Louise,

I wanted to say that I can empathize with your situation. I remember all too well the first few months after my daughter was born last year. We were shocked (to say the least) to learn of her condition and all of the various emotions and challenges it presented. If you would like to chat one-on-one, I’ll be happy to provide my email address.

 I am delighted to inform you that my daughter is currently 16 months old and is truly the joy of our lives! She is like any other developing toddler and is extremely bright (and, I might add, the cutest little girl I know, although I realize I’m biased). I say this because I remember wondering, after she was born, if her life would be normal. Would she look and develop like other children her age? Fortunately, the answer is yes!

My spouse and I also questioned initially whether we wanted to have other children. However, over the course of the past year, we realized there was no reason for us not to have other children (particulary given how wonderful we perceive our daughter to be). Currently, I am approximately 6 weeks pregnant with my second child. The perinantologist prescribed my dexamethasone just yesterday. I have not taken it yet, because I still have a few questions that I would like to have addressed. One strategy that I am going to use to determine whether to take the medication is to look through the archives of this website to ascertain the pros and cons of the medication. I mainly have concerns about the potential effects of the medication on the developing fetus in terms of its cognitive and emotional development. Right now, I do plan on using the medication.

Again, if you’d like to talk more privately, just let me know.

Aalece