anyone pregnant?

[Hangingbellyofbabylon]

I'm looking for some friends who 'get it' and a safe place to talk about being pregnant without being confronted by the 'perfect baby' brigade - anyone want to join me?

I'm 17 weeks pregnant with my 3rd - dd2 is 3 and has cerebral palsy. We have things to think about like my back as I get bigger! and how to transport a newborn and 3 year old with SN but all in all we are very much looking forward to meeting this one - and no, we did not subject myself or the bubba to any ante-natal testing.

I'm not pregnant anymore, but I was last year and was exactly where you are now. Can I join in?

DS2 was just dx with autism when I found out I was pg. A lot of people thought I was crazy and one ex-friend even said I was being selfish to my unborn baby

Are you going to find out what the sex of your baby is? Do you think it is another girl, or a boy?

| have a nearly-3 yr old DS1 who has CP (and is 91st percentile height and weight), and a 6 week old DS2, so chat away....

Im pregnant and also have a ds with autism who will be 4 when the baby is due in 2 weeks. Also have been worrying about the logistical problems of transporting SN child and baby.

hi, nice to see you both. Yes, I know what you mean about people commenting that you must be a bit selfish for even considering another child. My own sister was incensed that I didn't go for the nuchal and triple test as 'down syndrome is nothing like CP, I mean dd2 (who has cp) is quite normal'!! - like there's some kind of heirarchy of special needs and another child with CP would be ok but another with something else wouldn't be.

Laumiere - did you need to lift your ds when you were pregnant? I'm already finding it hard to get dd in and out of the carseat and stuff and she's really quite diddy - is just 3 but most people think she not even 2. I'm obviously really weedy

hi staryeyed - off to deal with dd's so will back later.

HBBOB, DS1 was born 9 weeks prem so was ordered not to lift him from 18 weeks (when I was found to have a short cervix). I still needed to of course, as you probably know, but I tried to spare my abs as much as possible. One thing I did find useful was a hippychick (www.hippychick.com/) as DS1 is hypotonic and doesn't 'help' much when you lift, so he's basically dead weight.

Now we have two DCs we've bought a Revelo Buggypod for DS1's Major Buggy (he's just starting to walk now). We don't have a car though.

Hi HBOB, I am 38+2 weeks pregnant, but being induced on Friday, so only just pregnant! I have DD1 (3.4) with GDD & Epilepsy, and DD2 who will be 20 months on 12th April.

I found out DD had SN when I was about 9 weeks pregnant, and am quite glad it happened that way around, because I might not have gone for the third if I had found out a little earlier. Being pregnant already meant that I just got on with it, although I have found that I have been less able to focus on being pregnant due to all the appointments, assessments, etc. that suddenly came our way.

I, too, declined all testing - I have always felt strongly that I would love whatever child I was given regardless.

With regards to the car seat thing, I found that at your stage it was really difficult, then it got a bit better between sort of 22-28 weeks, then got harder again. To be honest, I now kind of hold DD's hand, and swing her from the car onto her feet, pretending its a game, but it really is the only way I can do it without hurting my back. She has walking ability, but is unsteady on her feet, and lacks the co-ordination to get herself in and out of her chair.

We have had to buy a triple buggy from New Zealand, as DD is a runnner and when she is unco-operative I am stuck. Equally, if she hurts herself or gets a fright she refuses to walk, so I need somewhere to put her during a meltdown. It has two side by side and one on top. A monster, but fabulous for our needs.