“I had just come home from working a 12-hour shift. ‘How are you feeling? How’s the baby?’ She said her back was hurting, but we weren’t really worried. I woke up to Taylor yelling for me from the bathroom. I ran to see her kneeling by the toilet with blood on the floor. ‘We need to get to the hospital, quick!’ I had no idea what was going on. We jumped in the car. I was scared, but I didn’t want her to know. He was such a beautiful boy.”
‘Are you serious? I’m going to be a dad!’ Then all of it was gone, just gone! I tried to stay strong, but all I could do was cry.’: Dad emotionally recalls pain of stillborn son, ‘My heart was full knowing I got to hold my little boy’
‘Help me!’ The color drained from my face. I awoke to cramping and blood dripping on the bathroom floor.’: LGBT couple navigate homophobia, reciprocal IVF journey, ‘our girls will be filled with lots of love’
“Our babies! Were they gone? We drove the 3 hours to the IVF clinic. The doctor informed us, ‘One baby is still there, and next to the baby is a blood clot 4 times its size.’ I remember my eyes filling with tears. I began crying on my wife’s shoulder. ‘What you two are doing isn’t right.’ No one ever tells you how hard it will be to have kids when you’re gay.”
‘It’s been 2 weeks. When will your belly go down?’ ‘When will you stop being moody?’ She is not herself. She probably never will be.’: Mom urges us to ‘rally behind’ women post-labor
“Spouses, ask how she’s feeling. Her entire body just stretched and morphed to share it with another human being. Do you know how absolutely bonkers a woman’s hormones are during pregnancy and after delivery? Becoming a mom for the 1st, 2nd, or even 5th time changes you, forever. Clap for new moms. Your words matter. We need them to be positive.”
‘It’ll just be a quick visit!’ It’s not your right to visit a new baby, it’s a privilege.’: New mom urges us to give women space post-birth, ‘labor is the most painful, mind-blowing experience’
“Your vagina and stomach are in a world of pain. More often than not, there’s been a cut somewhere. You struggle to get comfortable in that hard hospital bed. You can barely sit, stand, lie down, or walk. A picture really is worth 1,000 words. This is me, roughly 24 hours after giving birth. I have no idea who took the picture, but you can tell how I feel just by looking at it.”
‘You’re only 19 weeks, it’s too early.’ I was scared to hold him. But THAT was love at first sight.’: Woman’s baby born still after years of infertility, ‘he has changed my life, even when he is not here’
“’How far along are you? You aren’t due til November!’ My mom thought I was playing a trick on her, but she could see I’d been crying. My worst fear had come true. I knew I’d hate myself if I never took any photos, so I took an abundance. I needed to have that for my son. The worst part? Knowing it was the first and last time I’d ever hold him again.”
‘Am I really going to be a dad?’ He smiled. ‘You aren’t mad?’ We were too young to have kids.’: Mom suffers PTSD after son is stillborn, ‘they couldn’t find anything wrong’
“He sat on the couch next to me. HE STARTED CRYING! As soon as I stepped on the linoleum, I felt a HUGE gush! A puddle of bright, red blood. His face turned white, his eyes were huge. ‘Has he moved at all today? Could you feel him?!’ I felt my heart shatter. I had one job. All I had to do was keep my baby safe. This can’t be real, it’s a nightmare. ‘Taylor…I’m so sorry.’ We studied him so we wouldn’t forget anything. He was perfect. It actually surprised me.”
‘Get my makeup bag!’ I was almost fully dilated. My husband looked back, confused.’: Woman shamed for giving birth in ‘full glam makeup,’ claims ‘it’s your labor, do what makes you happy’
“The epidural was making me faint and blackout. ‘Bring her back!’ The nurses kept rushing in to put an oxygen mask on my face. I wanted to yell, cry. I couldn’t focus. ‘What can I do to pass the time?!’ My husband rushed back with my makeup bag. I started concealing away! When I posted my labor pictures, I was met with, ‘She’s so vain.’ ‘She doesn’t deserve to be a mother.’ Through all the pushing, sweat, and tears, my makeup stayed in place.”
‘Rebecca’s at the hospital in labor!’ Please don’t think it’s okay to announce my baby before I do.’: Mom urges us to ‘respect boundaries,’ refrain from ‘breaking baby announcement protocol’
“Why in the world would someone I barely know think it’s appropriate to announce the birth of my child? So much for privacy! The sting of not being the one to announce a pregnancy, gender reveal, or birth sticks with us. Postpartum hormones are strong and unpredictable! Something like this can really set them off. Bottom line: If it’s not your baby, don’t say a word. There are absolutely no exceptions. None. Ever.”
‘We should buy a test.’ ‘For what? I have an IUD. There’s no way!’’: 19-year-old mom has surprise pregnancy on the pill, second baby with IUD, ‘I can’t imagine my life any other way’
“WHAT!! How?? I had an alarm on my phone reminding me to take my pill every single day! She insisted I test anyway…sure enough, it was positive. ‘This isn’t a baby yet. You have options.’ Once I saw the baby on the ultrasound, I knew my only option was to give our child a chance at life. I knew God had a plan for me.”
‘Your baby is breathing 100 times per minute and still not getting oxygen.’ I felt so angry. I wanted answers.’: Mom ‘crushed’ by Childhood Alzheimer’s diagnosis, ‘we spoil her every day’
“I was at work, six months pregnant, when I saw the doctor’s office was calling. I naively answered. I shouldn’t have. ‘The older she gets, the more her body and mind will fade away.’ I didn’t want to call my husband. I wanted to crawl in bed and never come out. We spend each day wondering, ‘Will today be her last? Will she recognize me tomorrow?’ Our sweet, perfect, little girl was dying.”
