That CP Mom Life

What is Cerebral Palsy?

What The Doctors Say

There are a couple of good medical definitions of CP that give us a good basis to start with:

“A group of neurological disorders characterized by paralysis resulting from abnormal development of, or damage to the brain either before birth or during the first years of life.”britannica.com/science/cerebral-palsy

“A disorder of movement, muscle tone, or posture that is caused by damage that occurs to the immature, developing brain, most often before birth.”mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cerebral-palsy/symptoms-causes/syc-20353999

These are both basic definitions, if you are interested in doing a deep dive into the medical aspect of CP the links above lead to full articles with some really good information.

Let’s Break It Down a Bit

The first definition is good in a broad sense because CP isn’t just one thing. There are different types and each type has different severity. I always explain it as, there are people who walk with a limp when they get tired, people who use things like crutches and walkers to assist them, people who are wheelchair bound, people who are non-verbal, people who are prone to seizures, and just about anything in-between.

What is CP for Me

The second definition is a bit narrower and fits in a little better into how the majority of people I have experienced, including myself are affected. I was born with CP; we never found out what caused it for me specifically, and I wasn’t immediately diagnosed. I can’t remember a time when we didn’t know, and it is all I have ever known. I’m not cognitively delayed in any way; I went to public school in regular classes K-12. I attended college and hold a Bachelors degree. I have spastic CP, which affects my muscles, range of motion, gate, and some dexterity. I participated in physical therapy until I was 13 and my insurance decided that was enough, and good luck with the rest of my life.

I use a mix of forearm crutches, a walker, a manual wheelchair, and an electric scooter to get around. My insurance covers a pair of crutches every so often, but it is up to me to supplement the rest. I have been incredibly fortunate to have inherited both wheelchairs from close family friends after their passing, and my grandma bought my walker for me off Amazon. No, the irony that my grandma bought ME a walker is not lost on me. For the most part, I live my life just like anyone else. I have pain, I deal with it. I shower myself, run errands, cook, go to concerts, theme parks, and all that jazz.

How Has CP Affected My Pregnancy

In the first trimester I honestly didn’t notice any symptoms that were being worsened due to CP. Don’t get me wrong, I had a lot of classic pregnancy woes (mostly the freaking nausea from hell), but nothing extra. As I am writing this I am 21 weeks pregnant, and well into my second trimester; oh man, things have shifted! (literally AND figuratively) My baby bump ballooned in what feels like overnight, I actually felt my uterus shift forward, and now my center of gravity is forward and to the left. I’m not particularly stable on my crutches anymore, so I use the walker all the time around the house. Here is a quick list of the other things I’ve noticed:

My muscle tightness and spasms have gotten worse. (Some people told me it might loosen up because of the relaxin hormone)
My hip flexors have started to give me trouble; they feel too tight and like they might pop out at times
I get winded walking down the hallway
I trip over nothing, or sometimes my own toes, and almost fall for no reason
It gets more difficult to roll over and sit up from a laying down position every single day.
As I get more baby bump, it is harder for me to utilize my legs for anything other than walking

Labor and Delivery

CP can affect the way you give birth. It depends on a lot of factors, some of which I have talked about, and are specific to each individual. For me, we know as it is now my muscle and hip tightness would make it very difficult to deliver the baby vaginally. As much as I would prefer a vaginal birth, it also holds the potential of putting my son’s life in jeopardy, so after talking with my OB, and doing a lot of research, my husband and I decided to go with a planned C-section.

I can only speak to my experience, expectation, and abilities; however, I will say this much. When figuring out what is best for you, be honest with yourself and your medical team about what is realistically possible and be honest about the things you might need help with. It is always better to be overly prepared and ready than under prepared and end up with important medical decisions taken out of your hands.

I’m Pregnant, Now What?

Surprise! You’re a Mom!

