more, ask lots of questions and talk our heads off, we love it!!!!! No question or comment is wrong! hugs and welcome, Robin
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Post by christie on Aug 13, 2004 22:43:10 GMT -5
and CONGRATULATIONS on your soon to be bundle of joy CC from New Jersey ~
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Post by steffipoo on Aug 14, 2004 8:34:34 GMT -5
;D Christine... CONGRATS!!!!!! Welcome to uno!!!!! Steff here.. where do you live? We are from Los Angeles. I have a 6 yr old with ds. I'm partial to the name OLIVIA!!!!LOL!!!! Guess what my girls name is??? hee hee. I gotta tell you I really enjoyed reading your post somehow in all this confusion and shock you have maintained a FUNNY sense of humor. I LOVE THAT!!!! WELL I would also start out by calling your local down syndrome association. They'll send ya stuff and give you names of parents in your area or have someone call you and you can learn a lotta ins and outs and meet their kids. Here in L.A. we have a new moms tea. A few preggo moms go and get lots of great insight and see that we all can be happy funny etc and that you and the world as you know it is NOT OVER just a bit hmmm TOPSY TURVY!!! Wouldn't wish the emotional rollercoaster on anyone but I can say I am sooo glad Olivias in my life ds or no ds... also there is a website called www.downsyn.com its an informative place not sure how the message board is but tons of info...HUGS and more hugs and once again CONGRATS!!!! Oh man those holidays are gonna get rough....hee hee don't envy those 2 dec b days.... as Olivia would say YOU got PUNKED BABY!!!!
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Post by Alice on Aug 14, 2004 8:38:29 GMT -5
Christine, Congratulations on your pregnancy and welcome here! It is so nice that you have found this site as soon as you have learned about your Babies DS. You will find this site very helpful and interesting.
What is your daughters name?
I have 3 sons (21,13 and 4(with DS)). Luke is the light of our lives, but when we just had news about his DS, we were choked and it took us time to get over it. Of course the Uno Mas was my best helper. I am sure your emotions are very normal for your situations... By the way, as I see pictures and in real life - girls with DS are so beautiful. I wish you easy pregnancy, delivery, and have fun from your Baby-girl. Hugs, Alice
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Post by Cathy on Aug 14, 2004 10:05:30 GMT -5
Welcome Christine,
I am Cathy, mom to Katie 3 1/2. We live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I want to welcome you to Uno and say that you have found a wonderful source of information and support. I did not find Uno until Katie was 15 months and it has been a life saver.
I know all this special needs stuff is overwhelming, so please feel free to post your questions here, you will undoubtedly get a ton of responses, some may apply to you and some may not, take what you need and use it!
We love new babies around here, so please make sure you post up on how things are going with your pregnancy and with the birth. Hugs to you and your family,
Cathy
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Post by Emilysmom on Aug 14, 2004 10:23:29 GMT -5
Christine~ WELCOME TO UNO MAS!!! I'm always glad when someone finds Uno Mas before their baby is born.......I can't think of a more positive and loving group of parents to learn from!!
A little over 13 years ago, we found out that the baby we were expecting 3 weeks later had Down syndrome. We didn't have a computer, and really didn't know where to begin to learn more about it. I can tell you that all the fears of the UNKNOWN were what had me in tears. The more I learned, the more I realized that it was going to be ok. Of course, it was not what I dreamed of, but it was definitely going to be ok. I was almost afraid to read anything because I was afraid I'd read outdated, scary information. Fortunately, I met a woman who had a 17 year old daughter with Ds and we became good friends. During the 3 weeks before Emily was born, I called her nearly once a day to ask my newest question. Having Uno Mas back then would have helped so so much!!!
We were very much in love with Emily long before we heard the news, and her diagnosis didn't change a thing, but most times, when I thought about her I would be overcome with this feeling of being "sorry for her" and dreading what she would have to deal with in her life. Thirteen years later, as I look back on those feelings, they seem so strange to me because Emily is a VERY happy teenager, who has literally changed my life and many other lives around her. She swims very well, loves to read, is very into music and dancing, and sigh......boys. ~ Please read and post here often. You'll read some really exciting stuff that our kids are doing, some scary health related posts where we all come together as a group and pray and keep certain kids and families in our thoughts, some really funny stories that might be totally unrelated to Down syndrome......but we still share them because we grow to be like good friends/family here!! We are looking forward to your due date, and watching your little one grow!!
