Blind Couple gets child back

[IDrinkaRum]

Blind couple reunited with baby 57 days after baby was taken from them

Blind couple have baby. 2 days after it was born, blind couple had baby taken away because they were blind.

The incident that started it? Whilst in the hospital, trying to breast feed the baby, the mother was having a hard time. Nurse wrote on a chart:

"The child is without proper custody, support or care due to both of (the) parents being blind, and they do not have specialized training to assist them."

So rather than seeing if they're going to have help (I am not blind, but I did have help from friends and mom), the baby was taken away.

At first, the state was going to require couple to go to a hearing to see if they would have to share their baby with the state.

I'm sure there have been babies in other places born to blind parents and have not suffered because of it. For the state to take away the baby without their own initial investigation is beyond the pale.

[ExRetailDrone]

That is utterly outrageous! All new parents struggle in one way or another, and from stories I have heard many new mothers have trouble with breastfeeding at first. But because this couple is blind, that makes them a hazard to their child. I hope that nurse got in major trouble for beginning this. She should have tried to help the mother the best she could, just like she should do with any new mother who is not disabled. That is her job.

My heart goes out to the parents, having to deal with this intolerance and missing out on the first few months with their daughter. That is two months of bonding and learning that they can never get back

[Red Panda]

The couple got the baby back so its okay in the end. I can understand the reasoning behind taking away the baby, the blind couple were apparently not trained to take care of the baby and a professional thought the baby was in danger. Its better to act fast then to have a dead baby

[IDrinkaRum]

If they thought the people were "untrained" then they could have helped them with parenting classes. The ob/gyn who was monitoring the mother during the pregnancy could have helped them.

And really ... who *is* trained when it comes to kids?

It's good the baby was returned, but the baby shouldn't have been removed in the first place.

[Jack]

The couple got the baby back so its okay in the end. I can understand the reasoning behind taking away the baby, the blind couple were apparently not trained to take care of the baby and a professional thought the baby was in danger. Its better to act fast then to have a dead baby

IMO that's not really the point. The whole thing shouldn't have started in the first place. It doesn't matter that they got the baby back in the end because the time missed is vital and irreplaceable. First stages of life are very important in development of attachments and relationships and etc. -- I don't even know how important but I have heard it is very important. Any backup/sources from people more factually knowledgeable?

I'm sure everyone was acting in good faith but this is just another example of the ridiculous patronizing treatment that disabled people endure.

[lordlundar]

The couple got the baby back so its okay in the end. I can understand the reasoning behind taking away the baby, the blind couple were apparently not trained to take care of the baby and a professional thought the baby was in danger. Its better to act fast then to have a dead baby

I'd prefer if the professional acted properly and investigated, instead of making a life changing decision based on a passing by observation.

Sure, fast is nice, but if it's still a wrong choice, then all it means is you get to the wrong choice before someone else and become the bigger fool.

[Red Panda]

How is the nurse suppose to investigate? She has a job already. She made an observation. The people who are suppose to investigate did.

At that stage its easy to transfer effection from one adult to another for a child. As long as the kid got attention it will transfer it to the parents.

If anything the blind couple should have attended classes before the birth to train blind people for parenthood. Its not the nurse's job to make them attend classes.

[KnitShoni]

How is the nurse suppose to investigate? She has a job already. She made an observation. The people who are suppose to investigate did.

At that stage its easy to transfer effection from one adult to another for a child. As long as the kid got attention it will transfer it to the parents.

If anything the blind couple should have attended classes before the birth to train blind people for parenthood. Its not the nurse's job to make them attend classes.

Except...wasn't the nurse's observation based on the fact that the mother had trouble breastfeeding? Very few women (or newborns, for that matter) are naturals at breastfeeding. They don't get it right the first time. I had a hard time with it, myself. The nurse had to help me out with it. Why didn't this nurse help this new mother out?

[Peppergirl]

At that stage its easy to transfer effection from one adult to another for a child. As long as the kid got attention it will transfer it to the parents.

*blink* Do you have a citation for this?

If anything the blind couple should have attended classes before the birth to train blind people for parenthood. Its not the nurse's job to make them attend classes.

Really? And how do you know they didn't do just that?

[Red Panda]

We don't know if they did or didn't. We also don't know the extent of trouble. If the mother was holding the baby upside down and squirting milk all over its butt thats a major problem right there.

[ExRetailDrone]

We don't know if they did or didn't. We also don't know the extent of trouble. If the mother was holding the baby upside down and squirting milk all over its butt thats a major problem right there.

*sigh* It said right in the article.

According to the newspaper, Johnson's first attempts at breast-feeding were clumsy. A nurse noticed Mikaela's nostrils were covered by Johnson's breast, and Johnson felt that something was wrong. She switched the baby to her other side, but not before Mikaela turned blue.

The mother realized that something was wrong and corrected it in time. Most new mothers who breastfeed have difficulties with it at first, and oftentimes need help from experienced nurses to help them along. Instead of helping out, especially given the fact that the mother is blind making it that much more difficult, the nurse overreacted. I somehow doubt she would have reacted the same way had a seeing mother been having trouble breastfeeding (I, of course, cannot know for sure, just my assumption).

[Red Panda]

And I suppose the nurse should have gone home with the women and been there every time she breastfed? The nurse needs to make notes on what she observes. Its not like she wrote "Blind people are evil and should not have children" or something bigoted.

Whats more importatn? Dead babies or people's feelings. I'd rather not have babies be dead.

[MaggieTheCat]

And I suppose the nurse should have gone home with the women and been there every time she breastfed?

You must really like making stuff like this up, because I don't see anywhere in this thread where anyone said or even implied that the nurse go home with the mother. What people DID say is that the nurse should have helped the mother while she was in the hospital; after all, it's a nurse's job to help patients, and while in the hospital, mother and child are both patients.

Usually after one does an activity a few times, one gets the hang of it. The mother in this case had obviously never breastfed before. It's hard to practice that kind of thing till you have a baby; go to as many parenting and birthing classes as you like, until you have a real, living, breathing child to breastfeed, I find it very difficult to be prepared or know what to do. Why did the nurse immediately jump to the conclusion that the mother was unfit upon seeing her breastfeed for the very first time? As others have said, it is something that not all mothers get their first try. The nurse could have helped the mother the first time or two. If, after that, she was still seeing something drastically wrong, she could have reported it. The nurse did not give the mother in this case any advice and then a chance to try again after given help.

Were you perfect at driving a car the very first time you tried? Did you not need help learning how to do so? If you made any mistakes your first time, did someone revoke your ability to try again and forbid you from getting your license?

[Red Panda]

Nobody revoked their ability to have kids. They revaluated, just like if you fail to get a license you get revaluated. If I'm doing my driving test and I crash I sure hope I have to take a class and try again instead of getting a free go just because it might hurt my feelings.

[KnitShoni]

Nobody revoked their ability to have kids. They revaluated, just like if you fail to get a license you get revaluated. If I'm doing my driving test and I crash I sure hope I have to take a class and try again instead of getting a free go just because it might hurt my feelings.

It shouldn't have been necessary. The original evaluation was based on an issue the mother was having breastfeeding. Mothers with sight get help right there in the hospital when they're having trouble. Why didn't this mother get the same kind of help? This isn't about hurt feelings. These people lost two whole months of their child's development and the ability to learn how to be parents at the very beginning of their child's life because the nurse didn't do her job, just jumped to conclusions.