[blparent] new to the list

Thu Jan 9 23:06:11 UTC 2014

Well, I had a C-section in the end, and I'm fine with that, too.  It was 
inevitable, and what I got out of it was a healthy baby.  That's all that 
matters.  It's not a contest to see how tough you are.

Jo Elizabeth

Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; nay, you may 
kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at 
evening.--Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
-----Original Message----- 
From: Star Gazer
Sent: Thursday, January 09, 2014 3:16 PM
To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blparent] new to the list

Yes, the type of birth you have will be what it will be. You'll find that
the women who had natural childbirth talk about it all the time, whereas
women who had c-sections or vaginal birth with drugs don't. My husband calls
this a form of tit waving.
You will want to be comfortable with the hospital and the staff and your
obgyn or midwife. Do you have a provider now, and are you comfortable with
that person?
Dads are very involved now, way more so then when our parents had kids. We
were planning on sending my husband home to be with our older daughter after
the birth of our second. The hospital was fine with this, and the midwife
today told me that I'd want someone I love with me in case I got scared or
was sore after the birth. She emphasized that the nurses could and would
help, but also said that I'd feel better having someone who was emotionally
invested with me and with the baby there. You need to be open to hearing
things like that and use the skills you've acquired during your whole life
to know if they are negative about blindness, or looking out for your best
interests.

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jo
Elizabeth Pinto
Sent: Thursday, January 9, 2014 5:07 PM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blparent] new to the list

Well, that was the thing, too.  I wanted to learn my way around the joint,
state my basic wishes, and meet the staff while I was clear-headed and not
dealing with contractions.  I had an IV eventually, only because I gave up
and lost the argument against one, but I made them put it on a pole with
wheels because I insisted on walking the halls till I was seven or eight
centimeters along. That shocked the nurses because I guess most women don't
want to move by that time.  But I found that walking was a lot more
comfortable than lying still, so I earned this reputation as the tough blind
chick who wouldn't stay in bed.  I heard them laughing about it while the
dad and I were on the long march, so I joined in with the laughter because
it was better than snapping at them.

Anyway, when I fell, they finally wouldn't let me walk anymore, so they gave
me this laboring chair which was made out of some kind of bouncy, springy
material so I could rock and move.  It was pretty good, the next best thing
to staying on my feet.  They said they would have grounded a sighted mom who
fell, too, for liability reasons.  So my point is, not everything is done
because of our blindness, which is easy to assume.  Actually, the only one
who asked me about help at home was the head doctor, and I couldn't say much
with him elbow deep where no man ought to be.  So I just said, "Mmm hmmm,
it's all covered," and hoped he would finish up soon.

Jo Elizabeth

Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; nay, you may
kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at
evening.--Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
-----Original Message-----
From: Jennifer Stewart Jackson
Sent: Thursday, January 09, 2014 2:29 PM
To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blparent] new to the list

Congratulations on your new baby. Really what people are suggesting here are
things that are just as you would want to do to provide for your child and a
good birth experience. We are just suggesting you document it so if
something unfortunate happens, you will know where to start.

Go to the birth center, or whatever, just because you do not want to be
talking about your blindness and any special needs while you are in labor.
:) I always went to share ahead of time the horrifying news that I did not
intend to have an IV and preferred not to be offered any drugs. :) The up
side was that the staff was generally more interested in that than my
blindness.

Jennifer
-----Original Message-----
From: blparent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Star Gazer
Sent: Thursday, January 09, 2014 3:23 PM
To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blparent] new to the list

Hi. I'm 34 weeks pregnant with our second baby.
You do a couple of things. First, you take care of yourself during the
pregnancy, it shows you care about yourself and about the baby.
Second, you go to the hospital and talk with the staff. Your obgyn or
midwife can help you find the right people, level with them and express your
concerns.
You can take the classes the hospitals offer. You don't have to though. We
didn't, and the hospital seems fine.

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tara Briggs
Sent: Thursday, January 9, 2014 2:04 PM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blparent] new to the list

Thanks! I have a couple of questions. How didyou make sure the staff at the
hospital had a positive attitude about you having a baby? I guess sadly
getting a baby taken away is a concern of lots of disabled parents.
Tara

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jo
Elizabeth Pinto
Sent: Thursday, January 09, 2014 11:53 AM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blparent] new to the list

Congratulations on your coming baby!

Jo Elizabeth

Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; nay, you may
kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at
evening.--Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
-----Original Message-----
From: Tara Briggs
Sent: Thursday, January 09, 2014 8:51 AM
To: blparent at nfbnet.org
Subject: [blparent] new to the list

HI all, I have been on this list for a few days now and figure it is time to
introduce myself. I am Tara Briggs and I live in Utah with my husband.
I teach Braille at the center for the blind. I use a Seeing Eye dog named
Emmy and I think they don't make them any better than my beautiful black
lab. My husband works at Brigham Young University in there accessibility
center. He helps students get access to their books in an accessible format
and oversees their assistive technology lab. Tyler is also finishing a
master's degree in  Vocational rehabilitation. He graduates this May and we
are both over the moon about it!

I am 12 weeks pregnant with our first baby! I am sure I will have loads of
questions but I just thought I would by start off by saying hello.

Thanks

Tara
_______________________________________________
blparent mailing list
blparent at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blparent:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/jopinto%40msn.com

_______________________________________________
blparent mailing list
blparent at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blparent:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/tarabriggs%40utah.go
v

_______________________________________________
blparent mailing list
blparent at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blparent:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/pickrellrebecca%40gmai
l.com

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

_______________________________________________
blparent mailing list
blparent at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blparent:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/jopinto%40msn.com

_______________________________________________
blparent mailing list
blparent at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blparent:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/pickrellrebecca%40gmai
l.com

_______________________________________________
blparent mailing list
blparent at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
blparent:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/jopinto%40msn.com 