 |
Down Syndrome for New ParentsDear New Parent, If you are reading this chances are you have a newborn diagnosed with Down Syndrome. First of all let me say, " Congratulations! " You have a new baby. This in itself is a joyous occasion. This new baby just happens to have a diagnosis of Down Syndrome. A baby is a baby first. This child will be more like other children than not. He or she will have your features right along with some of the features babies with this genetic condition have. He is a living, breathing creation made by you. See him for what he is - a baby, your baby. He will do all the things babies do. He will tug on your heartstrings. He will even surprise you. If you read the page on prenatal diagnosis you know the story of our 7th child. Here is a bit about our number eight. He was born by c-section. He was a little bit early due to the fact that he was not gaining weight in utero anymore. We (the perinatologist and I) chalked it up to my high blood pressure. She decided it was time. After he was born, he had a little trouble staying oxygenated so they took him to the NICU before I got a chance to hold him. My husband, however, had held him. He followed the nurses to the NICU. To make a long story short, after I got to the recovery room the doctor who had delivered our baby, Sam, came by to see me. Nothing unusual there. Then she started talking. Something about Down Syndrome, the baby's head shape, my husband had asked the nurses...I had just been given a nice dose of morphine so I was pretty much in a fog. remember saying,"Oh, its okay, we will love him no matter what." (And we do) For days I did not cry, or even let on that I was upset. I pretended that it was just fine with me if he had Down Syndrome. Inside though, I was terrified. I had a pretty difficult time when we first brought him home. I would get on the internet and find websites like this one, and just cry and cry. What is the moral of this long winded story you ask? Don't pretend. It is okay to cry and to be upset. After all you were expecting a baby who was to be a future doctor or scientist of maybe the next Donal Trump. Or maybe a famous artist or musician, or an actor. (Oh, wait there are people with Down Syndrome who actually are those last three.) Instead, you were thrown into total uncertainty. You may feel like someone has died. That is okay. In a way it's true. The death of a dream. You need to grieve for this death. And then you need to remember that you have a precious little one and you will have new hopes and dreams for this baby. There is a story by Emily Perl Kingsley that was written to describe the emotional things we go through when we find out so suddenly that our world has changed forever. "Welcome to Holland" is a very moving story so grab that box of tissues! The following links will lead you to some of the people with Down Syndrome who have achieved some great things. I'm sure there are many more, I just haven't heard about them yet. You see, there is hope. You ARTISTS MUSICIAN ACTORS/ACTRESSES There are many more people with Down Syndrome out there who have accomplished great things, I'm sure. I just have not heard about them yet. If there is someone you would like to submit please contact us. Back to Home page
**The information on this website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Rather, it is for educational and informational purposes only. You, the viewer, are responsible for obtaining health care for your child from his/her physician and other health care specialists. Always consult with your child's doctor before beginning any therapy programs.**
|
