A woman’s viral TikTok video calling out bad mother-in-law behavior is all the evidence we need for allowing moms to ban anyone from the delivery room

The moment your child is born (and all the time you spend in labor leading up to it) should be a special memory that you treasure with your most loved people—your partner, maybe your own mom, and whoever else you choose to allow in the delivery room. The key word here is “choose”—one woman is going viral on TikTok for sharing her birth story, and how a couple of uninvited (by her) guests ruined the entire memory for her. It’s enough to make any mom see red.

Bramty Juliette, a social media influencer, podcaster, and mom of three, shared the story on her podcast, BRAMTEA, which she co-hosts with her husband, Luis Espina.

@bramty

Mother in law ruins my birth experience!! 😭BRAMTEA the Podcast. MAY 4TH! ☕️

♬ original sound – Bramty

When she was 19 years old and pregnant with their first daughter, Bramty explains how there were only two people she wanted in the room with her when she gave birth: Luis and her mom. But Luis wanted his own mom to be present, too, and he insisted on it, despite his wife’s wishes. And when the time came, he also invited his aunt in, which, oof.

“When you give birth, it’s about the wife, it’s about the mom,” Bramty said, adding that at the time, Luis didn’t agree. “She’s the only one giving birth. She’s the one going through things physically and mentally. Whatever she’s comfortable with is most important. But you didn’t have that mentality. You had your mom’s back most of the time.”

So when her water broke and she headed to the hospital, Bramty found herself in a room with Luis, her mom, his mom, and his aunt. And that’s not even the worst part.

“I remember your mom and your aunt taking pictures of my vagina while I was pushing,” she said. “Then later find out that your aunt had sent those pictures to family members.”

Excuse me, they what? In what world is that an appropriate thing to do?

The commenters basically exploded with all the rage we’re feeling right now.

“I would have lost my mind,” one wrote. Another added, “That’s sounds so traumatizing. I’m so sorry you had to go through that as your first labor experience.”

Let this be the story that finally settles this debate: the only person who gets a say in who is in the room during a birth is the person giving birth. During such a vulnerable time, they deserve to feel safe, loved, and supported. Full stop.

One afternoon in the park, my tween and toddler were laughing together, kicking a glittery pink soccer ball. I was savoring this rare moment of sibling harmony when a mom I barely knew jumped in: “They’re adorable! What a HUGE age gap!”

“Did you do that on purpose?” another mom teased. “So you’d have a built-in babysitter?”

Now, as a bit of an over-sharer, there’s almost no topic I consider off-limits in the spirit of mom camaraderie. I’ve spent hours in the park talking about bodily fluids, boobs, and birth stories—but this time, I stomped on the brakes. Nope, not going there today!

I’ve been asked about the timing of my pregnancies a few too many times by near-strangers—women and men, parents and non-parents. Why do people feel so entitled to ask about women’s fertility? Why does our society treat pregnancy like something we can plug into a shared Google calendar or order up like an Amazon Prime delivery?

My close friends consoled me after the miscarriages, so of course they never asked about my kids’ age gap. The people who ask about it tend to be people I see around the neighborhood a lot but don’t know well: the preschool secretary, the swim teacher, the mom who pops up at all the birthday parties.

I was trying to extricate myself from that playground interrogation by kicking my kids’ soccer ball when another mom appeared. I was surrounded. “Wait! You have a middle kid, right? I’ve seen him around.”

“Nope, no middle kid,” I responded. “Two girls, seven years apart.” For the first time ever, I didn’t cave into pressure and elaborate on my story. Family planning involves some of the most taboo topics—sex, health, and money—and yet, most of us have no qualms about asking so-called casual questions like, “How many kids do you want?”

When I was planning for a second child but hadn’t started trying yet, I asked everyone I knew about their baby-making intentions. “So, are you going to give little Amy a brother or sister?” I asked a mom acquaintance as she pushed her three-year-old on the swings. When a cloud passed over her face, I realized what a painful question I’d asked. What I truly wanted to know was whether I was going to have a second child. That was what I should have talked about. If she wanted to share her own stuff, that would have provided an invitation, but it wouldn’t have been pushy.

