I was 24 when I became a mother for the first time.s. During pregnancy, I imagined the first cry, tiny fingers and Brian smiling beside me as we welcomed our son. The birth did not unfold that way. The room became quiet, the medical staff looked serious and a doctor explained that my baby had Down syndrome.
Learning & Developmental Disabilities
I knew the term, but hearing it connected to my child was different from knowing a definition. Questions arrived all at once. I wondered about his health, development and future, and whether I could become the mother he needed. The fear in the room made the diagnosis feel like a tragedy before I had even held him long enough to know him.
I looked to Brian for reassurance. He stood near the wall, overwhelmed. When he finally spoke, he said we were not ready. I tried to answer that no first-time parents were ready and that we could learn, but his fear became louder than my uncertain hope.