Susan
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Post by Rhonda3 on Aug 14, 2004 10:51:57 GMT -5
Welcome and congratulations on your pregnancy!! That is so funny that both your children are due around the same time!! My brother and my birthday are two days apart too!! My name is Rhonda and I have 3 children Taylor 11, Jordan 10 and my angel baby Dylan is 15 months old!! I too found out while I was pregnant that he most likely had Down syndrome. I found this board shortly after that and it has been a great help!! The support, encouragement and hearing all the stories of everyones little ones helped me soooo much. I also belong to Downsyn.com and that is truly a great site also!! I would just like to say after you get over the initial shock and all of the emotions that go along with that ENJOY your pregnancy, because once they put your baby girl in your arms and you look into her eyes you will know ALL will be o.k. Does she have a name yet??
Rhonda Taylor 11, Jordan 10 and Dylan 15 months
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Post by momofrussell on Aug 14, 2004 11:31:05 GMT -5
Hi Christine, welcome to Unomas!!!! I am Adrienne , aka "A" and I have three kids. My second child, Russell, has DS. He is 6. I also have two girls, Regan is 11 and Reece is 3. I found out while I was pregnant too that Russell was to have DS. Although I didn't find Unomas until Russell was 2, I did LOTS of reading to educate myself. I am glad you are doing the same.. in wanting to educate yourself. Yes, children w/DS come with health problems sometimes, but what you don't hear sometimes is that they are babies and children JUST like any other child... complete with YEARS of smiles and enjoyment. And there is no guarantee that a "typical" baby doesn't come with it's own set of "issues"... So... sit back, educate yourself, enjoy the pregnancy, ask questions here, and know it will be all ok! Feel free to email me if need be... momof3oneds@sbcglobal.net And WELCOME ABOARD! A.
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Post by steffipoo on Aug 14, 2004 11:43:45 GMT -5
;D ;D Christine... One more thing. I am feeling a bit introspective this morning and wanted to share with you a few things I have learned since Olivia has come into our lives... I've learned to allow myself to get to know Olivia for OLIVIA. Not my dream of what she should be... Once I allowed myself to readjust and refocus my dreams for her to fit her interests and capabilities acceptance came into play.Refocusing my dreams took time. Looking back to the very first few months and at other times when typical kids are achieving milestones, I came and still am coming to at times the realization and ADMITTING I was feeling bad for MYSELF. I THOUGHT I was feeling bad for Olivia but really once I figured out I WAS the one feeling bad for me, I came steps closer to to accepting Olivia as she is, rather than who I wanted her to be. I'm glad you came here....The best info and love and support I have felt was from other parents of kids with ds. DON'T beat yourself up regarding what you don't know. AND please don't expect yourself to be an expert for your child. Remember.... feelings of helplessness are ohhhh so normal. Once I admitted to myself "I DON'T KNOW" and said YES I COULD USE SOME HELP my helpless feelings began to go away. Rather than torture yourself by continually asking WHY??? try asking questions for which there are definitive answers. Where can my child start early intervention? Although you may always wonder WHY???, if you can start to get answers to your other questions the uncertainty may trouble you less. Any type of grief you may have can become more manageable when your able to look at your daughter for who she is. When I was able to take PRIDE in Olivias achievements, no matter how small, comparisons shrank in importance. Eventually you will be able to face the future and resume a more normal(whatever that is) way of life. BUT in the beginning don't hurry things. Take your time wrestling with your emotions, gathering information and getting back into the swing of things. Accepting help from friends and family is NOT a sign of defeat or weakness or an admission that you can't adequately take care of your child. AND realize that your friends and family will all react differently and like you THEY will NOT adjust overnight. I'll never forget my calling one of my best pals since we were 6 yrs old. She was due with her child the next week. I called her up BAWLING(I found out about 10 hours after Olivia was born she had ds) and I'll never forget her reaction. She got silent then all of a sudden she said Steff I gotta go. I was thinking oh man my life is over my pals are leaving me in the dust. Come to find out she had to hang up cause she burst into tears and was as shocked as I was and literally her mom told me she couldn't stop crying till her girl was born a week later.Give your friends and family time to grapple with it. It's not their immediate reaction that matters, but whether they will be there for you for the long haul. Alrighty then I am gonna end this ramble here . You are about to embark on a really amazing journey and you will probably learn more about yourself now than ever. Once you are no longer overwhelmed by your own hurt, anger, shock, and confusion you will find yourself making joyous discoveries about your child and her abilities. You'll be able to see beyond the label of ds, and glimpse the child beneath it. You'll see ds only affect how and at what rate your child learns and reacts to their surroundings, not her essential humanity. There's no denying that life with a child diagnosed with ds is a challenge. BUT it's just as undeniable that it's a challenge well worth rising to. YOU can help her create and shape her own destiny. And to begin, you only have to open up your eyes to everything she has to offer.
