Birth for the Mentally Retarded Mother
Even severely retarded women can get
pregnant, either from rape or from a love
relationship, and can give birth without undue
fear or pain. In making decisions for the
mentally retarded woman, speak to her doctor and
caseworker. Medications can make pregnancy,
labor, and delivery more comfortable. Help the
woman understand as much as she can about
pregnancy and childbirth. If she can understand,
involve her in any adoption arrangements. Have
the woman meet the adoptive parents and possibly
visit her baby shortly after the adoption is
complete. You may involve the baby's father in
adoption arrangements, too.
The woman and her lover may wish to marry and
parent the child. Mildly mentally retarded
adults can parent well with supervision. Speak
to the couple's caseworkers about the
feasibility of marriage. This couple could learn
parenting skills through your community mental
health center. With early childhood education
programs and child help groups, the couple's
child can learn skills that they may have
difficulty teaching.
Eudora had an IQ of seventy, and her husband
Don had a learning disability. Together they
raised a daughter who today teaches emotionally
disturbed and mentally retarded students and who
is about to enter graduate school, majoring in
special education. A shy, quiet couple, Eudora
and Don kept a loving, comfortable home. When
neither could help their daughter with
schoolwork, they told her to ask her teacher. As
the girl grew older, she gradually assumed more
of a parenting role to her own parents. Today
she and Eudora are especially close.