I could just tell something was different. I hadn’t missed a period yet, but it was already driving me insane. We had a lot of plans that day, being Easter Sunday, but I had to know. I sneaked all the goods (including a purposely acquired fast food cup) past my family and high-tailed it to the bathroom. “This is so stupid,” I thought as I aimed diligently into the cup. “These are so expensive, I should just wait for the dang period.” I laid the test on the counter to start a timer. “WHAT is THAT???? That is NOT 2 lines already! Nope.” Yes. Yes they were.

Babe? BABE, GET IN HERE!

I screamed for my husband, like the delicate flower I am, that I “needed his help.” That was my ingenious code because at that point he had done a sufficient amount of “helping.” I shoved the stick I had just peed on at him and told him he was a dad, then immediately bawled. Call me grace.

A Happy Little Blackout

We told my immediate family who no doubt heard my brand-new mommy sobs from the living room, and then it is a total blackout for me from that point on until the next day. I honestly cannot tell you anything else we did that day.

Pregnant? Okay, What Do I Do Now??

By the next day it had started to hit home. I knew I was a ticking time bomb with only one shot to do this right. These are the first things I did, in the order I did them in:

Went to my doctor to confirm my at-home results.
Went straight over to my local WIC office with my proof of pregnancy to sign up.
Went to the grocery store to buy fruits and veggies because I wasn’t the healthiest eater pre-pregnancy.
Found an excellent OB and called to make my first appointment.
Spent hours on the internet looking for information on early pregnancy and then specifically CP and pregnancy.

Yes I Was a Child with CP, But Then I GREW UP

It was really shocking for me to see just how shallow the pool of information was. There was a dictionary definition, cerebralpalsy.org, and a bunch of lawyers offering malpractice suits. The majority of the resources were aimed at children (which is wonderful, and that I myself have benefited from.), but very little for adults and even less for pregnant women.

A Place to Start

I am not a medical professional, this blog is for entertainment purposes only. If you are in the fuzzy oh-man-I’m-pregnant-I’m-freaking-pregnant-how-do-I-do-this phase first off, take a deep breath or 2. No one ever accomplished anything unconscious on the floor. Second going to the doctor for a professional confirmation is a logical next step. Look into the resources available to you in your community.

Are there classes offered in things like childbirth, breastfeeding, or infant CPR?
Does your hospital offer tours to expectant mothers?
Do you qualify for supplemental programs like WIC? fns.usda.gov/wic

A Final Word

Speaking of programs like WIC, don’t ever be ashamed of utilizing them. I’m not going to lie, there is still a stigma attached, and some people might judge, but at the end of the day we all do whatever it takes to take care of our babies. Keep going mamas, we can do this.

What’s All This Then?

Nice to Meet You

Hi. My name is Katie, and I’m a first-time mom. I also have Cerebral Palsy (CP). What the heck is CP? We will get there. Like many women, once the surprise and the shock of seeing those 2 pink lines pop up began to taper off, I immediately scoured the internet for any information I could find. Spoilers! There is a lot of stuff out there; almost none of it has to do with pregnancy and CP.

Why Am I Here?

I could not believe the lack of resources and information for women like me. “ I should write a book, or start a blog, or something,” I thought to myself. So, here we are, and this is that blog. I want to make 2 things 100% clear:

I am not a medical professional, and you should always check with your doctor if you have questions, or concerns about your pregnancy, yourself, your child, or anything else medically related.

CP covers a spectrum of symptoms, ailments, abilities, and the like. I can only speak to my own experiences, which can be vastly different from yours.

What to Expect

I want to give you an honest take on my experiences so far in this pregnancy. No topics are off-limits. Pregnancy is a beautiful natural process that can get really, really disgusting at times. I want to have conversations with you guys. What questions do you have? Have you found a really good resource somewhere that I missed?

Babies, Babies, Babies!

I will be continuing this blog into motherhood as well. That’s where the learning really starts right? I also have this really strong passion for money-saving stuff, which I have already begun to apply to my impending bundle of joy arriving.

Stuff That Has Nothing to do with CP

Cerebral Palsy is a big part of me; it has shaped me as a person and I embrace it, but it is not something that I feel defines me. All of that said, I can’t wait to get going, so I’m going to get started on the juicy stuff now. See you there.