[blparent] [Bulk] "General public" and their impressions

Sun Jun 7 04:38:26 UTC 2009

 We also did that before Gab was born. V

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Leanne Merren
Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2009 12:50 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blparent] [Bulk] "General public" and their impressions

I think that touring the hospital and getting to know the staff is a very 
good thing.  I think it helped the staff feel more at ease with me with the 
birth of both of my daughters.  After both girls were born, in two different

hospitals, I had a social worker come to help me fill out the paperwork for 
the birth certificate and social security card, and to offer me information 
about moms' groups and other resources.  I was asked a general question of 
whether anyone would be there to help me when I took the baby home, but it 
was obvious that it was a general question.  I had one nurse ask me if I was

comfortable being alone in my room with the baby, and she said she just 
wanted to make sure, since she hadn't had much experience with blind 
parents.  I thanked her for asking, and I told her that I would let her know

if I needed any help with anything.  I told her to feel free to ask any 
questions, because I would rather have people ask than to assume things.

Mason's birth was a whole different story.  They actually made me give up my

baby when I was alone in the room for the first 24 hours, until I got myself

together and started talking to the nurses about the situation.  I hadn't 
realized at first that it was because of my blindness.  I thought it was 
more about the c-section recovery.  I was a scared, first time mom too, so I

wasn't even sure what I was capable of right away.  But after caring for him

for 24 hours, as much as I could, I told them that I could keep the baby in 
my room, even when I was alone, and that there was no reason I couldn't. 
One of the nurses stood up for me, and alerted some people in charge of what

had been going on, and some people got in trouble.  So that experience 
taught me to be confident, and to let people know where I stood, instead of 
letting them intimidate me.  I learned a lot more about that later on when 
my kids all went through medical exams and treatments and all kinds of 
experiences.  You don't realize what you're made of until you become a 
parent. *smile*
Leanne
"Faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see."
Hebrews 11:1
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jo Elizabeth Pinto" <jopinto at pcdesk.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2009 12:55 PM
Subject: Re: [blparent] [Bulk] "General public" and their impressions

>I was lucky enough not to get much interference from social workers when 
>Sarah was born.  I don't know if it was because her sighted father was 
>there most of the time or what.  There was a doctor who asked if I would 
>have help at home.  I said yes, and he didn't ask any more questions. 
>(Personally, I think whether there will be help is a valid question for any

>new mom, sighted or blind, especially now that I've been through the 
>newborn phase myself.)  Nobody asked me if I had everything ready for the 
>baby, which I did, and the nurses spent a lot of time trying to help me get

>nursing established, with no comment about my blindness.  The only social 
>worker I saw asked me about financial issues, but Gerald and I made too 
>much to qualify for the hospital's sliding scale.  It was nice to have such

>a positive experience at the hospital.  I think part of the reason 
>everything went so well is that I took not only the childbirth classes, but

>also the baby care and breastfeeding courses, and I had a tour of the 
>maternity ward and asked a lot of questions, so by the time I delivered my 
>baby, I was kind of a familiar face to many of the staff, and they knew I 
>was taking my new role as a mother seriously.
>
> Jo Elizabeth
>
> "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed 
> until it is faced."--James Baldwin
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Melissa Ann Riccobono" <melissa at riccobono.us>
> To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2009 6:47 AM
> Subject: Re: [blparent] [Bulk] "General public" and their impressions
>
>
>> It's interesting about hospital social workers.  I actually was lucky 
>> enough
>> to have a good experience with the social worker who visited me after 
>> Austin
>> was born.  She seemed to stick to standard questions.  She did ask if I 
>> had
>> everything ready for the baby; actually she didn't quite put it that way.
>> She asked if we had a crib or a bassinette, a car seat, etc.  I could 
>> hear
>> that she was taking notes and checking things off a list.  The hospital
>> where Austin was born often deals with high risk and very poor moms and
>> dads, so I felt a lot of the questions were based on the fact that so 
>> many
>> people who pass through really do need a lot more help and services.  I 
>> was
>> also offered WIC.  I don't know if this was standard or not, but I just 
>> said
>> I knew we made too much to qualify and I was left alone.  The person who
>> made me the most nervous was a doctor--not the one who delivered 
>> Austin--who
>> kept asking if I had help at home, and if I thought I could manage 
>> because
>> of my "handicap."  Luckily, even though I was still in labor and not in 
>> the
>> best mood, I managed to answer him calmly and firmly and nothing else was
>> said.  Then there was this extremely annoying nurse who was completely
>> thrilled because I could find the toilet paper in the bathroom and I
>> "navigated so well!"  She questioned my ability to nurse because it's "a
>> very visual thing to know when the baby's mouth is open so you can stick 
>> the
>> nipple in.  Are you really committed to nursing?"  Thank goodness I knew 
>> my
>> sister, who is also blind, nursed three babies successfully, and that I 
>> was
>> committed to nursing unless there really was a reason I couldn't--such as

>> my
>> body not making enough milk, or Austin really having difficulties of some
>> other kind.  So, I was firm on that point as well.  It is amazing though
>> simply how uneducated the public is!  I love the people who ask me if I 
>> had
>> someone come in to "adapt" my house for the baby.  Yes, there are child
>> proofing companies and they are great if you want to use them, but I 
>> think
>> it's crazy for people to believe that just because we're blind we don't 
>> know
>> what is dangerous for a baby or small child.
>> Melissa
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blparent mailing list
> blparent at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> blparent:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/leemer02%40gmail.c
om 

_______________________________________________
blparent mailing list
blparent at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blparent:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/madison_tewe%40spi
nn.net

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com 
Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.54/2159 - Release Date: 06/06/09
18:04:00