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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Jul 1.
Published in final edited form as: Disabil Health J. 2016 Jan 2;9(3):457–463. doi: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2015.12.007

Table 2. Recommendations to Other Women with Physical Disabilities.

Recommendation Quotes
1. Select an appropriate clinician
  • Find a good doctor that's willing to work with you. If he's not, you find another

  • Definitely find an OB that is open-minded and supportive.

2. Seek peer support from other mothers with disabilities
  • The things that I've learned the most from have been from other moms with disabilities.

  • I'd say go online and talk to other disabled mothers first just to kind of get the tips and tricks of what's easier so you don't have to figure it out yourself, but then just go do it.

3. Be assertive and self-advocate
  • Don't be afraid to talk to the doctor, nurses and everybody that's on your team so that they know exactly what you need and what you want.

  • You have to advocate, you have to do your homework, you have to know, you know, what you need so that you can explain it to them and know when they're off base.

4. Prepare for pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum as much as possible
  • Start carrying -- carry that gallon of milk around the house.

  • Doing a little more legwork than I did in determining what you need beforehand, just to make the process a little bit easier, like the accessible crib, the reclining wheelchair…