Adaptation and Accessibility

As parents-to-be there are several new changes that occur during pregnancy and beyond. Some changes I expected, others I didn't even consider to be a possible barrier until they were, such as the art of clipping my toe nails and perfecting how to get into bed without flopping on my face.

For a person with a mobility disability some of these tasks are even trickier (yes, trickier than flopping on my face). I'm rather used to it, but I'm afraid the little snooker growing inside of me isn't. So, if given an option, I try not to resemble a penguin belly-sliding into a pile of blankets and pillows as part of my nightly routine.

Throughout my adulthood, I've been asked a slew of questions about being a person with a disability and whether parenthood is even feasible for me. I will address some popular topics in this blog and save the most common one about whether or not my CP is contagious in a future post called "Hereditary".

First, let's start with the most common question: can you have children? aka, can I procreate? Why, yes indeed I can. Woo hoo! Next: what does having a baby look like for you? Beats the hell out of me, but I'll take a swing at this question and assume what people really mean is: how am I able to physically care for a baby? I imagine like everyone else, through trial and error and massive amount of love and hugs.

More precisely, transporting a baby as a person with disabilities is a little different than the traditional way that American culture is familiar with. When I was 16 my little brother was born and at night I often had to get up to feed or change him. I would put him in his bouncy, place it on the kitchen chair with rollers, roll him into the bedroom, and then transfer him onto the bed for changing. Most of the time wheels are a great ally. I expect this is going to be even more true as a disabled parent.

*Out of good intention sometimes individuals will move in to assist a disabled parent when they witness them completing a task in a nontraditional way. Please don't do this. If you interrupt the process, it can potentially create a dangerous situation because of distraction. Also, just because it's not how you would do it, doesn't mean it's incorrect. If you want to assist always ask permission first. If you're told no, respect it, and try not to take it personally.*

Below are ideas to increase accessibility in your life during pregnancy regardless of whether or not you have a disability.

1. Bed time: To help reduce belly-slides I have been using a standard stepping stool to get into bed, however at 20 weeks this is already proving to be too short and we are looking for a stepping stool with 2 or 3 steps. Beside the stepping stool is a handrail. This transportable and versatile handrail is super nifty. I use it for getting in and out of out of bed, but this bad boy also helps with turning in the middle of the night. It also has a pocket, which will hold rags, bottles, and binkies. I have a feeling that this is going to save me after my C-Section. The handrail slides between your bed frame and mattress. 

This is a photo of the side of my bed; on the floor next to the bed is a steeping stool, and to the left of the stool is a handrail. 

This is a close up photo of a bed handle: It is inserted in-between the bed frame and bed mattress. 

The good ole pregnancy pillow. Full disclosure: I despise this thing. Tom and I call it the worm and it's a total intimacy blocker, but it has been a necessary evil. I am traditionally a tummy sleeper and once you get to about 16 to 17 weeks it's almost impossible to sleep on your stomach. I soon found out that if I couldn't sleep on my stomach, I would roll onto my back...oops. Now, my OB said that short spurts on my back is fine, but that sleeping on my sides is recommended. This pregnancy pillow broke me of my traditional sleep patterns and it does help with hip and back pain.

To help turn over, my mother-in-law sewed 3 handles into the pillow which really helps, before I almost always woke Tom to help turn, I still do, but not as often. I hate to say it, but this pink blob is probably going to be even more helpful in my 3rd trimester as my belly grows.

This is a photo of a C-shaped pregnancy pillow with three handles sewn in. 

This is a close up photo of the sewn in handle along the zipper seam.

2. Safety Tools: We bought a Car cane for each car. This is another great versatile tool. The care cane is mainly used to help you get into and out of your car. Personally, I only use it to get out of my car so far, but this may change. As my belly has grown I have used it with more frequency to counterbalance the extra weight as I get out of my car.
You simply slide into the loop inside the car door as and push up as shown below. Don't worry it will not give, it is far more stable than it looks. The car cane also has a flash light located at the end of the handle. It also comes equipped with a seat belt cutter and you can use the metal bar to break a window in the event that you become trapped.

A close up photo of the car cane: featuring a metal bar and rubber handle.

Image of the car cane placed inside car door loop and Jess pushing up to assist in getting out of the car.

