Planned pregnancy, planned parenting: enabling choice for adults with a learning disability

Accessible summary Most adults, including many with a learning disability, want to be parents. Parents with a learning disability can care for their children well. To do this, they may need support from their family or friends and a range of services. Researchers interviewed parents with a learning disability about their pregnancy and the help that they were given after their baby was born. They were interested to find out how the parent made choices about parenting and what information they had when they made their choices. From the stories of four parents, this article discusses: The findings from this research can be used to help people with a learning disability make good decisions about becoming a parent. Summary For adults with learning disabilities, becoming a parent can fulfil childhood dreams to take their place in society through a highly valued social role. Recent research aimed at describing the experience of parents with a learning disability suggests that there are barriers to successful planning for both pregnancy and parenthood. However, with the right support, these parents can provide a secure and loving environment for their child. Enabling informed decisions about becoming a parent could increase the number of parents who successfully raise their own child. In this article, stories that highlight the experiences of six parents are used to illustrate issues relevant to informed decision‐making, including knowledge of contraception, the development of parenting skills and the importance of social support. Through their contrasting stories, a combination of family support and appropriately responsive services was identified as critical to the development of a positive parenting context. This finding highlights the need for professionals and support people who work with young people with a learning disability to ensure that they educate and support them to make informed decisions about contraception, pregnancy and parenting.