The Firefly, made by Rio Mobility, lifts up the front wheels of a manual wheelchair to transform it to a three-wheeled chair pulled by an electric motor. I’ve had the Firefly for a little over a month. It was a significant investment for our family. I wish insurance would cover products like this. Our decision […]
baby
Taking Care of Myself (and Cora!)
Hey guys! I haven’t posted on here in forever. It’s been a combination of writer’s block and having a lot on my plate. Like, you know, this amazing and beautiful little girl that my wife and I made, Cora. I spend most of my time making her smile and coo at me. So, this blog sort of […]
Ready for Takeoff
This is what Cora and I did after I got home from work the other night. I’m sure you’re thinking to yourself: That doesn’t seem like that big a deal. My kids liked it too. Fair point. But to me, this was a really big deal. In fact, it was a huge deal. Why? Well, […]
LapBaby: The Babywearing Solution for Wheelchair Users?
The Disabled Parenting Project (DPP) recently had the opportunity to review the LapBaby, a hands-free baby carrier. The LapBaby was designed to allow parents to safely hold their baby hands-free while in the sitting position. While not specifically designed for parents who are wheelchair users, the LapBaby holds great potential! Below are reviews from DPP […]
What Every Disabled Mother Should Know About Breastfeeding
Nicky Boyte was wearing a flowered sundress when I meet her to talk about her experience breastfeeding her son. The two of us zoom into the restaurant in our power chairs, swapping crip war stories as we settle in. Nicky’s been a disability advocate for years; she’s active with both ADAPT and Not Dead Yet. We […]
The Day I Dropped my Daughter on her Head
All parents have days that are harder than others, and times when we do or say things we later regret. And kids have accidents – they fall learning to walk, they don’t make it to the potty, and they never think about safety first. As a disabled mom, I think about safety perhaps even more than other […]
Spastic Mama: The Public Parent
It was a sweltering day, with blurred eyed shoppers navigating through our local farmer’s market. My son howled for strawberry lemonade — waiting in a long line with a squirmy three-year-old, keeping patience among a herd of thirsty adults was a challenge. “Why do we wait mommy?” My son pleaded, shoving to the front of […]
Spastic Mama: You Must Think Moments
A friend of mine has always amazed me. She has juggled three kids; two of them twins, has lived abroad with her family, has forged a deep commitment to her faith and community and is a writer. She balanced all of this while acknowledging her own needs for personal and professional growth. None of this […]
5 Misconceptions about Maternity Leave and Why ME-ternity is Ridiculous
So this article is trending: “I want all the perks of maternity leave — without having any kids.” It’s an interview with Meghann Foye, author of a book entitled “Meternity,” about how she believes that American society, and particularly woman, need to stop allowing our careers to control our lives and make more time for ourselves. […]
Making it Work: Caring for an Infant as a Mom with SMA
I certainly thought I knew myself as a parent, before I was one (ha!), better than I did. This has by far been the greatest, best, most difficult and even most anxious time of my life as a settle in. My current anxiety is about Gia becoming mobile. I already have help and am never […]