Becoming a Mum

[Wish90]

This might sound silly, but I work with children, I'm really broody and stuff but I'm scared to have kids myself. I'm worried I won't cope as I have trouble with many tasks myself. I will be scared to handle the baby when it's so little (what if I drop it - I know people say you won't, but you never know. Sometimes I just drop stuff randomly). What if I hurt its head?? What if I can't teach it maths when it gets older (I struggle with maths). What if my dyspraxia makes me a let down parent? Really want to be a mum but don't want to mess it up as a parent.

[Tom fod]

Hi again

I suspect a lot of non dyspraxic prospective parents have the same worries and you don't say whether you or mot you have a partner or not and how much help and support you will receive from family and friends?

Regrettably here are plenty of parents who probably don't care enough about such matters. I'm sure you will do whatever it takes to take care and precautions and wouldn't risk dangling your baby over balconies to see the paparazzi or take him/her into the crocodile enclosure while feeding the crocs. I'm aware there's a Dyspraxic Parents group on Facebook too and it's worth checking www.DyspraxiaLifemagazine.co.uk for an interview and contact details for them as I'm sure they will have a lot more idea about these things than myself.

[Wish90]

Thanks that's good to know! Yes I have a partner and parents who will help me.

[Eskoala]

I just want to say I had the same concerns myself and I am now a mum of a 15 month old. I always concentrate really hard before walking down the stairs holding him and make sure of my grip. You will probably find you're more careful than others because you're concerned about it. I've dropped him about a foot a couple of times because of him being so wriggly but no harm done at all. Meanwhile nursery who are supposed to be professionals managed to let him fall out of a high chair!

I find planning a whole day with the baby quite hard but we make it through. To start with their needs are very simple so you have a lot of time to get used to things. Mine doesn't know what numbers are yet, I can't really think about teaching him maths!

If you want to be a mum, and your life is in a position where that can work, I would say don't worry too much about the dyspraxia end of things. You will make the necessary adjustments, you may do things differently and people may look at you weird but you'll be ok!

[Wish90]

Thanks that's really helpful. Xxx

[Aurneriel]

It is normal to work with children for money and when you bring up your own and pay for it (school, university, insurance, dentist). It's normal to worry so much. I thought the same thing when I was pregnant. And when I found out I was having twins, all I worried about was the pram. I can't find one that fits in the door, the right size chassis, and so the kids aren't in my arms at the same time, and that I can carry the pram out of the house myself. I don't have three arms and I didn't know how to cope with it but my neighbour gave me her buggy (more info here about that model) and after giving birth I realised I could cope with triplets. It's just that after giving birth a woman has some kind of mode. The main thing is that the baby should be wanted and not an abyss.