Tag Archives: Mom

Infertility – more like unfairtility

As I meet more and more women through my mommy groups, I also meet more and more  who suffer from infertility.  Below is a link to my dear dear old roommate Deja’s open and honest blog about her own battles with infertility.  Reading it just makes my heart ache for her.

Please feel free to read Deja’s honest story at Slate and Stylish by clicking here

It’s not just Deja.  I was actually having this very discussion about how unfair it is with Aaron last night during dinner.  There are couples out there spending tens of thousands of dollars trying to have a baby. And there are also women out there fighting to keep that little baby in their tummies for at least 34 weeks.  In the meantime crack whores are getting pregnant left and right.  Babies are being dumped in dumpsters, and 13 year olds are getting pregnant.

Why do we call it infertility?  It should be called unfairtility.

The “Touchy” Topic of Poop

I have to tell you that the dialog gets a whole lot more descriptive amongst my blind mommy friends.  I was the first one out of us to have a baby, so I never really had anyone to go to with questions about what non visual techniques other blind parents used.  Back then I wasn’t aware of a blind parent list serve or a blind parents group on Facebook.  I guess you could say I was sort of in the dark on this one.  So once my friends started having babies and the topic of changing diapers came up, it was quite refreshing finding out that I am not the only one who also gets creative.
Diaper Dialog
Q.  How do you change a diaper when you can’t see?
A.  Just like I do everything else, by using non-visual techniques.  I rely on my other senses along with the vision that I do have.  Obviously, I don’t use my sense of taste.  I can hear if the baby is peeing while I’m changing the diaper.  I can smell if there is anything odd about the pee or poop.  I am not afraid to use my sense of touch to make sure that it all got clean.
Q.  Have you ever gotten pee or poop on yourself?
A.  What parent hasn’t gotten pee or poop on themselves?  That simply just comes with the territory of being a parent.  Although, I have to admit that there have been a few times that my husband has informed me that I got poo on the wall, or light switch, or wipe warmer.
Q.  How do you know if your baby has a diaper rash?
A.  Once again it’s that lovely sense of touch that I turn to.  There’s nothing wrong with touching your baby.  It’s a proven fact that skin to skin contact stimulates cognitive and emotional development in babies.  A butt with a diaper rash feels very different from a butt without a diaper rash.  It also doesn’t hurt to use a soothing diaper rash cream even if there isn’t one.
Q.  Often, you need to pay attention to details like consistency and color, especially once you’re baby is eating solids.  How do you tell the difference?
A.  Ladies and gentlemen, I say it again.  I am not afraid to use my sense of touch.  you can usually tell the difference in texture and consistency while wiping.  There have been a few times that I have had to use a wipe to inspect the poop.  As for color, I can tell if it’s light or dark, but wouldn’t be able to describe if it were actually green or orange.  Yesterday, my husband told me that my son’s poop was blue.  Well, he did eat a few blueberries the day before
 Meet Jackson. He is probably the most mild tempered baby in the world.  The only times he cries is if he’s hungry or if his big sister beats up on him.  Now that he is crawling, he is getting into everything and putting all sorts of things into his mouth. Until recently, Jackson has never had a diaper rash.  Since Saturday we have had a new Jackson in our house.  A Jackson that cries all the time and is pooping 7 times a day and is now suffering from his first diaper rash.  Jackson is giving me lots of practice in using my non-visual techniques.  It is because of him that I am sharing with you on the “touchy” topic of poop.

Blind Mom in the Burbs

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I’m often asked by my blind friends , “How does a blind mom do it in the suburbs?”,.  My answer , “I just do it.”  I’m also often told by  people who I meet, “I never would have guessed that you had anything wrong with your eyes.   You’re so confident and well-rounded.”  My usual response, “Are you trying to say that blind people can’t be confident or well-rounded.  I happen to know a good number of blind people who are way more confident and well-rounded than most sighted people. “

So, how do I do it?  I do it with the skills that I obtained when I decided to change my life by spending 9 months at the Louisiana Center for the Blind., also known as the Boot Camp for the Blind.  Since I have some vision I spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, under a blindfold (which they call sleep shades).  I learned how to use and travel confidently with a cane.  This included finding random addresses, getting dropped off and having to find my way back to the center, and finishing up with a 5.6 mile scavenger hunt around town.  I learned how to read Braille.  I single-handedly cooked a full 4 coarse meal for 40.  I learned how to use a computer by using a screen reading software, and even mastered Power Point and Excel.  And to top it all off I worked in a full on wood shop and can even show you the jewelry box that I made from scratch.

LCB’s philosophy comes from the National Federation of the Blind which says that, “The real problem with blindness is not the loss of eyesight.  The real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of information that exists.  If a blind person has proper training and opportunity, blindness can be reduced to a physical nuisance.”

Today, I am a stay at home mom with a 2.5 year-old daughter and 6 1/2 month old son.  We are fortunate that my husband has a job that allows him to support us and let me stay home to raise our children.  We live in a small master planned suburb of Las Vegas called Southern Highlands.  We decided to purchase our home here because of the small town feel of the community.  Everything I need is within walking distance.  I run an active mommy meet up group called Southern Highlands Moms, Babies, and Tots.  I cook, clean, change diapers, do loads and loads of laundry, and everything else the typical mom does.  However, we’re separated from the rest of the city by 2 miles of desert, so the fact that I don’t drive makes it a little difficult to get anywhere else.  There is no bus line here.  The pediatrician’s office is about 10 miles away.  The average temp in summer is 112 and the average temp in winter is 40.  Stay tuned, and you’ll learn how a blind mom does it in the burbs.  ImageImage