When an expecting parent gets a diagnosis of spina bifida in their unborn baby, it can be overwhelming and scary. But please, do not panic! You are going to have to learn a lot of information over the next days and weeks and months. You have questions that many people cannot answer until after your baby is born. However, please know there are many people out there to support you, and this quick list of things to know will hopefully help you make it through the next days and weeks ahead. 

• Doctors do NOT know everything.
• Many OB/Gyn doctors have little to no experience with spina bifida babies.
• Doctors, more often than not, are wrong when they predict severe disabilities of spina bifida kids before they're born.
• Kids with spina bifida can and DO grow up to be happy, healthy, independent individuals.
• Spina bifida does NOT automatically mean your baby will be severely disabled.
• Make sure you get many opinions before deciding on a course of action you cannot take back.
• Many parents of kids with SB were told before the birth that their child would be a vegetable -- and the doctors were totally WRONG and the child is happy, healthy, thriving, and not nearly as disabled as originally predicted.
• Do a LOT of research and reading and posting in the Discussion Forum.
• Do NOT panic! Do not take every worse-case scenario and make it fact before your child is even born!
• Take this one day at a time. Do not try to predict the future.