Related: When You Realize Your ‘Mom Friends’ Aren’t Your Real Friends

After my long-awaited baby exploded into my life like a firecracker (in a 45-minute emergency birth), I remember feeling compelled to talk about my experiences with random people. I wanted to share everything about having a newborn and a seven-year-old! The prying questions didn’t bother me when I was eager to share. But now, I’m a little weary of people’s surprise at the age gap.

Hearing someone say, “That’s a big gap!” is like being told, “You’re really tall!” over and over again (something else I have experience with). Not only does it get old, but it also makes you feel othered. You feel like people are staring. And what can you say? “Yep, I’m tall!” “Yep, it’s a big age gap.”

However, a really interesting thing happened when I stopped engaging with strangers’ too-personal questions. I actually began feeling more sympathy toward borderline-rude people. The guy behind the counter at Rite Aid, for example, asked me the other day if I was happy having daughters. (What was I going to say in front of my girls, “No, I’m not happy with them”?) As the clerk packed up our pink toothpaste and L.O.L. dolls, he smiled and continued his line of questioning, “I mean, don’t you wish you had a boy? Are you trying for one?”

Over the years I’ve exchanged pleasantries with the clerk about our families, and I’ve always noticed how much he talks about his brothers. He loved growing up in a house of boys. Brothers defined his childhood, his identity. When people ask you intimate questions about your family, it’s almost always about them. It rarely has anything to do with you.

“I bet you had fun with brothers,” I said to the Rite Aid guy as we waved goodbye. “But sisters are awesome too!”

In the case of the playground moms, the more I got to know them and their meticulously planned kids, the more I understood that they were a worried bunch. They were constantly fretting about how their kids were getting along with their siblings and whether they were getting into all the “right” schools, camps, and activities. They wanted to make sure everything was lined up perfectly and in order.

So when they saw my outlier family, they stared; they scrutinized. And what did they see? They saw two sisters kicking a soccer ball, two sisters laughing in the sun. This beautiful picture is how things can look when they don’t turn out as planned. When it comes to having children, we must embrace the messy beauty, the serendipity of it all. After all, we can’t plan the best parts.

The duo dressed up in true royal regalia to celebrate Rani Rose’s fourth birthday

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell are not only major relationship goals, but they are totally killing it as the coolest grandparents ever. The mom to Kate Hudson recently shared an Instagram post celebrating her four-year-old granddaughter and how she and partner Kurt dressed to the nines.

“Happy 4th birthday our precious Rani Rose🌹You are the real queen!” says Goldie’s post. “I’ll take Lady in waiting everyday as long as the prince is always beside me! WE LOVE YOU!!! 💕💕💕💕🎂🎂🎂🎂.”

Related: Kate Hudson Shared a Pic of Her 3-Year-Old in a Stroller and the Internet Had No Chill

Kate Hudson shares Rani with fiancé Danny Fujikawa, and is also mom to Ryder, 18, and Bingham, 11 from two previous relationships. She also shared an Instagram post with a collection of the birthday girl from the past four years.

“Our dreamy girl is 4 years today! Happy Birthday to Rani Rose!” she writes. “Rani fills our hearts so full of love as she meets everyday with enthusiasm, beauty and humor. We partied hard today… the princess way 👸🏼”

Related: Kate Hudson Dishes about Rani Rose’s Birth Story & Her VERY Nosy Mom

It looks like Princess Rani embraced her day, complete with a dress change––as any birthday girl should. She started the day as Cinderella with her grandparents and transformed into Rapunzel as the day went on.

The princess-themed party was very much in line with Rani’s love for royalty and bling. Mom Hudson has shared adorable pics of her youngest in the past of the little girl decked out in jewels and a tiara.

Whether it’s making a splash in the news because she roams the city with mom in her stroller, or because she’s turning the big 4, we can’t wait to see what Rani Rose is up to next.

With these baby memory books, you’ll have those special memories forever

We all want our baby’s milestones and photos to be recorded in beautiful baby memory books. But actually doing it…can feel like a chore. But not with these memory keepers! From easy-to-use apps to books with written prompts, you’ll find the right format for you below.

