“While my wife was pregnant, I don’t think an hour went by where my dad didn’t brag about becoming a grandpa soon. Now, his granddaughter is finally here and the only thing he can hold are pictures. It breaks my heart. If this grandpa can resist coming inside and loving on his first grandchild, I know the rest of us can do this too.”
‘Today my dad walked over 4 miles to my house so he could see baby Elliana through the window…again.’: New dad urges ‘stay home for the grandparents who want to hold their new grandchild more than anything’
‘Will my husband stay at home and miss the birth?’ My contractions were 8 minutes apart. I was shrieking in pain.’: Mom births baby during pandemic, ‘We pray we can all embrace again’
“Our parents cancelled their flights. We debated what to do. With each contraction, I started cursing for my husband. I needed him. In a movie-worthy scene, my husband arrived, breathless, as I dug my fingernails into his hand. Being in the midst of a pandemic while becoming a mother is something I truly never anticipated.”
‘Due to COVID-19, visitors are no longer permitted.’ She was welcoming my mother’s first grandchild, and she was not there to meet him. It broke her heart.’: Woman assures ‘beautiful things are still happening every day’
“My nephew was born 48 hours ago at 34 weeks. After Liam was born, they were able to hold him briefly, until he had to be taken to the NICU due to difficulty breathing. Today was the first time that she was able to have her baby on her, skin to skin. My sister is far from alone in this.”
‘Dr. Cocky boldly said, ‘Give me 6 months and I’ll make you pregnant.’ Every negative broke me a little more.’: Woman beats infertility twice, ‘I am so proud to no longer be a statistic’
“My husband asked me when I had my last period. ‘I don’t know, what does it matter?’ I hated that question. ‘I’ll take another test, but you already know the answer.’ I was angry, I had taken so many and every negative broke me a little more, didn’t he see that?”
‘I went to the hospital in labor. All the doors were locked. Our baby decided to come early. We escaped with a ‘normal’ birth experience by the skin of our teeth.’: Mom grateful son’s birth timing was ‘untainted by the coronavirus’
“I held my breath on the way out. Within 24 hours of our arrival home, the L&D ward where we had our sweet boy changed all their restrictions. Had he come one day later, my 4-year-old daughter wouldn’t have met her baby brother at the hospital. All those special moments would have been put on hold, lost forever. We hit the curve of timing by the skin of our teeth.”
‘Today I cried with you as you checked in, full of tears, because your family could not join you. I know it’s the hardest thing in the world to be doing this alone.’: Labor and delivery nurse says ‘we will be your biggest cheerleaders in these uncertain times’
“Right now, labor and delivery units are on strict isolation, only allowing one or NO guests (not even the baby’s other parent) to visit during labor, delivery, and postpartum time. We want your cheering section to be standing at the window when we open it to show off your new baby. But what we want more than anything, is a healthy mom and baby. We are hurting almost as much as you.”
‘You’re running out of time.’ I was 16, infertile and robbed of my childhood.’: After 17 years of endometriosis, infertility, couple adopts two children from China, ‘at that moment, I became a mom’
“‘She called, ‘He’s here!’ I hung up the phone and went to the bathroom. I looked down to see nothing but blood. My nephew entered the world as our IVF failed. I’d never carry a child. I’d never experience pregnancy or give birth. How could this happen at this moment? The pain was immeasurable.”
‘Can I help you?’ I stopped at the door. ‘Actually, I wanted to offer MY help. Would you like me to watch your child while you catch up on work?’: Woman shares amazing act of kindness for struggling working mom, ‘A little love goes a long way’
“Tonight I walked into the tanning salon. The employee seemed very annoyed and not welcoming. At first I thought, ‘Well, someone’s not in a good mood.’ Then I looked down to see a sick baby sitting in his car seat beside her. She’d run out of sick days. As I lay in the tanning bed, I couldn’t stop thinking about the overwhelmed look on her face.”
‘You think you’re tired now? Just wait.’ Can we drop the ‘I’m more tired than you’ act and just lift each other up? I’m sick of this motherhood competition.’: Mom urges ‘just wait mama, it only gets better’
“‘Dear excited pregnant mom, you think you’re tired now? Just wait until your baby won’t sleep, your nipples ache, and you fight with your husband nonstop. You’ll probably get depressed, never get your body back, your house will always be a disaster, and your social life with disappear.’ Why is this the basic ‘welcome to motherhood’ letter being sent out? I received it. Many of my friends did. I suspect you did, too.”
‘As soon as you birth your baby, you’re a different person. Take it and run. You’re now a mama before anything else. There is no higher title than that.’: New mom shares candid reality of first-time motherhood, ‘You’re doing an amazing job’
“They don’t tell you you’re going to cry. A lot. You dropped that pacifier on the floor? Might as well throw in the towel. According to your postpartum brain, your partner will NEVER do it right. Your ‘friends’ will drop you like it doesn’t even phase them. You’ll check your baby’s breathing every few minutes. Whether you breastfeed or formula feed, it hurts. Someone will always have something to say.”
