“The doctors gave me pitiful looks and left the room. I sat there, alone, stunned. Miscarry?! Was that even a term they used at 18 weeks pregnant?! My baby had a heartbeat. I put my hand on my stomach; I could feel little flutters in my stomach. No, I thought. I’m not miscarrying. Not today.”
‘Oh god, did I just pee myself?!’ I watched the midwife’s face suddenly drop. ‘I am SO sorry, but your amniotic sac has broken.’ I was only 18 weeks pregnant.’: Mom births warrior 1-pound baby, ‘I’m holding a living, breathing miracle’
‘You’re being selfish! You MUST terminate the pregnancy!’ At 25 weeks I checked in for surgery.’: Mom welcomes preemie with Spina Bifida, ‘She has continued to defy odds every step of the way’
“‘We found abnormalities.’ My vision blurred and suddenly her voice sounded as if I was deep underwater. I imagined my husband a widower at 28, with 3 children to raise.”
‘You’re a match!’ It was life-changing. Now I look at the words ‘Donate Life’ and truly understand the meaning.’: Mom donates kidney to newborn son, ‘It’s the best thing I’ve ever done’
“Noah was unstable and constantly suffering through seizures. We didn’t realize until a few days later his kidneys had failed. They were shocked he made it.”
‘I was at the store when I saw an email labeled ‘baby profile.’ I dropped my bags. ‘Could our child really be the first profile we see?’: Couple adopts after loss, ‘We were meant to find him’
“People told us, ‘You have plenty of time to try again.’ Those miscarriages changed me. ‘Mommy, when am I going to have a baby sister to play with?’ The mom guilt really kicked in.”
‘Oh! Is this your sister?’ We have learned to answer, ‘We are friends’ because it’s true! We are friends, family, and co-parents.’: Mom navigates co-parenting with bonus parents during holidays, ‘We work together for a common goal’
“Once Avery was born, I stayed with Zach and his girlfriend (now wife) Bailee. I still remember going to an appointment and Zach having to work, so Bailee came to the appointment with me. As we checked in the nurse said, ‘Oh! Is this your sister?'”
‘I don’t want to do this anymore. It’s too hard!’ I coughed up blood. I knew I couldn’t survive another.’: Woman with Cystic Fibrosis welcomes two miracle babies, ‘Every year is a gift’
“I felt this desire for another baby. Without a doubt, I knew I couldn’t give birth to him. My brother’s wife said, ‘I could have a baby for you.’ I was dumbfounded.”
‘Please, get me my husband!’ I could only hold her tiny hand through a hole in a plastic box.’: NICU baby survives the odds, ‘She’s tiny but so strong’
‘They watched helplessly as I was wheeled away. ‘Is she breathing?’ She was so tiny but SO strong.”
‘The doctor said, ‘I don’t like this, let’s do a C-section right away.’ I could hear them talking urgently, sucking noises, requests for tubes and oxygen — but no cry.’: Mom goes into preterm labor at 34 weeks, ‘Our family feels complete’
“No one said anything but there was some whispering and I was asked to start coming by every 2 hours. ‘Just to make sure,’ they said. There is nothing you can do except to trust the doctors but I couldn’t shake the feeling something was wrong and nobody wanted to tell me.”
‘He has a big birthmark on his face.’ I didn’t care at all. He was so perfect, I was in awe.’: Mom gives birth to baby with Port-Wine Stain, ‘Don’t let fear rule you’
“They highly suggested laser treatments. It was hard. SO hard. I would hear him cry, scream, and even hold his breath. ‘I need to know he’s safe.’ We needed something different.”
‘Please just save my wife!’ I slumped over. They did an emergency c-section to save my baby. I wouldn’t stop bleeding.’: Mom survives Amniotic Fluid Embolism during birth, ‘I’m so grateful to be alive’
“‘Something is wrong with my heart.’ I lost consciousness. My husband started yelling in my face to get me to wake up and then he ran into the hallway shouting for a doctor. My nurse hit the code blue alarm. ‘It’s not OK, Kayleigh and the baby, we don’t know.’”
