This blog first appeared at Rooted in Rights and is being cross-posted with permission. When I was born, the doctors told my parents I was blind. That was the first line of my college application essay and the narrative starting point of my life. My parents took me to the doctor because my eyes were […]
disabled mom
Breastfeeding Advice for Mothers with Disabilities
Presentation from February 2017 for the Ohio Lactation Consultants Association Breastfest Conference
Playing Indoors: Advice from a Mother with a Disability
I didn’t grow up playing outside all that often. Partially because of my disability, and partially because we weren’t raised playing outside of the house. When I was younger, it wasn’t something we did and looking back on it, the lack of outdoor activity doesn’t make me feel like I missed out on a great […]
A Gift for Mother’s Day
It is that time of year – Mother’s Day. For years, I worried I might never get the chance to become a mother. I was not totally sure, growing up with a physical disability, that I would be able to have children. I was even less sure that I could find a good partner who […]
Mother: Reflections from a Mother with a Disability
I am a mother. I carried my child in my womb and I felt his movements. His heartbeat kept time with mine because he came from me… He is mine. I am his mother. I use a wheelchair. And yet, that has never changed the fact that I am his mother. There is pain, (there […]
Playground Anxieties as a Mom with a Disability
Springtime is finally here! My five-year-old is beyond excited to finally be able to get out of the house and go to the playground. While I love the warm weather and spending time outdoors, going to the playground with my five-year-old fills me with instant anxiety. Let me explain: I have a physical disability that […]
Working as a Disabled Mom: What Senator Duckworth’s Achievements Mean for Other Mothers with Disabilities
Last week, Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) made history as she became the first United States senator to cast a vote on the Senate floor with a newborn in her arms. Senator Duckworth is also the first United States senator to give birth while in office. In and of themselves, both achievements are important steps in achieving […]
Ableism and Parenting
Ableism is real. Ableism is painful. Yet, for many of us disabled people, it can be difficult to paint the picture of what ableism looks like, or how it affects our lives, and, as disabled parents, how it affects our children and the way THEY see us. Going through some old photos I came across several […]
A Normal Life
They cried when I went back to work. They cried, and begged me not to go —begged me to stay with them like I’d done for so long. And although I might have appeared tough when I told them not to cry, my heart was already broken when I kissed them goodbye, and boarded the […]
Not Ya Mama’s Cookin’!
Like many others, I grew up watching sitcoms on television that depicted joyful, loving families who’d sit down together for meals that were often cooked by the mother. I had no idea that I was learning anything; I simply watched for my enjoyment. But, I was learning life-lessons about family dynamics, familial norms and expectations of […]