“On April 19th, 2020, we received the most wonderful news: we were expecting our rainbow baby following a devastating miscarriage in February 2020.

As I glanced at the pregnancy test, elation washed over me, yet it was tinged with fear of another loss. The emotional turmoil I experienced during the previous pregnancy made carrying this baby feel even more daunting. Throughout the first trimester, I felt like I was tiptoeing on eggshells, fervently praying that nothing would go awry. I had been pregnant before—my older daughter, Savannah, had just turned 3 when we learned about our rainbow baby—but it was far from an easy journey. I had dual nephrostomy tubes, which meant tubes protruding from both kidneys with urine bags attached to each leg, making it an arduous and unconventional pregnancy.

I anticipated numerous ultrasounds, countless appointments, and a plethora of urine samples to monitor kidney infections—a less-than-pleasant aspect of pregnancy for any woman. But every trial was worth it for the sake of our precious babies. Unfortunately, I developed hyperemesis gravidarum, extreme nausea, and vomiting. I found myself in and out of the hospital during my first and second trimesters. The nausea and vomiting persisted throughout my entire pregnancy, reaching such severity that I required IV medication and fluids in the emergency room every other day initially. Moreover, this occurred amidst the pandemic, meaning my husband, Chris, couldn’t accompany me inside the hospital—a situation that added an extra layer of difficulty.”