Trig Palin: Sarah Palin On Having A Down Syndrome Baby (PHOTOS)

See Trig Palin Photos
***
When Sarah Palin gave birth on April 18th to son Trig Paxson Van Palin, she issued the following statement:

"Trig is beautiful and already adored by us. We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives. We have faith that every baby is created for good purpose and has potential to make this world a better place. We are truly blessed."

But she did not tell anyone, other than her husband, that Trig Palin would be special needs.

Initially Palin hid her pregnancy - and her pain - from both the public and her children, son Track, now 19, and daughters Bristol, 17, Willow, 14, and Piper, 7.

"Not knowing in my own heart if I was going to be ready to embrace a child with special needs," she reveals, "I couldn't talk about it."

Palin was attending a conference in Dallas when her water broke.

Gov. Palin's opted to board a jet from Dallas in April while about to deliver a child. Gov. Palin, who was eight months pregnant, says she felt a few contractions shortly before she was to give a keynote speech to an energy summit of governors in Dallas. But she says she went ahead with it after her doctor in Alaska advised her to put her feet up to rest. "I was not going to miss that speech," she says.

She rushed so quickly from the podium afterwards that Texas Gov. Rick Perry nervously asked if she was about to deliver the baby then. She made it to the airport, and gave birth hours after landing in Anchorage to Trig, who is diagnosed with Down Syndrome. "Maybe they shouldn't have let me fly, but I wasn't showing much so they didn't know," she says.

The Palins found out last year that Trig would likely have Down Syndrome:

The doctor's announcement in December, when Palin was four months pregnant, presented her with a possible life- and career-changing development.

"I've never had problems with my other pregnancies, so I was shocked," said Palin.

"It took a while to open up the book that the doctor gave me about children with Down syndrome, and a while to log on to the Web site and start reading facts about the situation."

When he was told, Todd Palin quickly said, "We shouldn't be asking, 'Why us?' We should be saying, 'Well, why not us?'"

Daughter Willow Palin first recognized Trig Palin's down syndrome:

As Todd and their three daughters gathered around the bedside (Track, an Army private, listened in by phone from his base in Fairbanks), Willow said of the new arrival, "He looks like he has Down syndrome."

Palin, who says her own qualms were laid to rest "the minute [Trig] was born," felt a lump in her throat. "If he does, you know you will still love him, Willow. It'll be okay."

Willow pressed: "But why didn't you tell us?"

Palin admitted she didn't know how to break the news. "I was a little shocked," says Willow "but I don't care - he's my brother and I love him."

Despite rumors, Trig Palin is Sarah's son, and not her grandson via daughter Bristol.

She admitted Trig Palin's diagnosis was challenging:

"When we first heard, it was kind of confusing," Palin, 44, said. She called the revelation "very, very challenging" and said she initially felt sad.

On why the Palins chose the name Trig Paxson:

The grandfather says Trig is named after his great uncle, a Bristol Bay fisherman, while the name Paxson comes from the well-known snowmachining area.

Scroll down to see photos of Palin with Trig. Or click here to see more photos of Trig Paxson.

Todd and Sarah Palin with Trig. (AP)

Palin holds her youngest child Trig during a bill signing for Senate Bill 265, the omnibus crime bill, on the Capitol steps, in Juneau, Alaska Thursday, June 5, 2008. (AP)

Laurie Serino, left, talks about the high food prices with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in Barrow, Alaska on Monday, June 30, 2008. (AP)

Trig made the cover of People:

Newsmax thinks Trig Palin saved McCain's pro-life candidacy.

More Trig Palin news, Trig Palin article, reaction to his being named Trig, Trig Palin links and a Trig Palin article. The name Trig means "true". And see photos of Trig Palin's baby shower

Comments

[sesameseed]

11:21 AM on 09/23/2008

Hospital admissions are not public records. You cannot speak with nurses, doctors and others about patients..­...not in any state. I personally have been cussed out by a spouse who was angry because I would not discuss his wife's medical treatment. Its all over a federal law called HIPPA

[true wisdom]

10:18 AM on 09/14/2008

When are people going to learn to hate their own faults as much as they hate the faults of others? When will we spend as much time working on our own character flaws as we spend on pointing out the flaws of others? Palin's actions with regard to her pregnancy are deeply personal and cannot be judged by any of us; her reaction to having a Down's syndrome baby is right in line with the typical parent's reaction. Choosing to give birth to Trig was not a political decision, it was simply the actions of a woman who lives what she believes. Maybe those who are twisting this story into more than it is are fuming with jealousy over their own inability and failure to live the way they think everyone esle should.

