KIDS! rewarding but hard work - Real Mum story on MoM

I have quite a long story, but ill start with my 1st child.

She was born on a sunny day in October, I still remember that day so vividly. She was amazing and a “dream” baby. I didn’t know it then but the first sign of her difference was the fact that she would sleep about 20 hours a day which lasted until she was about 2 years old. But our journey started when she was 10 months old and we noticed a lot of things that didn’t fit in with the ways she should have been developing, such as obsessive behaviors, mainly towards her Dad, where if he was around, no-one would be allowed near him., that was followed by, toe walking, lining up toes and major melt downs which was later diagnosed as Autism Spectrum Disorder.

while we were going through the very stressful diagnosis process, I was pregnant with my 2nd Child who, we were told, was high risk for trisomy 18. I didn’t want to risk the pregnancy with an amniocenteses, which when i look back now, I realize, I would have saved me a lot of stress. Thankfully she came out perfectly healthy and it was like being a 1st time mum again. She frequently woke up through the night and was more “typical” We went through a assessment for Autism for her but the pediatrician we were seeing at the time, didn’t believe she fit the diagnosis so we never thought much more of it.
I had my 3rd child 2.5yrs after my 2nd and she was significantly delayed in quite a few areas and we have had a few medical scares with her but it didn’t feel to be significant at the time and we never thought to get her assessed for Autism as she wasn’t at all like her older sister. we let it slide, which we now feel terrible about.

Fast forward to this year. it has been an absolute rollercoaster, made more difficult by COVID-19. We have been through so much this year, my oldest and youngest are now both diagnosed with Autism among other things and many, many assessments and new diagnosis’, surgeries and now my middle daughter has been diagnosed with ADHD and severe anxiety. We have her pediatrician and psychologists refusing to work together to help her and I am fighting so hard to stay afloat. I am struggling everyday but they are the reason I wake up every morning, they give me strength and it doesn’t matter how much I feel defeated and how little my support network is, I will fight for them and I will do everything in my power to get them the help they need!

I’m not really sure why I am sharing my story, but I want all parents to know that, they are not alone. Fight for your kids and stay strong!

Posted anonymously, 8th November 2020