Inclusive for All Families

RubyRoo

With neutral language about families and holidays from several religions included (just remove the ones that don't apply to your family), the RubyRoo Baby Memory Book Baby Journal tries to make itself inclusive to all families. The book covers pregnancy to age 5 and covers milestones, vacations, celebrations and more, including six blank pages for photos and memories specific to your family. There are three covers to choose from: floral, woodland and adventure-themed.

Available at Amazon, $25.

Tinybeans Photo Book

Don't lose any of those special memories! Keep them preserved in a Tinybeans photo book. You'll love looking back at the memories and the book is so easy to create. 

Available at Tinybeans, $20. 

Three Years of Memories

The Quarto Group

Document the first three years of your child's life with this handy baby book. In addition to space to record the basics about your birth and family, there are lots of fun prompts about your home, baby's visitors, daily routines at different ages, favorite activities, holiday celebrations, and friends. There's an expandable pocket at the back of the book for storing keepsakes, with an elastic enclosure to keep things all together.

Available at Quarto Knows, $23.

Gender-Neutral & Gorgeous

baby memory books
Write to Me

This gender-neutral journal covers your pregnancy and the first year of baby's life in style, with a linen cover, gold embossed title, illustrated end pages and a linen box to store the book in. The guided journal features prompts you'll look forward to filling out, including favorite toys, funny things baby is doing and memorable moments for each month.

Available at Write To Me Shop, $65.

Related: Take Your Baby Memory Book to the Next Level

Go Beyond the Book

C.R. Gibson

This baby memory book from C.R. Gibson, "A Book of Baby's Firsts," includes a washable-ink pad so you can document and remember just how teeny your baby's feet and hands were. The Bundle Bright line also includes the smaller and very Instagrammable "Our Magical Memories" ($11), which comes with 25 flippable cards you fill in with baby's milestones. Pages can be rearranged however you like.

Available at Amazon, $21.

Helpful Photo Prompts

baby memory books

In addition to lots of space for your photos, this interactive photo journal from Artifact Uprising includes written photo prompts to help you tell your child's story: bath time snaps, favorite spots to snuggle, the day baby met special people. Thanks to the four-ring binder, you can rearrange or remove any pages that don't work for your family. The customizable construction also means you can add extra pages where you want them.

Available at Artifact Uprising, $99.

Focus on the Family

When We Became Three documents mom and dad's relationship and pregnancy as well as the milestones for baby's first and second year. And yes, there is a When We Became Four book. Clever questions and checklists make this book fun for couples to fill out, which is a big plus for busy new parents.

Available at Amazon, $10.

A Walk on the Wild Side

baby memory books

Record the first 12 months of baby's life with National Geographic's Welcome Little One keepsake baby book. In addition to spots to record baby's amazing milestones, the book includes cute animal photos, heartwarming poems and quotes, and stickers for each monthly milestone. This is one book you and your child will love to page through for years to come. 

Available at Amazon, $18.

Time Machine

baby memory books

Share with your little one what the world was like when they were born with This Is Your Book, by graphic artist and father Ryan Maconochie. In addition to recording baby’s vitals with sleek visuals, this book includes prompts about current events, pop culture, your favorite things and musings on baby, like which names you scratched off the list.

Available at Amazon, $18.

Related: 8 Tips for Surviving the First 6 Months with Your New Baby

The Total Package

The Story of You has thought of everything new parents could want in a baby book. There are prompts you can fill out (about pregnancy, funny moments, and holiday memories), plus open spaces to record special moments and add photos as you like. The binder format lets you add, remove and reorder pages. And you can buy additional pages to record circumstances such as adoption, foster care, a NICU stay, infertility, and a heavenly baby.

Available at Emily Ley, $64.

Scrapbook App

baby memory books

No matter how far away your loved ones are, they can feel like they are with you for all of baby’s firsts with the free Moment Garden app. All those precious moments are backed up and kept private for you to share with those you choose. Want a physical book too? Print a hardcover or softcover book whenever you like.

