Book Review

Fun with one of his big brothers, Isaiah

Sadly, my Mum had to leave to go home today. It has been such a wonderful few days having her here to visit us. I'm glad she got the opportunity to catch up on all the new things Felix has learned to do since she saw him last, and it was extra special because she got to witness him doing some things for the very first time. She's such a hands on Mum and Granny and I appreciate not only her practical support; cooking, doing dishes and playing with the kids, but also the fun we can have with her. We are very blessed to have her and make the most of the time we get together.

'Gifts'

Some great reading

At our 19 week Morphology  scan we were told that there were some 'hard markers' which indicated Felix had Down Syndrome. One was my age (39 years old) coupled with the fact that Felix had no nasal bone (something which in recent years has become recognised as a strong indicator for Down Syndrome). He also had very short femur bones (he is still a bit of a shorty!)  We chose not to have an Amnio because we didn't want to risk a miscarriage and the results didn't matter to us, but we decided that because we had the unique opportunity to learn about Down Syndrome and prepare for Felix's birth we would start reading as much as we could.

'Babies with DS: A New
Parent's Guide'

These are the first four books we ever bought and I would highly recommend them:

The first one is called 'Gifts'. It is the most beautiful book of short stories from Mothers of children with Down Syndrome. All of the stories are inspirational and honest. It is very easy to read and you could read it cover to cover in a day, or just read one story at a time. I can guarantee you will feel inspired and will probably have a tear or two in your eye if you read this book. If I could, I would give a copy to everyone I know. It really is beautiful. Since then I have bought 'Gifts 2' which is also a great read, so if you like the first one then make sure you read the second.

'Babies with Down Syndrome: A New Parent's Guide' was the perfect first book of information on Down Syndrome for us. It covered all the basic information about the different kinds of Down Syndrome, health issues and what to expect when raising a baby with Down Syndrome. We gave it to the kids to have a read through and my parents read it from cover to cover as well. If you know of anyone who is expecting a baby with Down Syndrome or has recently given birth, it would be a perfect book for them to read.

Motor Skills

Early Intervention is SO important for children with Down Syndrome. The earlier potential developmental problems are addressed, the better it is for your child. We wanted to give Felix the best start in life so we bought 'Gross Motor Skills in Children with Down Syndrome' even before he was born. It has some really good information which can even be used with newborns (Eg. The importance of keeping your baby's legs together, hints to help your baby learn to roll etc)

'Fasten Your Seatbelt'

The final book we bought when I was pregnant with Felix was 'Fasten Your Seatbelt'. This book is really unique because it was written specifically for siblings of children with Down Syndrome. The book was compiled from actual questions asked at a seminar held for siblings. The kids were asked to write an anonymous question and put it in a box. After the questions had been written they were discussed one by one at the seminar. Some of the questions and answers were then used to put together this book. We found it to be a good tool to initiate conversations with our kids before Felix was born, and was a prompt for them to ask any additional questions they had as well.

I have just ordered a new book, 'Down Syndrome Parenting 101'.  It got some really good reviews and seems to be a little bit different to other books I have read, so I'm looking forward to having a read. You can buy any of these books from www.bookdepository.com       I'm pretty sure they have free delivery to most countries and their prices are usually comparable to other places.  If you enjoy reading, definitely check some of these books out. Happy reading!