The Trista Series 2/7: ReBecca, Mom
THE TRISTA SERIES 2/7: ReBecca, Mom
When pregnant you’re asked the age-old question,“What do you want, a boy or girl?” The expected answer was, “It doesn’t matter as long as it’s healthy.”
The idea that our baby wouldn’t be healthy never even entered our mind. Joe and I were healthy, I was enjoying every minute of a perfectly uneventful pregnancy. The routine AFP blood tests, checking for birth defects, were well within normal range. To us, a healthy baby was going to be an obvious outcome…which led me to dream beyond simply a healthy baby…I was specifically dreaming of being the mother of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl and she would be named Trista Sue. However, I didn’t dare share my REAL desires to anyone. When asked, my answer was, “It doesn’t matter as long as it’s healthy.”
On June 16, 1989, three weeks early a blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl named Trista Sue was born. She was perfection…until three hours later when I was told she wasn’t and that a geneticist would be in to see us.
The nurses suggested I bottle feed her. I was determined to breastfeed even though it was not going well. It was our first mother-daughter battle. She turned her head away from me every time I would try to help her latch. I kept trying to force her and she kept denying. Tears of sadness and determination mixed together on my chest.
The geneticist stoically walked to the side of the bed and grabbed her from my arms. He proceeded to point out every indication of Down syndrome he could find. He said, “Yeah, just bottle feed. She won’t be able to breastfeed. Don’t stress yourself.” He handed her back to me and I cradled my little blonde-haired blue-eyed into a safety hold.
As he left and the door closed, Joe and I were elated as Trista actively nursed for the first time. A heaven-sent moment that taught us so much about her. We realized that only she would be the writer of her destiny. No one else would be writing it for her. We realized that our job as parents would be to present opportunities and experiences to her. I am thankful for this heaven-sent moment that showed us how to watch her and follow her lead while providing support and encouragement.
#TheLuckyFew #TheLuckyFewFoundation #DownSyndrome #ThisIsDownSyndrome
