Alex Dacy, a woman with a genetic disease, has been documenting her pregnancy for the past 22 weeks in an effort to challenge stigma and dispel ideas about disability, pregnancy, and parenthood.

Through her Instagram posts, she aims to start conversations about disabled parenting, which she believes is heavily stigmatized in society. Alex has spinal muscular atrophy type 2, a genetic condition that affects the motor neurons responsible for muscle movement. Since she got pregnant unexpectedly, she had to stop her treatment.

Despite being considered a high-risk pregnancy, Alex is under the care of a full team of doctors. She emphasizes that many women with her disease have given birth, acknowledging the challenges involved but emphasizing the possibility. The main concern for her will probably be her respiratory health and she may need a C-section.

Alex also reveals that she will need to be intubated during labor for her safety, though she acknowledges that this is not an ideal situation. She responds to numerous disability questions and comments she receives online, challenging the notion that disabled people are incapable of caring for babies. She asserts that disabled people are not to be underestimated and demonstrates her range of motion in a video response.

Unfortunately, Alex expresses her disappointment with non-disabled people assuming her abilities and expressing unsolicited opinions about her parenting skills. She questions if they are projecting her own nervousness and insecurities onto her due to her lack of contact with disabled women during pregnancy. Alex believes these views stem from stigma, discomfort for people with disabilities, and a lack of education, representation, and visibility.

Unfortunately, Alex expresses her disappointment with non-disabled people assuming her abilities and expressing unsolicited opinions about her parenting skills. She questions if they are projecting her own nervousness and insecurities onto her due to her lack of contact with disabled women during pregnancy. Alex believes these views stem from stigma, discomfort for people with disabilities, and a lack of education, representation, and visibility.

In her quest to end the stigma, Alex advocates ending body shaming and criticism. She receives comments criticizing the size of her tummy and is adamant that all bumps and bodies are different, valid, and dignified. Alex has faced comments suggesting that she isn’t even fully showing or questioning her pregnancy. To counter these claims, she shares comparative photos of her pre-pregnancy and current looks, highlighting the individuality of pregnancy experiences.

Alex’s candor about her pregnancy as a disabled woman is intended to challenge societal perceptions, foster understanding, and promote inclusion and acceptance of disabled parents.