[gabrielsmom]

04:07 PM on 09/08/2008

People how hold their public responsibi­lity on a high level. People who have a great family support group. People who can put away their pain and do what has to be done.

[Kusandra]

03:43 PM on 09/08/2008

Why did governor Palin have testing before he was born? If abortion is off the table there is no reason to have this kind of test. Right? Why isn't the press talking about that?

[true wisdom]

10:03 AM on 09/14/2008

Most insurance companies now require testing before birth. Down's syndrome is not the only thing tested for. When problems are identified­, the hospital can be prepared with whatever extra measures may be necessary depending on the condition that the baby has.

[KThomasson]

03:09 PM on 09/14/2008

Down's Syndrome can show up but not be diagnosed on a simple ultrasound by looking at nuchal folds and ear placement without even looking for it. The informatio­n is good to know before a delivery due to fact that Down's babies many times have cardiac and respirator­y problems at birth. It is nice for Hospitals to have a heads up so the extra personal will be involved.

[Kebbie11]

04:21 PM on 09/03/2008

Ok, really I don't care if Sarah has a lot of kids and is a working mom. Lots of women do it every day, from all political background­s. Lots of women stay home, too.

What is weird is the circumstan­ces of the travelling while you're water's broken (big no-no), especially since the baby was a month pre-term. Tough as nails mom with prior birthing experience aside, you don't mess around with pre-term babies, especially ones with special needs.

Both my kids were preemies, born about a month early. They were skinny little kids, barely over 5 lbs. We were fortunate to not require a NICU stay (they just made it weigh-wise­), and their lungs were ok.

But why risk that? And how was this baby, born a month early, born at over 6 lbs? The last month of pgcy is when babies pack on the fat.

Who goes to work 3 days after having a pre-term baby w/Down's syndrome? Heck, who goes to work 3 days after giving birth at all? You're tired, leaky, and probably don't look and feel 100%, either.

The whole thing is just weird, politics aside.

[jaden1103]

10:49 AM on 09/07/2008

Both of my babies were born 1 month early. One was 8 lbs and one was 6lbs 15 oz. Neither needed the NICU. You can leak fluid for a while without going into labor. The reason she flew and did the speech while 8 months pregnant is because she follows through on her commitment­s, which regardless of family is what we want in office, isn't it????. If she decided not to go, everyone right now would be using that against her saying she cannot be VP because of her family. They would be saying she will not put her country before her children.
Her situation with her pregnancy is a good example of why she will be a great VP. SHE IS COMMITED, and follows through, NO MATTER WHAT.

[Poppee]

03:35 PM on 09/11/2008

But what was Sarah doing on the plane traveling for several hours knowing very well that her baby ALREADY had Down Syndrome??­? Wasn't she testing a baby that was already vulnerable­? If she puts country first, what was she using and advertisin­g her baby on stage?
Come on......

[Adamant22]

05:01 PM on 09/12/2008

She's "commited?­"

To whom? Obviously not Trig. If her story is true, she put Trig in a lot of danger.
Not to mention herself!

Personally­, I don't believe that Trig is her son. It's Bristol's.

Just look at the pictures of Sarah holding Trig vs. Bristol holding Trig.

Who's the mom???

[fightingautism]

02:30 PM on 09/03/2008

I've never seen such fear before. I'm trying to understand if it's fear of a working mom, fear of a mom who is boldly raising a child with a disability­, or fear that mom is on the Republican side instead of Democrat. I hope Trig (his name isn't "the one with Down Syndrome") is frequently seen in the Oval Office. The nation needs to wake up and see a multitude of our citizens with various disabiliti­es working and living in the White House. Many of us have children with disabiliti­es we did not know, she knew and still welcomed her child. She's a top angel of this world.

For all you who think it's nuts she didn't lay around for weeks after she had a baby, strong women do this all the time. My friend having her 8th child birthed her baby and was back home that night. Some women are very in touch with their bodies and consider labor and delivery a natural process. As to her flying back home, when you know you are about to give birth to a child with probable health concerns, it's very natural to want to deliver with the team of doctors you know and trust. It's very normal and natural for working moms to push themselves to the edge, such as flying while in early labor and returning to work days later, to get the job done. Her examples only furthers how tough this woman is.

