Parents in wheelchairs

[BlueEyes31]

Are there any other disabled parents on here? Particularly those in wheelchairs? I have an 8 year and currently pregnant with my second.

I see lots of forms for disabled children, but next to nothing for disabled parents.

I’ve been on MN since the dark ages and have been asking them for about 12 years to either start a Chronic Pain section or a Disabled section.

It still hasn’t happened.......

Single mum here.. youngest is now 14 and I'm an occasional wheelchair / mobility scooter user due to a chronic pain condition. If I'm honest, if I could get over my feelings around using it I'd probably be using it more, and getting about more.

I have dyspraxia and Ehlers danlos syndrome. I'm not a wheelchair user though. There is a mumsnetters with SN section although I think it's mainly adults who have autism who use it rather than adults with mobility related disabilities. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnetters_with_sn

There should be a section on here for parents with disabilities 😔

@BlueEyes31

There should be a section on here for parents with disabilities 😔

Wouldn't being disabled fall under the guise of special needs...

I would also like a chronic pain or disabilities section. Can’t believe there isn’t one! I don’t know if you are on Instagram, OP (and I know it’s not particularly what you asked for) but Nina Tame’s account is fab.

I also would really like a section for this. I'm a wheelchair user who is TTC and I have a ton of questions around what I'm going to do about prams and similar.

I will check her out.

@aLilNonnyMouse

I also would really like a section for this. I'm a wheelchair user who is TTC and I have a ton of questions around what I'm going to do about prams and similar.

If you have any questions I am happy to help.

Not a wheelchair user but I do have some disabilities and genetic disorders and am hoping to TTC after Covid.

A section for parents with disabilities would be welcome.

(Intermittent) Mobility scooter rather than wheelchair, but that choice is largely because when my legs are bad my hands are too.

So limited or restricted mobility would cover it?
@MNHQ

There is a Parents with Disabilities section though 99% of threads are about ASD. It's under the opt-in Special Needs section which is that way to reduce the trolls.

A thread in Chat will get more views (and avoid the AIBU snide responses). Personally I haven't used a wheelchair since DD was about 3 months and my SPD went away, but have had episodes of needing to use the car for school run etc. A walking stick was handy for herding kids in the right direction.

Hi there,
Thanks for raising this, BlueEyes31. We're very interested to hear what is being said here, please do continue to chat about what it is that you want to see and we'll see what we can do at this end.

I think there are 2 issues here:

1. A Chronic pain Subject (within the Mental Health zone) looks like it may be appreciated eg I post in the Autoimmune section because of my conditions but this doesn’t cover the emotional struggles of my new lifetime degenerative limited mobility that comes with it.

1. A new topic along the lines of Limited/Restricted movement within the (physical) Health area to enable us to discuss aids, using public transport, links to other websites that may benefit us such as the CEA card.

I’m just thinking aloud and would love others to chip in please xx

Yes this would be useful. I am a part-time, reluctant wheelchair user, whom is housebound without support. Use a stick all the time but also have physical illness and mental health issues (caused by the physical disabilities).
You often see questions around pip /disability benefit applications etc in aibu/chat etc when I was going through the process of applying for benefits I didn't dare post as I know a lot of people don't like benefits Claimants but I could have done with some advice.
Also advice /people's experience of getting housing adapted /getting support for children of disabled parents /how it feels to be unable to care for your dc like you did pre disability. Sometimes the main board makes me feel like others have no idea the difficulties we face every single day and some of the comments non disabled people give are awful and therefore I've avoided posting in the past.

After much procrastination, Mumsnet did create a section for parents with disabilities, as they well know. It is not 'special needs'!!! But it seems to have been quietly dropped.

Mumsnet, I don't think much of you.

@Cloud21

I think there are 2 issues here:

1. A Chronic pain Subject (within the Mental Health zone) looks like it may be appreciated eg I post in the Autoimmune section because of my conditions but this doesn’t cover the emotional struggles of my new lifetime degenerative limited mobility that comes with it.

1. A new topic along the lines of Limited/Restricted movement within the (physical) Health area to enable us to discuss aids, using public transport, links to other websites that may benefit us such as the CEA card.

I’m just thinking aloud and would love others to chip in please xx

I agree

And they acted very interested back then too, on public threads.

Yes - my daughter is disabled and a wheelchair user and I looked on here to see if I could find any experience re children and there was none.

She has two children - 6 and 2.5 and has all sorts of issues trying to parent them - especially as her husband left her last October.

I would welcome a section for disabled parents.

Another one who'd love this. I'm not in a wheelchair, but limited mobility thanks to hypermobility, and I've always found dealing with it in the context of parenting the hardest part. I so wish I could do normal parenting stuff with my kids, without having to plan around my pain. So envious of parents who can just decide to go for a walk with their kids.

I'm currently pregnant and have fibromyalgia, and it would be really helpful to have a section to be able to discuss things like how do you manage a push chair with a walking aid, dealing with flare ups and babies when you're planning on breastfeeding, that kind of thing without the message sinking to the bottom of a board because it's "niche". I don't feel special needs particularly covers physical/chronic pain conditions and would feel like I was intruding on that space. There were some discussions on chronic pain in the TTC boards but a separate board would be helpful

I am a paraplegic. However, I'm single and don't have any children but I'm thinking long and hard about going down the donor/ivf route. I would love to be.a mummy but I'm not sure if it would be selfish of me.

Mumsnet is interested to read what is beinf said her... haha.
How about just making a section for parents/kids with disabilities? (Yes yes there is a special needs page. But those special needs refer to adhd, asd etc not a physical limitation)

Step up mumsnet.

Agreed disabled parents section would be welcomed.

I have chronic pain that’s causes some mobility issues though not a wheelchair user - I’d need an electric one to be able to operate it on high pain days.

Currently pregnant with my first and interested about how others have gotten on with babies/toddlers who need picking up. I can barley lift a 4pt bottle of milk.

I have had some success on the pregnancy board when posting about medication.