Thinking about children ?

Currently over in Rio there are over 4000 people of all different disabilities doing amazing things in the name of sport, showing the world that they have overcome injury or illness to do things that are just awesome. (I couldn't even hop over a football, let alone a bar that high !)

Getty Images

It was also great to see that the Channel 4 advert for their Coverage also showed a bit of the every day obstacles that disabled people face such as eating with no hands, playing instruments and having fun, not just the sports. 

Image : Channel 4

And that's what real life is about, not about the pro sports, but handling everyday tasks.

From my point of view, with only one useful hand, things like cutting up steak, doing cuffs up, tying shoe laces etc. The things other people don't think about.  

Along with all the Paralympics coverage, Channel 4 have a nightly program called The Last Leg. This started 4 years ago during London 2012 to show the lighter side of the Paralympics and answer those awkward questions that you want to know. (Hence the #IsItOk hashtag trending whenever the program is on.)

One of the presenters, Alex Brooker spoke on last nights episode about Alex Zanardi, an ex F1 driver who came back from a horrific accident to take up the hand-cycle and won gold in London and again in Rio. For a lighthearted program, this shows some raw emotion coming from the disabled presenter. Watch it!

One of the things he said resonated a lot, and that was about having children and thinking about how am I going to hold them for the first time. The same thought went through my head many many times before Jake was born. And really the whole reason I started this blog.  

Now Alex's disability is a lot different to mine, and some things will be harder, but that should not stop him.

Everyone works out the best way to do things, myself with one hand, Alex with less digits. and a baby is just a new challenge to work out the easiest way to do things, with the added bonus of it being a baby ! Both my kids from a young age understood my way of doing things and helped make it easier (most of the time) 

Holding is the easy bit (use your arms), I've already done a blog about that, however trying to change a nappy on a wriggling baby while they p!ss in your face is the real challenge !

Anyone who is disabled and worried about the practicalities of having a child, then think about every other task or barrier in your life that you've found a way round, and your own way to do things.. you'll do the same with your child.

Picking up and carrying a baby with one hand

I thought I'd write a couple of blogs that outline certain situations you kinda need to know as a parent with only one hand. 

So lets start with the basics 
the first time I held my children I was sitting comfortably and someone handed them to me gently so I could rest them in my arms and look at them in amazement.
After a while though reality hits you that you can't have someone else hand you you child all the time, you need to be able to pick them up yourself.

With my son, I tried several different ways to pick him up, such as running my hand up his back and supporting his his head with my hand. However I found a way which seems to work quickly and I use for my daughter which is basically using my hand to grip round the ribcage and then turn her so the weight is on my hand and support the head with my fingers. Then I can place in my arm or on my shoulder etc.

The best thing to do is try a few techniques and see which one works best.

Now you can pick the baby up, you need to think about carrying.
This can be tricky as you want to be comfortable that the baby is secure and held properly before moving.
And you don't want to use a standard baby carrier as you need something which is quick and practical. 
With my son, I was looking to see if someone had come up with something useful, but never found anything.
But I lived in a flat then so carrying a baby upstairs wasn't something I had to think of too much.
Now I was in house, so this was a concern.

However before my daughter was born I found a company called Snugglebundl which is basically a blanket with handles and a head support (you can see it in the picture above). They kindly sent me one and I've used it quite a bit. the fact that you can carry the baby like a shopping bag means it is very easy and quick to move around. Although when walking around you do need to be careful of other objects,  There website has more details and I'd recommend them. 

The more you carry and move with the baby the more confident you get, then it just becomes second nature and you don't have to think about it at all.

As the child gets older they will adapt as you will. 
For my son who is now two and a half I still scoop him up with one arm, but then normally throw him over my shoulder or have him sitting on my arm.

Hope someone finds this useful.
I'll focus on something else next time.