How to Prepare When You’re Expecting a Child with a Disability

By Emily Graham

Preparing for a new baby is a big job. Most parents find that with each new day comes a challenge when making sure their lives and homes are ready for a child. When you’re expecting a child with a disability, there are many more considerations to make, as well as many more chances for stress and anxiety. It’s important to make sure you create a good plan so that everyone will be as prepared as possible. Think about medical expenses, insurance plans, and how to make sure your home is safe and comfortable for your new arrival.

Of course, it’s also important to make sure you take care of your own physical and mental well-being once your child arrives. Being a new parent can be stressful and changes most lifestyles pretty drastically, so you’ll want to do everything you can to help you and your partner get adequate rest, eat well-balanced meals, and look after your overall wellness.

Keep reading for some great tips on how to get started.

Prepare Your Home

It’s never too early to start thinking about safety in the home. Talk to your doctor about what your child’s needs will be and start making changes to your house accordingly. You might install ramps, change out door knobs for handles, add soft lighting, or make the bathroom more safe and accessible by installing a grab bar and seat in the shower. Even if your child can’t use these things for a little while, it will help the entire family get used to the changes more easily if they’re made early on.

If the changes your home needs are out of reach, it may be best to think about moving. Look for accessible homes in your area, and keep in mind that the average listing price of a home in Irvine, California, is $999,000.

Get Organized

Getting organized from the beginning will help you reduce stress as you navigate parenthood, so keep all paperwork related to your child’s birth, medical records, and even dates of doctor’s appointments together in one place. Write down the names, addresses, and phone numbers of every doctor your child sees; this will be necessary should you need to apply for disability insurance on behalf of your child. Go here for detailed information on how to prepare for a meeting with the Social Security Administration.

Start Thinking About the Future

While no one wants to think about leaving their family behind, it’s important for parents to start planning for the future as soon as their child is born. Individuals with special needs often have annual medical expenses, or they may need care if living alone is not an option when you’re gone. There’s a lot to think about and consider — such as starting a special needs trust — but you will have much more peace of mind if you start planning for your child’s future needs now.

Plan Ahead

When you’re expecting a child, it’s important to plan ahead for a few weeks after his arrival so you’ll be comfortable. This might mean preparing several meals to freeze that can be heated up quickly and easily, getting lots of rest, turning your bedroom into a sanctuary by adding blackout curtains and soft bedding, and getting in some exercise to ward off lethargy and stress. By taking care of yourself now, before your baby comes, you’ll be better able to handle all the things that parenthood throws at you.

Preparing for a child is a big job, and it takes a lot of patience and planning. Your home, schedule, and physical and mental health will likely all see some changes, so it’s important to practice self-care as often as possible. By starting early, you can ensure that you and your partner will be ready for anything that comes your way.