The First Time I Saw Her Face
Low vision parenting has its hardships and unique rewards. I thought it would be fun to share some of those unique challenges in a new blog series. So I’ll start from the beginning . . .
During pregnancy, I read “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” but there was no section for “if you are visually impaired”. I couldn’t read normal-sized print so I read this book while sitting at my CCTV – uncomfortable would be putting it lightly. Of course today, I have a more up-to-date method of downloading books that I can transfer to a portable device and read while my feet are up on the couch. Needless to say, this would have come in handy when I was eight months pregnant.
My Stargardt disease keeps me from clearly seeing things right in front of me, but I was so focused on educating myself on the basics of motherhood that I couldn’t let my vision call all the shots. I had so many new decisions to make, like choosing a doctor, planning follow-up appointments and how we were going to get to those appointments since I can’t drive. Believe me, those are only a few of the thousands of thoughts that went through my mind.
My vision impairment is a recessive, inherited disease, so I knew that although the bad gene would be shared with my child, the chances of my husband having the same gene were slim. Since I was 43 when I got pregnant, I had much more pressing matters to deal with. On a more positive note, I could not read the scales at the doctor’s office, so I could eat whatever I wanted for nine months (not recommended).
Walking was a good thing for me during my pregnancy – it gave me a lot of time to think in addition to the obvious health benefits. However, the pediatrician was not really within walking distance and the nearest hospital is a 30 minute drive. I realized that my husband would need to be available for all those routine and the “Was that a cough?!?” visits that are to be expected with a newborn. But my biggest question was would I be able to see its itty-bitty facial features when it was born?
The big day came two weeks early, and when my doctor said “It’s a GIRL!!” and I saw her face, it was the quintessential best moment of my life. I instantly said, “She looks just like you, Daddy!” Even though I couldn’t distinguish my own sister’s face if I passed her on the street, I could see my little Arden as clear as a bell.
Please share your parenting stories in the comments section and stay tuned for future posts in this parenting series.
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