Welcoming your baby with Down syndrome

Congratulations on the birth of your baby - things may not be as you expected for this baby, but you are not alone, and we hope we can help your family to celebrate this new life.

   We too have children with Down syndrome, and have shared some of your experiences. We can offer support in a number of ways, now and in the future.
    When you first hear that your baby has or might have Down syndrome your emotions will understandably overcome all other responses for some time. To come to terms with the diagnosis you will need to know about Down syndrome, what it is and how it effects the life of an individual and more importantly how it will effect your new baby.

Extract from A New Life

• What is Down Syndrome?
• The Journey Ahead: Consider the Opportunities - an excellent video made for new and expectant parents by the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati. Launched late in 2007, The Journey Ahead  (16 m 44 s) is available both online (scroll about half way down the page, to watch the video online, and to email the link) and on DVD.
• Welcome to Holland  and other families' stories
• Brighter Tomorrows - a website designed to support families with accurate information about Down syndrome
• Family photos

A wise word for those lost for words
Are you a family member, friend, or colleague looking for the "right" thing to say to new parents of a baby with Down syndrome? We recommend that you take Dave Hingsburger's advice  in his blog entry, "For Unto Us".  Click here for the blog entry for Friday,  9th March, 2007.