Into childhood |

Aiden

Published at 10/05/2017September 18, 2019 In Category Into childhood, Stories

Aiden was born on the living room wooden floor in an unplanned home birth! Fortunately a fabulous home birth midwife arrived in time to deliver him and saved his life. The midwives resuscitated Aiden for 40 minutes before he finally took his first breath. I remember the midwife saying it looked like “he might have Down Syndrome”, and I remember looking at my little purple baby still on the floor and saying “yes he does look like he has Down Syndrome and I don’t care just make my baby breathe”.

Kitty

Published at 10/05/2017September 18, 2019 In Category Into childhood, Stories

Kitty is the youngest of our four children, who were 8, 6 & 4 when she came along. Hers had been a fairly stressful pregnancy for various reasons, but we avoided any screening tests and we hadn’t really considered the possibility that our 4^th child would be any different to the older three.

Oscar

Published at 10/05/2017September 18, 2019 In Category Into childhood, Stories

I’m Sarah, married to Chris and Mum to three little ones – Oscar, Alfie and Flo. I think for the most part we look like your average family of 5. Having danced for a living, I’ve since found my passion in writing. Chris, works in the city as a banker (promise he’s not a w#%*$r though) and loves rugby and cycling. Oscar our eldest, is an avid fan of Justin Fletcher and a whiz on the scooter. Alfie, partial to the odd biscuit or 10 adores Dinosaurs and Flo can be found most days, pushing her “bebee” (baby) around in her buggy or dancing to the Peppa Pig theme tune.

Mia

Published at 10/04/2017September 18, 2019 In Category Into childhood, Stories

Somos padres de una hermosa niña de 5 años, es la menor de dos niñas, su nombre es Mia, tuvimos un diagnóstico prenatal, lamentablemente la mayor parte de la información médica que recibimos en ese momento fue bastante negativa, sin embargo el equipo médico y diferentes profesionales fueron muy solidarios y muchos de ellos trabajan para asegurarse que ella estaba bien durante el embarazo, realmente queríamos a nuestra bebé sin importar su condición, pero estábamos muy asustados sobre como el futuro podría ser. Mantuvimos una actitud positiva e investigamos sobre la condición un poco más y descubrimos que hay muchas personas que viven una vida plena con la misma condición. Mia nació por parto natural y sin problemas, también fue amamantada.

Billy

Published at 07/20/2015September 18, 2019 In Category Into childhood, Stories

I’m Lu, I have two children through IVF, Nathan is now 9 and Billy 7, who happens to have Down’s syndrome.

Our first round of screening came back with a 1 in 100 chance of Down’s syndrome (DS), we thought those odds were good and we wouldn’t have terminated the pregnancy anyway as we had been through so much to get a sibling for Nathan. We also wouldn’t have had amniocentesis at that point due to the risk of miscarriage.

Clara

Published at 07/17/2015September 18, 2019 In Category Into childhood, Stories Leave a comment

Hello, I’d like to introduce myself, my name is Liz and I live in Sherborne, Dorset. I’m originally from South Yorkshire, but moved to beautiful Dorset 5 years ago due to husband Steve’s job in the Army.

All my dreams came true when we moved to Dorset and from a successful frozen embryo transfer I was finally pregnant after years of wanting a child! Out of 5 embryos she was the one that worked! At the age of 41 and in such shock, I was pregnant I said yes to all the screening tests and wasn’t really thinking straight. The midwife said, “oh your high risk anyway, you’re over 40, with an IVF pregnancy, so I would advise the testing!” We had a blood test screen which came back as an extremely high chance 1:2, that our baby had Down Syndrome.

Erin

Published at 07/17/2015September 18, 2019 In Category Into childhood, Stories Leave a comment

There are so many preconceptions about all aspects of our lives, which cannot always be challenged until we have the experience of actually living them. So it is with the condition of Down Syndome. As grandparents of Erin our youngest grandchild I want to tell you about the journey to where she has reached her tenth birthday. Read More…

Laurie

Published at 07/17/2015September 18, 2019 In Category Into childhood, Stories Leave a comment

There are four of us in our family. There’s a mummy and a daddy (Hannah and Tim, from this point on referred to as “we”), there’s an older brother Austin (he’s 7) and a younger sister, Laurie (she’s 5).

Laurie loves putting her dolls to bed, going to school, bouncing on the trampoline and being chased. Laurie was also diagnosed with Down’s syndrome Trisomy 21 at 9 weeks old.

George

Published at 07/16/2015September 18, 2019 In Category Into childhood, Stories Leave a comment

It is unsettling, and also seems totally ridiculous now, as I reflect on the depression and negativity I was consumed with, when our second son George was born. He is now 5 and alongside his older brother, is the greatest love in my life and the source of all that makes me truly happy.