Available at Moment Garden; the app is free, and a book costs $9-$49.

Black-and-White Dream

The Dreamcatcher black-and-white baby book from Etsy shop Mushybooks offers a sleek, gender-neutral design. Its 50 pages include all the moments you would expect from a baby book (birth story, firsts, favorites. etc.) with an aesthetic that's clean and simple so your baby can shine. Pages can be added or removed as desired.

Available at Etsy shop Mushybooks, $75+.

Mini Brag Book

baby memory books

Take photo books to tiny dimensions with Minibooks from Social Print Studio. Compile all your favorite baby photos into laminated, spiral-bound photo books. Slip them into your purse or pocket, so you always have pictures of mini-you to share with friends and family. This makes a great gift idea for grandparents too!

Available at Social Print Studio, 2 books for $21.

Not-So-Precious Moments

Take a non-traditional approach to memorykeeping and celebrate all of those alternative baby moments with Baby’s First Tattoo, by Jim Mullen. With this humorous approach to baby books, you'll never forget those other important moments, like: baby’s first tantrum in a crowded grocery store or places baby crawls that parents didn’t think possible.

Available at Amazon, $13.

Box It Up

Not every baby milestone fits into a book. The fabric boxes of The Library: Baby Keepsake Box can be displayed like books but hold so much more than a traditional tome. In this handcrafted memory box, you can save baby’s favorite blanket, a lock of hair, the first pair of shoes and more. There are even vertical files for important documents or photos.

Available at Savor, $95.

Related: Turn Your Texts into a Baby Book with This Cool New Service 

Email Reminders

baby memory books

Do you have trouble remembering to jot down those milestones? My Own Little Story is an online baby book that offers free email reminders to help you keep track of baby’s special moments. It even has a snooze button for those milestones baby hasn’t hit yet. Print your book once you have 10 milestones, or wait to create a larger book with up to 36 milestones or 72 printed pages.

Available at My Own Little Story, $30-$79.

Easy Phone Photos

baby memory books

Chatbooks took a candid look at the craziness that is motherhood and offered a supremely simple solution to printing photos from your phone. The app will automatically arrange your photos in chronological order for you. All you have to do is add captions and pick your cover to capture all of baby’s special moments. 

Available at Chatbooks; $5+.

Nature's Approach

baby memory books

With an emphasis on your baby’s interactions with the natural world, The First 1000 Days: A Baby Journal by Nikki McClure lets you record your baby’s birth story as well as their first tree, moon and garden. The bold papercut illustrations will captivate even the youngest eyes.

Available at Amazon, $17.

A Noteworthy Book

The Mom's One Line a Day book simplifies the baby book by letting moms write one short note a day to document an event, experience or that day's feelings. With room for five years' worth of notes, you can document the magic of your little one's early years without too much effort.

Available at Amazon, $13.

Love Letters

Letters to My Baby allows you to write your child letters about your hopes, dreams and memories. Once written, you seal them until your child is old enough to read them. There are prompts for each of the 12 letters to help you craft what you write. 

Available at Amazon, $12.

The Guilt-Free Baby Book

baby memory books
Little Animal Lover Memory Book

No need to spend countless hours creating a scrapbook-like memory book because this book from Lucy Darling has done the work for you. Available in a variety of themes, there's space to document firsts, favorites and monthly milestones amid beautifully designed pages.

Available at Lucy Darling, $35+.

You can easily organize all your sweetest family moments—and share them with your family and friends near and far—with the Tinybeans app. The secure platform puts parents in total control of who sees and interacts with photos and videos of their kids.

Model and mom-of-three Ashley Graham has never shied away from being totally authentic. It’s a reason she has millions of fans. But in a recent essay she penned for Glamour, Graham shares her harrowing birth story with her twins, and how it’s taken longer than expected to get back to loving her body.

Graham has been a champion of body advocacy for years. She’s also human, and after the birth of her twins, Graham said it’s been a slow journey back to feeling like herself. Part of it, she said, comes after a home birth that didn’t go quite as expected.  “The night I gave birth to the twins, I hemorrhaged,” she wrote.

