Baby with Spina Bifida

Pray, pray, pray. I find that sometimes getting spiritually prepared for a tough situation is sometimes more than half the battle! I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

M., here are some resources and organizations you can talk to:
www.sbaa.org - the Spina Bifida Association is a voluntary group that works to provide information to families.

http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/4439_1224.asp
this is a fact sheet from the March of Dimes.

You can find resources from your specific state at www.nichcy.org - click on parent resources and find your state. Then look for disability specific resources or contact the Parent Information and Training Center. There's one in every state and they serve as a central clearing house for all disability related information.

take care, S.

I don't know a ton about spina bifida, but if you may need special services, it may be helpful to get in touch with the local schools and/or county. It wasn't until I taught for many years that I found out that public schools and county health departments often provide services for children well before their school years.

My sister in law has spina bifida, she's now 36, and has quite a normal life. She has her own house, a full time job, and was married (her husband passed away).

I know for her the difference was her parents. They never let her disability get in the way of anything. If she wanted to do something, they found a way. And most importantly, they never let her quit or use her disability as an excuse. That really paid off and believe or not, once you're with her for a while you absolutely forget she has the disability.

We are the same age and she seriously has a WAY more exciting social life than me!

Good luck to you and your family with your new little blessing.

hi, well first off, never let them tell you that you sould not have the child. or that she will never have a normal life. My niece has spinal bifida, she is as normal as any other preteen girl, the only thing is she cannot feel from her knees down. Also she has to cath herself, every few hours. She had a sergury recently that fixed the problem with her bms, becouse she could not feel whether she had to use the restroom or not. She has had many serguries but she is doing great. She has played tball and is now a girl scout. Its a rough road but it can be done and you will be ok. Good luck and you will be in my prayers.

I thought that our daughter had this as well and all it woudl have taken was a simple x-ray to diagnose it. We finally ruled it out by an x-ray when she was about 5. Since then we knwo that she actually has Cerebral palsy from a stroke during the pregnancy. She is now 9 and doing beautifully! These children are very special and they don't necessarily fit the norms etc. I would like you to know that the best thing I have done for my daughter is accept her for who she is and love her for the beautiful gift that she is in our lives and celebrate her successes and wins and she has done very well. Good luck sweetie. Take care.

M.