Dear Expecting Parents:
Congratulations! You’ll expecting a baby – this is the biggest thing that’s ever going to happen to you!
Do you know what you’re having yet? I bet you’ve said (or heard) this one:
“We don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl, we just want a healthy baby!”
We’ve all been there, we’ve all said it. Our intentions are completely harmless – and in fact, we mean that we will love our child no matter what, we don’t care about their sex.
…but can I let you in on a little secret? Those of us who lovingly parent children who have special needs, do you know what we hear when someone says that?
“I will love my baby if it’s a boy or a girl. I just hope there’s nothing “wrong” with my baby!”
….So what? You aren’t gonna love it if it’s “unhealthy??”
Will you love him if he only has eight fingers?
Will you love him if he has a congenital heart defect?
Will you love her if she has a chromosomal diagnosis like Down Syndrome?
Will you love him if he has a developmental disability like autism?
Of course you will!
And no one means that they wouldn’t love their child when they say this. Parents aren’t saying, “I’ll only love my baby if he’s absolutely perfect in every single way.”
The thing is though, most people just expect a “healthy” baby. No one is really planning on having a baby with a birth defect or a diagnosis…but it could happen.
The thing is, this is your baby.
You will love him whether he’s cute or ugly.
You will love him if he’s the smartest kid in the class, or if he has the lowest IQ in the whole county.
You will love her if she has a perfectly functioning heart or if she is born with a broken heart and needs some surgeries to correct it.
You will love her if she talks up at storm at 18 months old, or you’ll love her if she never speaks a word her whole life.
You will love him if he never has an ear infection in his life, or you’ll love him if he’s chronically ill.
This is your baby. Ultimately, it won’t matter what he or she does or doesn’t have, can or can’t do. It’s your baby, and you love them because they’re perfect just as they are.