Graham said her first son, Malachi, was born right as her midwives were arriving. Hours later, Roman was born in her apartment bathtub. Though her sons were healthy and safe, Graham said what happened next shook her to the core.

“The next thing you know, I looked at my midwife and I said, ‘I don’t feel good. I think I need to lay down,’ and I blacked out,” she explained. “All I can remember is feeling a light touch on my cheek, which I found out later was actually somebody smacking the crap out of my cheek, someone holding my hand, my husband Justin in my ear, praying, and someone jabbing me with a needle in my arm. And I remember seeing darkness and what seemed like stars.”

Graham said she came to sometime later and was shocked by what she saw. “I looked around the room, saw blood literally everywhere, and let out this deep, visceral cry,” she wrote, “an emotional release from the chaos I had just experienced.”

Graham said during her recovery at home, she realized she wouldn’t be “bouncing back” to work or in her skin for much longer than she’d planned. “I lay on that bed for four straight days. I couldn’t walk for a week. And I didn’t leave my house for nearly two months,” she said.

Graham said the weight gain, stretch marks, and slower pace caused her to doubt her relationship with her body. “Like so many women, what I went through with childbirth has reshaped my relationship with my body—and I say this knowing that I am the person who has been shouting from the rooftops to you all, ‘Love the skin you’re in,'” she explained. “Yet for me, the births of all my three children threw a lot of that out of the window.”

She was also vulnerable about her own reality while helping other women. “I have always fought against unfair and unrealistic standards and yet, if I am being completely honest, here I was, expecting myself to snap back. And fast,” she said.

At the end of the end, Graham said she’s learned valuable lessons through her experience: “I want to continue to create spaces for women to feel fearless and beautiful and vulnerable, all at the same time.”

These parenting blogs for pregnancy, babies and beyond offer plenty of insight and support to new parents

Who’s there for you when you’re freaking out, nursing or looking for  laughs? Blogs. Read on for parenting blogs, baby blogs, pregnancy blogs and sometimes a mix of all three, written by experts and moms who get it.

A pregnant woman trying to predict baby's gender.
iStock

Womanhood Unwrapped
Through interviews with inspiring women and true tales from her own life, Womanhood Unwrapped founder Lis Thomas offers words of wisdom and inspiration about family, business, empowerment, leadership and more.

Mommy Labor Nurse
Who better to share advice on pregnancy, delivery and postpartum life with a baby than a labor and delivery nurse who's also a mom? Liesel from Mommy Labor Nurse gives tips from both perspective for a well-rounded, educated take on what to expect every step of the way. Each article has a table of contents so you can quickly scan to find where your questions are addressed. 

Swaddles n' Bottles
Swaddles n' Bottles is a one-stop shop of practical advice and helpful information on pregnancy, labor & delivery, your postpartum body, breastfeeding and the baby gear you really need. Writers include moms, a labor & delivery nurse and a certified lactation counselor, and advice is organized by stage (pregnancy by trimester, postpartum, baby tips) and topic (breastfeeding support, pumping tips, baby gear), so it's easy to find exactly what you're looking for.

Lay Baby Lay
You can count on Lay Baby Lay for nursery design ideas and all-around motherhood inspiration. Joni Lay, the designer and mom behind the blog, has been sharing her creative talents and motherhood stories since 2011.

Fit Bottomed Mamas
The Fit Bottomed Mamas section of the Fit Bottomed Girls website covers pregnancy, parenting, family as well as trying to conceive and infertility. The tone is light, funny and always supportive and inclusive. 

Baby Chick
With a mission to celebrate motherhood and empower mothers everywhere, Baby Chick is full of everything you'll need to know for conception and pregnancy to life with baby. Baby Chick was founded by a doula and mom & baby educator.

The Fashion Bump
Founded by a pediatric registered nurse, The Fashion Bump covers the latest in style, beauty products, health and lifestyle news for pregnant women, with a body-positive vibe about loving your amazing bump.

iStock

Working Mom Magic
On Working Mom Magic, you'll find advice on juggling life as a working mom. Topics include parenting, fitness, crafts, recipes, 529s, handling daycare issues and hacks for spending more time with your kids. Posts are focused and full of advice, since working mamas are too busy for fluff.