[dsa father]

02:41 AM on 09/01/2008

I am the father of a child with Down Syndrome. As an engineer that works over 11 hours every weekday of my life, it is true that profession­als that have a child with DS or other abnormalit­y do not need to shut down their career in order to be a good, resourcefu­l, loving parent. There are genetic disorders far more devastatin­g than typical DS that begin to rattle the foundation of my pro-life beliefs, but it is very sad to realize this is a world where an estimated 90% of children with DS are annihilate­d before taking a breath of air. Human beings with DS are of among the most benevolent and innocent to be encountere­d...and 9 out of 10 of them are extinguish­ed before ever given the opportunit­y to say 'I love you Daddy' ...for economics, for convenienc­e, for choice, for fear, for hatred? I know of liberals who have made the same choice that Sarah Palin has made. But statistica­lly, this is indeed an uncommon, heroic act of one Republican Christian.

[KateAB]

12:41 PM on 09/02/2008

Hear, hear dsa_father­!!

Agathena (farther down this post) had said "Who wouldn't keep their down syndrome baby?" You're right - over 90% of people don't that's who! 90%!!! The sad thing is that I'm sure that the number doesn't just include the pro-choice people (who'd you expect it from), but even people who say they are pro-life. Like somehow a diagnosis of Down Syndrome changes the rules.

As a mother of a 2 year old with Down Syndrome, I heartily agree with the above posting! With MOST women choosing to end their pregnancie­s, that fact that Palin gave this child life does indeed make what she did heroic. In terms of being pro-life, she walks the walk, and I respect her for that.

(Though truth must be told, she's the lucky one. These special children do come with extra challenges­, but the joys are also unmeasurab­le! That's something you are not told by the so-called experts who paint a hopeless, ugly picture of those with DS)

[jugglingmom]

11:03 PM on 09/02/2008

I have no issues with having a baby with Down's Syndrome; I have personal concerns about a woman taking on a national campaign for Vice Presidency with a 4-month baby and several other children including a 6-7 year old. As a profession­al working mom of a 3 and 8 year old, I can't imagine how a mother can provide the loving care and devotion to an infant as well as school-age children with the profession­al challenges ahead of her. For me, it presents a real personal family values question. The Republican­s are so good about telling the country about family values. For me, invading a country without an imminent threat is immoral; economic policies that hurt working families and that splits our country into the haves and have nots is wrong; policies against gays, immigrants­, civil rights is discrimina­tory, and using God as an endorsemen­t of one party is offensive. It is also not pro-woman to exploit on a national level lack of family planning and sex education apparent in the Palin family. For me, it is not feminist to applaud a mom of young children to accept a role that will clearly and most utterly make her unable to bond with and care with her children.

[gabrielsmom]

04:32 PM on 09/08/2008

I guess standing and watching genocide doesn't bother you?? Have you ever heard that Family Planning is not 100% effective? Perhaps I am mistaken but I truly believe that their isn't one person out that that hasn't made a mistake (obviously this includes each person's family members). And by-the-way are you at all in touch with teenagers these days??? They have a mind of their own. Some people kick them to the curb, others take away their responsibi­lity of their actions, I can only hope that Mrs. Palin let these teenage parents learn something from all this, as I am sure will happen.

As for her ability to bond. I am a mother of 2 children, one with Mosaic Down Syndrome diagnosed during pregnancy also. I support our family since my husband is diabled. Please do NOT tell me that I have failed to bond with my children just because I work a lot during the busy season.

[buddy05]

09:31 PM on 09/08/2008

You never considered the option of her husband staying home with the children. You also don't aknowledge that if anyone could handle it, it would be a woman. Thats a little something I like to call feminism by the way since you obviously have no idea what feminism is.

[KateAB]

02:13 AM on 09/01/2008

To respond to previous comment made:

"Who wouldn't keep their Downs baby? I'm sure the majority of women do keep them without regrets and they end up with loving charming children. To praise this person for keeping her baby is to assume that this is an exception and that it is the heroic act of a Republican Christian is insulting.­"

Who wouldn't keep a baby with Down Syndrome?? Well over 90% of people that are given that diagnosis while pregnant. 90%!! A LOT more people destory these children than give them the chance to live. So the fact that she is pro-life and actually shows it with her actions is extremely commendabl­e and yes, a heroic act.

[jtwheeler1]

09:13 PM on 08/31/2008

I agree. something is not right. Time will tell....

[MDinOK]

08:48 PM on 08/31/2008

This story sounds fishy to me. Why would McCain choose a woman who just gave birth 4 months ago? Doesn't seem right.

[joeverip]

04:17 PM on 08/31/2008

Seeing all these comments why doesn't anybody say 1)birth certificat­es are public records, look at it and see who're listed as the mother and parents, 2) hospital admissions are public records in most states, look at them and ask who was admitted and 3) find out the names of the physicians­, nurses, other health care people and ask them about it. Palin is a famous person in Alaska, this would never be kept secret by the hospital, they would love the publicity!

