How do you prepare for a doctor visit? When I was new to being a special needs mama, I was in what I like to call the “soak it up phase”. I asked so many questions and had so many thoughts it was hard to keep the doctor visits under an hour. Since then, I have become strategic and think of doctor visits in a different way. I like to have a plan. I don’t mind changing the plan. But, plans keep me centered, at peace and give me a sense of control I often don’...
How do you reduce the Overwhelm? -Daily Habits : You could pray, meditate, journal, do yoga, or any other kind of activity the centers and grounds you. To increase calmness, you have to slow down intentionally. Another way to reduce overwhelm is to organize the stressors. We talked about this in episode 5 (Circus of Thoughts episode). You need to classify, organize, and name your priorities. One of the greatest tools for me is making lists! I have l...
If you are a new mama to the special needs community, you probably have a circus of thoughts floating in your mind all day long! · When will this kid sleep through the night? · What other “extras” are going to pop up that I have to deal with for a long time? · Will they walk, talk, understand me, or eat solid table food? The list goes on. Every child is different. Therefore, your thoughts will be differ...
It is Back to School time! Are you ready? I like to send a one-page document with some brief information about my child the first day of school. In this child resume or vision statement document, I list 5 distinct areas. I give a one to two sentence(s) vision for the progress or focus for the upcoming school year. I call that my vision statement. Then, I focus on listing some of my strengths. I try to use bullet points to keep the information easy to ...
Gail discusses the journey of finding a good pediatrician and other medical professionals when her baby with Down syndrome was born.
Gail describes a brief retelling of her pregnancy, labor, and delivery with her child who happens to have Down syndrome. She explores the dreaded question every parent is asked frequently.
Meet Gail with this first episode! She gives some background on how she became an advocate for those with special needs. Tips and ideas to make your own hospital and vehicle bag for emergencies. Planning takes on a whole new level when you have children with special needs!