Expecting your child is one of the best things life can give you. Parents start planning around what they think their child will be. They begin to buy stuff for the baby. One of the first things couples like to do together is go to the doctor’s appointments. They find out how the mother and baby are doing.
The mother feels supported and loved when she sees her baby’s father is involved in the process as well. In case it is their first child, it is natural for the mother to have certain fears. Women usually get cravings, especially in the first trimester. Some women crave very sweet things while other crave very bitter or salty things. But people say that if women don’t satisfy their cravings for food, it will be bad for the baby.
The last part of the pregnancy is usually full of things to do. The parents get the baby’s room ready. They buy a car seat, they child-proof their home, and even buy baby clothes. By this time, they already know the gender of the baby. Some parents prefer not to know. They preferred to be surprised when the baby is born. Some parents go to classes that prepare both the mother and the father for this occasion. Fathers are also encouraged to attend these classes.
The whole class is centered on the mother and how she feels. They include various breathing exercises that help her relax and feel more comfortable. When the day arrives the father usually likes to take part in this special day and sometimes even films the birth. This can be shown to the baby once the baby is older. The child will see how much love their parents put in all the process.
For some babies, life is not as easy as it may seem. Sometimes the baby has some sort of problem. The doctors realize this while he or she is still in the womb. Doctors perform several tests to detect it. Some of these tests show a problem in the baby’s chromosomes. Other tests can detect whether the baby has more serious problems. Paul and Ruth Rankin were very happy when they found out they were expecting. As all the parents, they went through all the emotions and told everyone they knew. During a doctor’s appointment, they found out the baby’s gender, she would be a girl. Her parents would name her Lydia.
Ruth was 20 weeks pregnant when she finds out that Lydia has a condition. Her condition is hydrocephalus and Alobar holoprosencephaly (water on the brain and a rare brain condition where the two frontal lobes do not separate). The doctor suggests that she ends the pregnancy, but Ruth doesn’t want to do that. The doctor tells her she will not live very long. This news is heartbreaking for root but she chooses to let her daughter have a chance at life. The doctors tell her she will not live past three months. Wait until you see how Lydia’s progressed!