Mommy on Purpose
Carly, the founder of Mommy on Purpose, is dedicated to helping moms live their best life by sharing practical tips and resources on pregnancy, labor & birth, breastfeeding and life with littles, from fun activities to how to keep things clean and organized and ways to save money. We love how she divides baby and toddler articles into two groups: Tiny & Squishy and Sticky & Wobbly.

Pregnant Chicken
Amy, the chick in charge of the roost over at Pregnant Chicken, aims to keep pregnancy and parenthood real (and fun) for expectant and new parents alike. Popular features include the "Is it Safe" section, covering what you can and can't do while pregnant, and what you need to know for each trimester.

Confessions of Parenting
In addition to advice about all things baby, the Confessions of Parenting blog also covers topics related to blended families, such as coparenting and helping kids navigate through divorce.

Fennell Seeds Blog
The Fennell Seeds blog focuses on parenting and organizational skills (genius!), with some great travel tips thrown in as well.

Midwife & Life
The midwife and educator behind Midwife & Life shares tons of articles about pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, from how to stay healthy during pregnancy and creating a birth plan to gentle weaning advice. You'll also find amazing birth stories.

Fussy Baby Site
The Fussy Baby Site blog guides parents through life with a colicky baby or one who is especially spirited or high needs. From sleep tips and ways to keep kids entertained to parenting guidance and self-care advice, the blog strives to help exhausted parents find guidance and support.

two parents holding baby on bed, italian court ruling kids last names
iStock

Imperfectly Perfect Mama
The moms behind the Imperfectly Perfect Mama blog really get it. They've been there and are sharing real talk on how to navigate mom life, baby stuff, postpartum drama, health issues and money.

Coffee and Coos
In addition to lots of posts on pregnancy, breastfeeding and motherhood, Coffee and Coos covers the all-important topic of money, including how to save more of it and tips for working from home. You'll also find inspiring and heartwarming birth stories.

Plus Size Birth
Check out the birth stories, resources and valuable advice for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive on the Plus Size Birth blog. It's a great resource for plus-size pregnancy essentials and issues you may encounter.

Thrifty Nifty Mommy
Janessa from Thrifty Nifty Mommy is the dream mommy best friend. She knows her stuff, from what baby products are best to how to deal with engorgement and more, like fun, family-friendly crafts and recipes.

Scary Mommy
Finally, a blog dedicated to imperfect parents (aka all of us). Bookmark Scary Mommy for a refreshing read following the roughest of days in pregnancy and parenthood. 

The Leaky B@@b
Precisely what its name indicates, The Leaky B@@b is a community-centric blog for breastfeeding moms that full of advice, resources and real stories you’ll probably laugh at because you can relate all too well. 

Hellobee
Hellobee covers a broad range of topics, from conception and adoption to chronic illness and kids with special needs, as well as lighter fare like product reviews. The site also has a forum section where you can connect with others, as well as classifieds, a buy/sell section and links to favorite products of the Hellobee bloggers and community members.

A Cup of Jo
Joanna Goddard was one of the first mom bloggers, having started A Cup of Jo in 2007. The site has evolved and covers style, food, travel, relationships as well as motherhood. Today, the motherhood section is thriving with thought-provoking posts on having an only child, dating as a single mom and surprising things moms learn along their journeys.

—Jane Putnam & Eva Ingvarson Cerise

featured image: iStock

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Just like that, Meghan Trainor is mom to a one-year-old! The singer and her husband Daryl Sabara celebrated their son Riley’s first birthday recently and thankfully shared the sweet moment on Instagram.

Captioning the photos with “Happy birthday Riley! You are my everything! I love you to the moon and back. Best year of my life😭🥰🎂1️⃣,” the montage shares an adorably-clad Riley in red suspenders and a “1” shirt.

While fellow parents can’t help but “aww” over the collection, we seriously relate to the seventh picture Trainor snagged. It appears little Riley is not impressed at all with his fruit-infused cake, no matter how pretty it is!

