When you have your first baby there is a lot to learn. You have so many choices to make long before the breast/bottle, cot/co-sleeping, and which pushchair to get ones. From the very first moment you think you are pregnant there is decisions to make – will you tell anyone before taking the test, will someone be with you when you take the test, and so on. One of the big decisions is to whether you want to have the test discover the chance of your baby having Down’s Syndrome or Trisomy 21.

Why my babies were not tested for Down’s Syndrome/Trisomy 21

I decided that I did not want any of my children to be tested because to me it did not matter what the chance was whether they had Down’s Syndrome or not as I felt it wouldn’t change anything. I certainly did not want to be asked the question if that meant I would abort my unborn child – as the answer (for me) would have always been no. A child with a disability is no less of a person than anyone else. And just because some things about them may make their lives more complicated so do they have qualities that others do not have.

I Love You Natty

If I am honest I have been putting off this post because I just do not have the words to give it justice. You see I wanted to share with you all how lucky I am to know Hayley Goleniowska from Downs Side Up. She is such an amazing woman and has done so much to help change perceptions of Down’s Syndrome. Please do check out her award-winning blog. One of the many, many things she has done is to produce a book with her nine year old daughter Mia. It is such a beautiful book introducing to a child (by a child) what it is like when their sibling is born with Down’s Syndrome. It is clear to see the bond between the sisters and the book is very heartfelt throughout. I love the part where she explains that her sister has an extra chromosome and says, “It is just a part of who she is, like we both have brown eyes.”

The family have very kindly let us into their lives in order to help others: Including using family photos, as well as their thoughts and feelings. I love how we can see that having Trisomy 21 does not mean the end of life, or having fun – and this shines through in this book.

 I received a free book just because Hayley is so lovely and said I did not even have to tell you about it. Please tell everyone you know about this book!