Mobility Issues with Baby on the Way

OneLittleSpark

A Michaelmusophobia Sufferer (please don't hate me
Joined
Dec 13, 2006
Hey guys! First the big news (which you may have guessed from the title): I'm pregnant! I'm due in March and was wondering if anyone had any parenting tips for those of us with mobility problems?

I'm pretty lucky - I'm partially mobile and can get around the house on crutches. I use a manual wheelchair outside the house. I've got Fibro and ME, so the main problems are pain and energy levels, rather than physical damage.

Any tips, advice or stories would be appreciated - I want to try and get as prepared as possible before everything gets turned upside-down by Tadpole's arrival! TIA :goodvibes
 
Aww, thank you LaneJudy! We're both really looking forward to his arrival! :goodvibes
 
Congratulations!

One piece of advice I have for you (just based on being a nurse and having had children) is that your center of gravity will shift as you get farther along. That may make it more difficult to walk with crutches and easier to loose balance.
 
Congratulations! :) Your life is about to change in the best way possible! :)

I was still in pretty good shape when I had our BabyBunny, so I don't have any direct experience. I "inherited" all my other children in one horrible night, the aftermath of a tragic accident. They were all teenagers at the time.

The first thing that comes to mind is a "travel chair/companion chair" (with four smaller wheels all the same size), and removable arm rests. That way you could sit down, carry the baby, and "pedal" with your feet to move about the house. By removing the arms, you could roll up under tables easily. Or, leave one armrest on, and hang a bag from it for the baby's things (babies seem to need so many more things than you think they will LOL) like a binky, burp cloth, maybe a clean diaper + wipes, etc. A nice gel cushion (if you will be spending a lot of time in the seat) would help make it much more comfy for you - and by extension, the baby.

A Rollator might work too - you could use it during pregnancy to help offset your shifting center of gravity - plus you could (if it was WELL STRAPPED DOWN) put a car seat or baby carrier on the seat of the Rollator to move the baby around the house after he has vacated your premises for the wider world! You could also hang a "walker bag" off the front of it to carry supplies as well.

Even a standard wheelchair would give you something to hang on to while you walked, and again - if it was well strapped down - you could put the baby in a seat or carrier in the seat of the wheelchair, and push it around the house.

Obviously, there are baby "slings" and many different ways to "wear" your baby now, but my concern about using crutches and wearing your baby is the same as @SueM in MN's regarding your shifting center of gravity - you want to make sure you are stable first and foremost, and always. With your fibro, wearing the baby might be too much; unless you start "practicing" now, and even if it is well tolerated now, you need a solution that will work if you have a flare.

I would also encourage you to think ahead a bit - beyond Lil' Mr Tadpole's infancy, and on into toddlerhood - about how you will handle things once he is walking? I think that might be as much of a challenge as anything else. Standard babyproofing rules apply, but you will also want to consider how you will manage *his* mobility once he outstrips your pace!

But don't worry too much - one of the most important lessons I learned as a Mom Person ™ was that sometimes you do your best, and you go on down the road. Your "normal" will never look like exactly like anyone else's - regardless of who you are. Babies don't know - or care - if we are perfect. Being a loving, caring parent is the most important thing you can be for your child - and I *know* you will be! (((hugs)))
 
Congrats! Having been there myself (kiddo is almost 6 now, I was the first of my friends with disabilities to have a child). As Sue mentioned, my center of gravity changed as my pregnancy progressed, thus throwing off my balance. I also used a different cushion on my chair, and now have a SmartDrive (power assist, almost a combination of a manual and power chair). As my little one grows, their needs, my needs and the strategies we use change. In terms of "stuff," it was incredibly helpful to borrow and try various different baby tools etc. You'll figure things out as you go along, as will your child. Hang in there! You got this! :)
 



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