A photo of the car cane using the flashlight feature.

A photo of the car cane's metal bar near the car window to demonstrate that it can be used to break the window if a driver or passenger is trapped in the car. 

A close up photo of under the car cane to show the seat belt cutting feature. Can also be used on baby car seat belts. 

3. Bathing and Grooming: Whether you're experiencing back and hip pain or are left completely exhausted from your pregnancy shower chairs are a glorious alternative to standing up in a slippery tub. Even after I have snooker I probably won't go back to standing in the shower. Having the shower chair has made me realize how much safer and relaxing bathing can be.

A photo of a shower chair in a bathtub.

Toe nails. Can't they just clip themselves? Unfortunately, not. Until this week when I had trouble breathing as I bent forward to clip I didn't realize this task would take ingenuity to complete. If you're like me and refuse to let other people clip your nails you may find this useful.

I now use a slightly taller stepping stool than the one I have in the bedroom to help cut my toenails. This is great because I still feel very independent doing this activity, which hasn't been the case for most of my daily activities and routines since becoming pregnant.

An image of a stepping stool on the bathroom floor in front of the bathtub
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A photo of me sitting with my feet on the stepping stool to demonstrate how I clip my toe nails (usually I takes my socks off, though).

4. Cribs and Gliders: Where and how the baby is going to sleep has been the hardest piece to figure out. Cribs are too high to reach in and pick up a baby from, and are unsafe due to my lack of balance and coordination. Unfortunately, pre-made accessible cribs are outrageously priced. We would never be able to afford one. Lucky for me Tom has experience working with wood so we are going to alter a crib that a friend is passing down to us.

After conducting a Google search I found an accessible crib that I believe would work best for me after seeing multiple different styles. Below is a photo of the adapted crib by Christina Mills and her husband (their article can be found here).

Photo of a crib that has been adapted to open in the front like swinging french doors.

In addition to the full-size crib, friends of mine also bought me the Dream on Me Glider Crib, which is not only smaller, but has wheels at the bottom so I can take baby everywhere in the house with me. This glider is also heavier than bedside bassinets, making it less likely to tip if I fall over. I'm also excited about the glider because I can have baby in the room with us instead of always having to travel to the nursery in the middle of the night.

Side view of the Dream on Me Glider showcasing wheels attached to the bottom of the crib.

5. Transporting Little One: All you simply do is place a portable high chair to the the base of the scooter and zip tie them together. The little one sits in the high chair and your both off to your destination. *Don't forget helmets!

A photo of Jess' Go-Go Pride 3-wheeled mobility scooter.

NOTE: If you do not have a mobility disability, please do not buy a mobility scooter and tell people, "Jess recommended it," I will not defend you. However, if you have friends or loved ones who use a mobility scooter, this is a cool idea and I can not take credit for coming up with it.

I also use two walkers. One for inside and outside of the home. The one for outside of the home has a folding seat. As our two year-old cousin found out, you can place a toddler on the seat to transport them while you push in the front which acts as a natural barrier to prevent falling. *A helmet is still recommended.

Not only are both of these methods easy, but they're super fun for little ones and they will think you're awesome!

Photo of my indoor walker: a two button folding walker with two wheels in the front. Two tennis balls of been placed on the back legs for easier maneuverability.   

Photo of my outdoor walker, aka Speedy. This walker has four wheels and a folding seat and removable backrest. It also comes with a basket, but I no longer use the basket because it pinches my fingers every time I fold it to place in my car.  

Below are all of the resources I've mentioned in this post, including some additional tools that I thought might be useful. Please let me know if you have any questions. I hope this blog post has been helpful, if not at least educational.

Making an accessible crib: Abilitytools.org
Emson 9663 Car Cane Portable Handle 
Dream On Me Glider Crib
Kids Best Friend Blue Step Stool
Fisher-Price Healthy Care Booster
Drive Medical Steel Clamp on Tub Rail
Bathroom Safety Shower Tub Bench Chair with Back
Medline Bed Assist Bar with Storage Packet
Indoor Deluxe Two Button Folding Walker
Drive Medical Four Wheel Rollator with Fold Up Removable Back Support
Schwinn Toddler Classic Microshell Helmet