My Favorite Posts for New Moms with Kids with Down Syndrome

In anticipation of meeting with some new moms with new little ones with Down syndrome, I thought I'd do a quick summary of all of my favorite posts on my blog.  In addition to learning about blogging for my day job, I wanted to have a nice archive for some of the most frequently asked questions over on Baby Center so I didn't have to re-type all the answers each and every time something came up...click on the reddish colored text to link into the posts.

Anyway, this is a boiled down list of all of the things I've learned and wish I had had in my brain when I had Violette!

First a few posts about language - how many people like to refer to their kids with Down syndrome is here, and why certain types of questions - "how severe is it" and "is she high functioning" are such odd questions to us as parents is here.

Now a few about pregnancy - first a post about the history of my pregnancy as I recreated it from posts to my wonderful friends at my October 1999 Birth board is here, and what has become one of the most popular posts on my blog, 50+ things to do instead of worrying during a pregnancy with a child with Down syndrome is here.

After the baby gets here, most moms are concerned about milestones - so I have a post of handy links for the best milestone charts and links for a baby with Down syndrome here.   I also put together a list of things we did with Violette during her first year, and what I wish I had known about here.  Many mom's are worry about if they are doing enough therapy with their kids - I wrote about how therapy practice works in our house here.

A few practical things that everyone seems to want to have more information about can be found here: the benefits of signing and more thoughts about signing, spoon feeding techniques and wearing her glasses.

Supplements, therapies and controversial approaches are things that parents seem disappointed that they didn't know were available. In my post, I've listed almost all of the approaches that are promoted, as well as any research I've found that is counter those approaches so families can see both sides of the coin. I add to this post as I learn new things or run across new research.  Parents also want to know what they can and should be doing for their kids with Down syndrome, as well as what research is taking place right now. I used this post to explain our approach to alternatives with Violette.

Adult life is a big concern for new moms.  I've written about what adults with Down syndrome can do, businesses owned by individuals with Down syndrome, and Prom Kings and Queens.  I need to find some new links on these threads some of them have expired - on the to do list!

I love connecting families with similar interests and issues to one another. I created a blog roll from our Baby Center Down Syndrome message board. The board is a one stop shop for opinions, answers and support - if you are looking for an outstanding community where you can find practical, friendly, supportive people with children with Down syndrome 365/24/7 the Baby Center Board is for you.  This blog roll is nice in that it gives a bit of background on who everyone is and any issues their child has had in the past.  I also wrote a post about why I think participating in your community group is so very important for you, your family and your children.  I have a huge group of friends on Facebook - if you are trying to connect with someone in your area or with a similar situation to yours, let me know and I'll do my best to help you find someone who has a similar experience.

The last post I'll link to is one of my very favorites - mostly because of the cute picture of Violette that you'll see on here!

I hope you find these helpful!