Congratulations on your pregnancy and having cerebral palsy! You are now a parent and entering the best journey of your life.No; it will not all be easy, but sharing your love will always be easy.
I have a rare cerebral palsy of athetoid/spastic mixed quadriplegia. My body is one hundred percent affected by it. No escaping cerebral palsy any day or night. God wants me here. I wasn’t breathing immediately after birth. Several moments passed, and several doctors were ready to call my time of death. A doctor happened to be in the hallway and gave CPR another chance. I started to breathe! Damage occurred, but I have my mental abilities, and I’m grateful for that.
Having mixed cerebral palsy has made everything a bit more challenging. However, my goals never wavered. Goals that I believe God gave me. First, be included in education. Second, become a teacher. Third, become a mother – but not only a mother – an excellent mother.
Each step to meet these goals came with opposition. As you might find yourself pregnant with cerebral palsy, please know that doctors don’t have all the answers. No one does. But it would be best if you were a planner. Planning and thinking of every situation you might face will help bring peace. Pray for inspiration to problem solve. Choose wisely a spouse that will support your goals and love your children.
You can conquer this
You won’t be able to do everything. I couldn’t carry a diaper, prepare formula, or always comfort my babies. Yes, it’s sometimes difficult to watch someone else ease your baby. However, their love for them will make you happy that they’re so glad. I hired great people to help me with my babies. When I suddenly became a single mom when my daughter was six months old, I hired seven people plus family to assist.
For whatever you can’t do, you can be present at every feeding, diaper change, bath, and dress time. You are the constant. You’ll be there all of their life. I talked to them, read to them, and sang to them. My mother instinct kicked in so I could tell people exactly what they needed and when.
Anything is possible is a complex phrase when you have a disability. I finally figured out what that meant. It doesn’t mean you’ll be cured of cerebral palsy and walk. It means you’ll figure out a different approach and make the goal. How you achieve a goal will always look different, but the end result matters.
You got this. Rely on God, people to help, and your natural abilities, and reach out to me anytime. I’m now a mother of a nine-year-old and a 16-year-old. Substitute teaching is my full-time occupation, and I was included in education when I was 11. It can happen.