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Post by coopersmoma on Aug 14, 2004 14:44:53 GMT -5
First I want to say Congratulations!! I also found out while I was pregnant with Cooper that he had DS. I was about 25 weeks pregnant. There are so many emotions you go through during this time. I was happy about being pregnant, mad at God at the same time for putting me in this position, scared of having my 1st child, sad that my first child was gonna have DS, overwhelmed with all the information I was having to hear, I was shocked because I thought only women over 40 had babies with DS and I am only 27, nothing made since, everything I could ever imagine went through my head. Now 9 months after my sweet baby Cooper was born, I am thankful!! I am so thankful that I have my precious baby. He is my life and my inspiration. Cooper was a very sick baby at birth. He was born 4 weeks early and was in the NICU for about 2 weeks, which is not a long time but I was almost 200 miles from my hometown. That was the closest high risk OB Dr. I could see. Like I said I found out while I was pregnant that Cooper would have DS. I also found out while I was pregnant that he had a heart defect, a VSD, ASD and a PDA, and would have to have open heart surgery after he was born. Cooper had his heart surgery at 2 months old and is doing great today. He only weighed 4 pounds and 12 ounces when he was born, but at 9 months he is 17 pounds and 5 ounces. He is sitting by himself, saying Moma and doing a belly crawl. We started in the Early Intervention program as soon as he was 6 weeks post op from his heart surgery which made him about 3 months old. He is now receiving 8 therapies a week and is doing great. This is a great site and I wish I would have found it while I was pregnant. I am glad that it is available. We don't have a local support group in my area so this is where I come for support. Everyone has always been so nice and caring. If you ever want to email me, feel free and I am always hoping that I can help someone else. Congratulations and Good Luck! Wendey
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Post by rickismom on Aug 14, 2004 17:13:34 GMT -5
Dear Christine, I didn't know about Ricki having DS until the birth, but anyway you look at it, there is bound to be some mourning for that child we imagined we would give birth to. Ricki is a character, intelligent enough to know how to wrap people around her finger,,, and GENERALLY a joy. However, having low moments or even days can happen, and if they come, don't ket it throw you. It is NORMAL not to always be pleased at this thing called DS. How nice you found uno mas! Ps- I agree with one of the first posters woodbine books are really great. Another excellent source of information is Downs Ed of England. Their issues and information series is stupendous! www.downsed.org/
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Post by SuziF on Aug 14, 2004 20:50:37 GMT -5
Welcome Christine! My son & yours are apparently just hours apart in age ! Sam was born 12-22-99. His little sister, Merideth was born just 16mths later. We didn't know she'd have DS till in the delivery room. They have 2 older brothers, 11 & 8. We're from Pittsburgh.
Suzi
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Post by LisaRI on Aug 14, 2004 21:34:07 GMT -5
Welcome Christine! ;D I'm Lisa.. Mom to Kimberly, 10 y/o. You found the BEST place to come for tons of info from optimistic and fun people! Lisa ~
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Post by WANDA3CEE on Aug 15, 2004 10:12:46 GMT -5
Congratulation Mia is 6 month old she has DS. I also found out when I was about 5 month pregant. I could understand how you feel. I now look at my baby and I cry of happiness because God choose me for her. She is beautiful and your baby will be beautiful in every sence of the word. God has blessed you and all the family with a baby with DS. It will be okay wanda
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