I never got to experience my baby's scan but blind parents like me can now feel them

Beyond the ultrasound suite, visually impaired parents encounter everyday hurdles that require creative solutions. Reece, like many blind parents, says he wants to be fully prepared for his child’s arrival “so I don’t get successful the mode oregon consciousness similar a liability.” He explains that they have been labeling clothes, adding Braille to baby books, and organizing the nursery so he knows exactly where everything belongs. Kim, meanwhile, runs Facebook and WhatsApp groups for blind mothers. Together they have compiled years of advice from parents with sight loss for when the baby arrives. Their shared tips include: - Carry your own folding mat for nappy changes and always keep everything you need within reach. - When changing a nappy, if you think you can stop, “keep wiping” – and use barrier cream, because the start of a nappy rash can be hard to feel. - Score a raised line on any syringes or scoops you might use for making up feeds so you know where to fill them. - Use a baby carrier or pram that can be pulled as well as pushed, in case you walk with a guide dog or cane ahead of you to get around. - Once they start toddling, bells clipped to clothing are a useful way of knowing where they are at home. - When weaning, use a wipeable high chair with a waterproof mat underneath, to contain mess and know what they’ve eaten and what’s ended up on the floor. The Royal National Institute of Blind People , external(RNIB) has also produced guides for expectant parents and those with young children. They suggest ideas such as using baby gates to block off the room when you are removing something from the oven, or the hallway when you are answering the door. For parents who have some but not full ocular impairment, Kim says children can be dressed in brightly coloured clothing while out and about so they are easier to spot. “I put them in feelable clothing so I don’t grab the wrong child,” says Kim, who has no vision. “One of my favourites is simply a garment with a castle on it. You open the door and there’s a dragon inside.” When her eldest started walking, she says “we ever held hands, but had a wrist strap connecting us in case she tried to run off.” For me, apparel pegs were ever useful for keeping outfits together wherever possible. Also see buying socks the same kind and colour – matching those is still a nightmare for me a decade later. If two items feel the same but are different colours, cut the label on one of them.