How to cope with a newborn baby

Hi all,

My wife is pregnant (at an advanced age !) and it’s been easy to find advice about medical issues about the pregnancy, birth and post-natal MS issues. But I find it very very hard to find advice on facing some big challenges associated with nursing and bringing up a baby / toddler / infant.

My wife lives independently but is not good on her feet… using a mobility scooter whenever there are any real distances to be covered. Has anyone else given birth in this situation?

How did you cope with the physical demands of the last 3 months of pregnancy?

How do you push baby around? (is there a scooter adaption?)

What practical equipment and/or tips do you have?

How do you deal with a lively 2yr old who can run faster than you, and wants to run onto busy roads or disppear into the woods? !

What are the biggest challenges?

Your help would be very much appreciated.

Thanks

Firstly congratulations!

I’m not quite in the same positions as I wasn’t diagnosed until I had had my children and I am not too bad on my feet. But I can say that its not as bad as I’d feared. I was fairly immobile during the second half of my pregnancy due to another complication which was pretty miserable, and I felt A LOT better once the baby was out. THe newborn phase wasn’t too bad as they stay where you put them! Tired yes but ok. This summer my kids have been 5 and 1.5ys so both wanting to be out and about. I can’t manage to walk to parks etc so I tried to do easy indoor things with them (took youngest to baby groups etc where you are in a safe room with lots to do and everyone keeps an eye on the children so you can sit). I got to do outside physcial things with other people, I’d meet with friends or ask relatives to come to the park so that if there were any escape attempts they could help. My eldest now understands my limitations and doesn’t question them, and my youngest has learned that when I shout STOP that he MUST stop (running towards road etc).

Sorry I can’t answer many of your questions, I hope someone else will be along soon with more experience.

Take it one stage at a time enjoy the now and don’t think too far ahead. If we learn any thing about MS it’s to live in the now, who knows whats round the corner. You will adapt enjoy and try not to worry…, M

Good advice so far, thanks, but surely someone has faced this exact scenario… it would be really great to hear from you !!

Hi all,

Two people have kindly offered some good partial advice… but I really feel that there are people somewhere who can add to the specific advice that I was seeking in my original post.

Perhaps I’m not looking in the best place (for example, the issues we face are not limited to sufferers of MS)

Does anyone have advice about other internet forums that I could try.

Thanks for any advice

I would have thought that your first port of call would be your MS nurse. Then your local MS Society. They would have knowledge of what is available locally and more importantly can provide practical assistance. The local MS Society may also be able to help financially with practical adaptations.

Regards

Well its a long time ago since I looked after babies as mine are grown up now however I used to own a baby sling. Im sure they still exist. Also if your a good diy’er Im sure you can adapt things to make life easier.

I personally dont think anyone with ms should have problems other than fatigue.

Are there family members around to help when the baby becomes a toddler. You will find any difficulties will disappear. My youngest had special needs however the whole family adapted to cope with such as you both will too.

Happy baby days.

bren

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