More than likely, he is just absolutely DONE smiling for pics and is ready to just dig in.

Once he does, he has no qualms about sharing his smash-worthy cake cake with mom, Meghan who definitely looks surprised.

As major fans of the All About That Bass singer, we love that Trainor has been so open about sharing her journey to motherhood. From her quarantine pregnancy and a scary birth story, to giving us a glimpse into Riley growing up, you can check out her Instagram account to catch up with Meghan and fam.

––Karly Wood

All images: Courtesy of Meghan Trainor via Instagram

 

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It’s fitting that former Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson East’s second child decided to make his grand entry during this year’s Games! The East family welcomed their new addition last week and they’ve officially shared him with the world. They posted an emotional video of his birth story, plus some adorable new photos that include big sister Drew Hazel.

Baby boy clocked in at almost 10 pounds (officially 9 pounds, 13 ounces) and his birth is documented in an almost nine minute long video on the family’s official YouTube Channel. The caption reads in part “A moment we’ve been excited to share… meet our perfect little baby boy. We are so in love. Momma and little man are doing really well and are healthy and happy. Drew’s loving her new role as big sister and is loving her cuddle time with her little brother everyday.”

The couple also shared a trio of sweet black and white photos to Johnson East’s Instagram account. The new baby is obviously adored by the whole family!

After marrying in 2016, Shawn and husband Andrew welcomed daughter Drew Hazel in 2019. They currently live in Nashville and document their family life extensively on social media. Another gold-medal moment!

—Sarah Shebek

Featured image courtesy of Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

 

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Our new series, Tiny Birth Stories, is aimed at sharing real-life stories from our readers to our readers. In just 100 words or less, we’re bringing you the raw, the funny and the heartwarming stories you’ve lived while bringing babies into the world. Here are five stories that will have you laughing, crying and nodding your head in solidarity. 

From the moment your baby arrives in the world, you have a lot to think about. Safety 1st has products to ensure the safety and well-being of children in cars, homes, and everywhere in between—giving you one less thing to stress about. Learn more about the highest standards of baby safety established by Safety 1st.

I pushed my baby back inside by Alexandra 

My first labor nightmare was at 32 weeks: I looked down to see tiny feet between my legs. “Not yet, sweet girl. It’s too early,” I pushed her back inside. … Iris Elizabeth was born precipitously IRL the next day. My usual AM Braxton Hicks turned into rapid-fire contractions, lodging my tiny transverse babe into my birth canal. Fully effaced, I dilated from 2-to-8cm in 15 minutes, and dramatically broke my waters on the way to L&D admitting. Before I could process what was happening, I was in recovery from emergency C, with a preemie in the NICU. I lived my nightmare, but a year later, my sweet girl is my best dream come true.

Baby number 4 at home by Sarah B.

I was expecting my fourth baby. My two oldest daughters were home from school the morning that I started contractions at 8am. We watched Mamma Mia 2 and I made a big pot of stew, pausing to grip the counter in between chopping. Hours later at 10pm, I was draped over my yoga ball with my music playing its rhythmic beats. My water broke and I knew the baby was coming.. I yelled, “wake up the girls!” My oldest jumped onto the bed alongside the midwives. I heard my baby cry and my daughter said, “It’s a girl!”

My Covid silver lining by Rachel B. 

A warm June day, my contractions started at 4:30pm. Hanging with family, things accelerated quickly when my water broke around 7pm. By the time we got to the hospital around 8:30pm I was already 6cm dilated. This being my first child, I was preparing for a long birth and needing an epidural, but my son had other plans. BAM, I was 10cm dilated and ready to push! He graced us with his presence at 10:28pm. My sweet Covid silver lining! Such a gem he has been.

Nothing was prepared, and that’s ok by Allison C. 

