By Stephanie Froese

A healthy baby starts with a healthy mom

Nov 20, 2010 | 9:40 AM

A healthy mom equals a healthy baby. It is the lesson people walked away with from the Maternal Mental Health Conference in Prince Albert.
With one in five moms in Prince Albert being a teenager the conference, held at the Quality Inn and Suites on Nov. 18 and 19, focused on healthy living for mothers.
The healthy choices of a mother during pregnancy are preventive to things like Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
Eighty people registered for the two day conference. One of the highlights for attendants was a moving testimony form Myles Himmelreich, who was born with FASD.
He shared about how FASD affected his school life as a child and later the challenges of entering the job market.
“It wasn’t because I was lazy. It wasn’t because I had a bad memory. It was due to the fact that my mom drank during her pregnancy that I had this disability,” Himmelreich said.
His advice for pregnant women was to avoid any amount of alcohol.
He also encourages kids growing up with FSAD not to de disheartened if school doesn’t come easy. Himmelreich said, to instead focus on other strengths and abilities.
“Disability or not, we’re all different and unique. We all have to learn in our own ways and the same thing with individuals who have FASD,” he said.
According to Hemmelreich, the best way to deal with FASD is to understand the disability and to not be afraid of it. People should embrace it and remember though someone may have a disability it shouldn’t define who they are.
sfroese@panow.com