RaMa Mama Doula Share: Approaching Birth Abnormalities with Love...

One of a parent's greatest fears is that their baby will not be born with all body parts, functions, and faculties. However, we all have our limitations, whether they are seen or unseen to the naked eye. Every baby is a miracle and incarnates with its own karma, gifts, and challenges. This topic is a very sensitive one, and people have strong feelings about it one way or another. Let's explore this topic and talk about how to navigate through it, while dispelling our fears in the process.

One out of every 33 babies are born with a birth defect. Healthcare providers usually diagnose birth defects during pregnancy, after birth, or sometimes later in life with diagnostic tests. These tests check the protein levels in the blood, the fetal fluids, and structural abnormalities seen on an ultrasound. Once the baby is born, the heart rhythm, breathing patterns, feeding challenges, developmental issues, emotional patterns, or responses to sound and light can be indicators of concern. Birth defects do not care what color, race, or ethnicity we are, and they can manifest from the environment, our karmic lineages, medication side-effects, chemical exposure, complications in the womb, or from things we may not be aware of yet. Most commonly, abnormalities begin during fetal development. Some are life-threatening, some shift the physical appearance, and others show up in the brain and affect thoughts, speech, movement, and/or behavior. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and can affect any part of the body.

There is no cure for birth defects, but medical support and other therapies can help reduce symptoms and life-threatening risks. The best way to help prevent or minimalize risk of birth defects during pregnancy is to avoid drugs and alcohol, check on all prescription drugs and supplements taken during pregnancy, take prenatal vitamins with folic acid when trying to conceive, and stay in contact with a healthcare provider for the entire pregnancy in order to receive guidance and information that can help support a healthy pregnancy. Some parents have factors or conditions that put their fetus at higher risk, like diabetes, substance abuse, obesity, older age, biological conditions in the family lineage, or the consumption of certain medications. They may or may not be in our control, and oftentimes women don't realize they are pregnant when they were exposed to something that could possibly harm or affect the unborn baby in a challenging way.

So what are the options if there is a birth defect detected in a fetus? These modern times offer medications, surgical operations, and other medical interventions that can help before the baby is born. Once the baby is born, physical therapy, educational support, and supportive devices like a wheelchair, body brace, hearing aid, or glasses can help the child to best live with their symptoms. This world has had amazing people work to create the needed tools for so many helpful interventions that can support anyone who has signs or symptoms of mental, emotional, or physical imbalances. We just have to be open to receiving the help available.

We can hold onto our faith as life unfolds and asks us to learn and grow along the way. Everything happens for a reason, and every child is exactly who they are meant to be. By staying present in our lives, we can learn how to work with new situations and make the best out of any adversity. The last thing we want to do is freeze in fear and give up. A birth defect can also be seen as a superpower that helps the child discover new ways of living in this world. It is up to us to embrace each soul with Love, acceptance, and support to be the best they can be. The gift of life opens up to us when we are open to learning from it.