I was due with my 2nd baby on Thanksgiving day. My first had been induced (eventual Csection) at 41 weeks, so, even through my pregnancy had been tough (subchorionic hematoma, appendectomy, and an international move to name a few!), I was shocked on 10/30 to stand up out of bed and feel my water break! We hadn’t packed a bag or prepped any baby things, yet. We ran around trying to gather a few things we would need, had my sister come stay with our daughter, and went to the hospital. I was hoping for a VBAC, but labor never really began. Around 10 am on 10/31, we opted for a repeat csection. Our beautiful Halloween boy was born without any preemie complications. He was a whopping 7lb14oz at 35 weeks 6 days! His birth taught me that you don’t need every little thing perfect for delivery and a new baby. A lot of prayers and a lot of love (and some wonderful family to get your house ready while you are in the hospital) are enough! Halloween is a little more fun every year now!

No time to make it INTO the hospital by Amber H.

Anxiously awaiting the arrival of our third baby, I woke up at 4:30am to strong contractions. We finally started the 10 minute drive to the hospital, when we were about two stop lights away I felt her head slip between my legs. I told my husband, “she’s crowning!” He pulled up to the hospital and asked me if I wanted a wheelchair, to which I replied, “No! Her head is out come pull my pants down.” He came around to my side of the car where I was sitting with my feet up on the dashboard, he pulled my pants down and to his surprise he saw 1/3 of her head out! After another contraction she was out and I pulled her onto my stomach. Soon after a L & D nurse came rushing down with a wheelchair and blankets. From start to finish I only labored for 2 hours and 15 minutes, much different than my previous labor of 22 hours. I was in shock for a few hours afterwards because it all happened so quickly. All in all her birth was beautifully calm and a unique story that suits our daughter so well.

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Our new series, Tiny Birth Stories, is aimed at sharing real-life stories from our readers to our readers. In just 100 words or less, we’re bringing you the raw, the funny and the heartwarming stories you’ve lived while bringing babies into the world. Here are five stories that will have you laughing, crying and nodding your head in solidarity. 

From the moment your baby arrives in the world, you have a lot to think about. Safety 1st has products to ensure the safety and well-being of children in cars, homes, and everywhere in between—giving you one less thing to stress about. Learn more about the highest standards of baby safety established by Safety 1st.

I Gave Birth In A Cab- Twice!  by Rose M. 

Both kids were born in cars, the first was in a Livy cab and the second was in a Green cab. The births happened on the same street less than a mile apart, one in front of a 7-eleven and the other in front of a Dunkin’ Donuts. I have zero modesty as a result.

 

The Things You’ll Hear Giving Birth To An 11lb baby by Megan M. 

Judah was born at 11lbs. There were triplets in the room next to us, all together weighing 12lbs. The nurse came in our room and said “your baby looks like he ate the triplets!”

 

I Didn’t Know CVS Sold That by Lindsey M. 

I squatted down in CVS and pop! I stood frozen in shock at the sensation of warm water gushing all over the floor. We raced home. I didn’t even change, and I hauled 10 bags of luggage down the front steps and I watched my MIL narrowly escape a car accident. My labor stalled for 8 hours. I went on pit, refused an epidural like a freak, and started hallucinating in the final dilation. Three hours later I pushed my baby out, just a shell of my former self, clinging to a squat bar, while infomercials played in the background.

Even The Nurse Was Surprised by Clarissa S.

My blood pressure skyrocketed at 38 weeks, but my body wasn’t ready for labor. 2 hospital days later, my body was exactly the same, and we actually almost went home! That night, I woke up with excruciating contractions beyond my wildest imagination. Suddenly, my water broke, and I felt the desperation of a cat clawing its way out of a box. Shaking uncontrollably, I said that if this was the beginning of labor, I needed an epidural to get me through. The nurse prepared to check for any progression whatsoever, but was shocked to find baby’s head under the sheet!

I Wanted To Go For A Walk In The Woods by Jelena B.

Birth can go the way you want it, you just don’t know! So let go. ;) That was my motto! I trusted the process and that’s probably what helped me most with the birth of my son! I had that dream home birth I was hoping for. In Vermont, in the countryside, where I thought I would have time to walk in the woods but no… When my water broke, everything was pretty quick. I did have time to think about adding the rose petals in the tub! My son arrived after 5h30min. All good, cozy and warm on me.

This post is sponsored by Safety 1st, the leader in home safety for families. Learn more.