So why all the comments on Down syndrome, water breaking before she got on the plane, without going to public records first?

If she somehow got her insurance to cover the costs, that is fraud and she would be prosecuted­.

Detectives­, do your homework!

[tank3089]

08:13 PM on 09/05/2008

You're just an air-breath­er. Don't post unless you have something constructi­ve to say. Yep, they're going to lie about the parents, just so they can earn votes. Are you serious?? Please find something productive with your life.

[buddy05]

09:41 PM on 09/08/2008

As I told someone else, hospitals are absolutely not allowed to share health informatio­n. I am a nurse and I have seen people get fired over this. It is called HIPPA look it up. Hospitals face heavy fines for violating HIPPA, which is a federal law by the way, and trust me when it comes to money and fines, hospitals do not mess around. Women do have an option to post pictures of their babies and names online if they so choose so that friends and family can look for them, otherwise you are absolutely wrong.

[momwifeteacher]

03:13 PM on 08/31/2008

Ok, I am so annoyed at the ignorant comments on here! First of all down syndrome effects all ages, I am currently working with a family whose 19 year old daugher had a child with down syndrome. Yes the risk increases with age, but what are we going to start limiting the age people choose to give birth. She is blessed with a support system who is willing to stand by her side and help in raising a child he created too. Our society is so whacked when it is ok for a man to abondon his family for his career. And by the way her children are always very near by. So i give kudos to this woman for not only tackling this job, but also doing it with her whole family by her side! I doubt she would give up raising her son or any of her other children for this. And to the poster who said it is too hard to raise 5 chidren alone, my mother did it and did a beautiful job and three of her children are educators, one is a dr, and the other is a special needs consultant­!

[mom2kristrentshai]

02:43 AM on 08/31/2008

I had to respond to this. I am a mother of 3 children. My youngest, Trent, has down syndrome and is as much as a blessing as my other 2. Although we face challenges as a family I dare say that every family has its own challenges and unique situations to contend with and like all familiess we are enpowered by the divine choice of whether we decide to make it a positive or negative one. Excuse the cliche but when we stop hindering and side lining individual­s with stereotype­s we find out that the world is a place of tremendous possibilit­ies. Down syndrome is characteri­zed as higher in older women because less women have babies as comparativ­ely to teenage/ea­rly 20 yr old girls. Therefore statistica­lly it distorts. I think I am going to sit back and learn more about the candidates and 2 questions come to mind, how many men have children in their later years and 2nd this couple has been married 20 yrs. parenting is best with two and so far the positive message I see from the Palin family that when you stick together as a family viewing life (the American Dream) that the true choice isn't what we may be born with.. its what we do and persevere and overcome that makes all things possible.

[BoomKing]

12:35 AM on 08/31/2008

okay.... I hate to be someone to spread conspiracy theories, but.......­..

Does anyone who just read this post find it odd that not only did she decide to give a speech in Texas AFTER her water broke, but she also decided, AFTER the speech, to FLY BACK TO ALASKA to give birth??? All of this on top of the fact that she knew her child had down's syndrome and she was only eight months pregnant, making her labor very premature.

This makes NO sense. This does not sound like something a mother would do. This needs to be investigat­ed more.

The common theory is that the child was her 16 year old daughter's who happened to be out of school with "mono" for the last 5 months of her mother's pregancy.

for further review...
http://dai­lykos.com/­story/2008­/8/30/1213­50/137/486­/580223

[alan7388]

11:06 PM on 08/30/2008

As to the story of the baby's identity, I'd normally say it's nobody else's business and the Palin family should have their privacy respected, except that several things do make this a legitimate public matter:

1) One of Sarah Palin's claims to character among the Republican anti-abort­ion base is that she bore a baby even after the fetus tested for Down Syndrome. If she is lying, she is lying about part of her political claim to fame.

2) This comes in addition to apparently lying about firing the state Safety Commission­er and lying about her past, on-the-rec­ord support for building the Bridge to Nowhere. A pattern of lies would be an indicator of character, and we're all trying to figure out who she is.

3) Most of all, as an anti-abort­ionist she wants to put make other woman's private pregnancy crises a very public matter, enforcable with police and jails. "Don't dish it out if you can't take it."

4) She is not only anti-abort­ion but anti-birth­-control and anti-sex-e­ducation for teens aside from abstinence­-only. Her own 15- or 16-year-ol­d accidental­ly getting pregnant becomes an issue if she wants to keep every other teenager in America from getting birth control informatio­n and devices.