Becoming a new parent can be daunting. Parenting with a pre-existing condition can make things that much harder. Theoretically, a disability shouldn’t stop you from parenting, especially if you have the physical ability and mental capacity to look after a child and the support to cope with the challenges that children bring.
Children and disabilities can also put a strain on people financially – if you’re a veteran, click the link to discover the most common VA disability claims and to find out what you might be entitled to. By looking at all aspects of income and benefits, you can work out your monthly allowance for your current expenses and raising a child. If this is feasible, you can start looking into becoming parents and the way in which you can adapt things to suit you.
Looking for medical professionals who will support you is the first step to managing your parenting journey. Health visitors and doctors, or the relevant professionals for your state or country, can help you to find ways to manage. You might be offered access to support groups, counseling, or other treatments, as well as medication to help you with any pain or mental health problems.
Attending baby groups and other forms of parenting support groups can help you to increase your social circle, learn skills, and liaise with other parents. If available, you could join a group for parents with disabilities, where you could learn ways to adapt your parenting to suit your physical and mental needs, as well as to impart your own knowledge on others who may benefit from it.
Proper preparation before your baby is born or, even better, prior to conception, will allow you the time you need to put plans into place. You might need to consider alternatives to the norm, such as home alterations or even moving, alternatives to traditional carriers such as pushchairs, and considerations into general child safety when taking your disability into account.
When your child reaches school age, you could potentially start discussing your disability with them. You can take the time to ensure that any discussion is age appropriate. There may be some details that you need to leave out to protect your child, such as explanations of actions resulting from mental health problems. These discussions can allow your child to understand the problems that you have and, therefore, become more empathetic to your needs and the differences between you and parents who do not have a disability.
Looking for positives can also be a good way to approach parenting when you have a disability. Something as simple as giving rides on a wheelchair can give your child some fun and happy memories. It can also benefit you by turning something that you may dislike into something associated with good times.
Apart from a few exceptions, disability shouldn’t come between you and your dreams of parenthood. There are options available, but you will need to spend time seeking these out.
