Having a baby when you have a disability shouldn't stop you from having a great pregnancy and wonderful experience of being a new parent, but it might come with a few more things to think about. However, pregnancy and parenthood can sometimes be difficult for anyone to deal with, regardless of disability, so we are here to support you and find solutions for any challenges you face.
We will strive to meet your communication needs at every appointment, whatever these look like. We have access to BSL interpreters and, if you lip read, please let us know what works best for you so that we can work together to make arrangements.
You should be able to birth how you wish to and though it might be recommended that you see a consultant, they will work with you and your wishes to get you the birth that you want. Staying as active as you can during birth may be important to you so your team will help you work on a plan that respects your needs, abilities and wishes to make labour as comfortable as possible. We will work together to suggest alternative birthing positions that will work with your body to enable your baby to descend in a manner that works with your physiology. However, if you wish to have a caesarean, we will discuss this with you to ensure all your wishes are respected and find the right pathway for you.
Where necessary, we will work with other teams involved in your care to ensure we have a rich understanding of your needs and how your disability may affect your pregnancy and labour. This enables us to make sure all your needs are met and we are proactive about whatever the postnatal period may bring as you recover from birth.
You may need to know what medication isn't suitable for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, but Pharmacist Dr Wendy Jones MBE at the Breastfeeding Network has advice already on her site covering a wide range of resources and helpful advice.