He’s here!
Technically he’s been here for two months, but I’m finally getting around to writing about him. With five kids, my brain feels like mush, so better late than never.
If you read our youngest daughter Clara’s birth story, you know she was a rainbow baby after five losses, two years of infertility treatments, and IVF. After that long journey, we never expected to conceive naturally again.
Enter this little miracle boy.
We discovered I was pregnant just two days after my grandma’s funeral. Her death was the third our family experienced at the end of 2020 (none were COVID-related). Finding out we were expecting again felt like the exact kind of light we needed after such a dark and difficult year.
The Birth Story
His birth story began a lot like Clara’s. At a routine weekly appointment my blood pressure was elevated, so I was sent for monitoring. They ruled out preeclampsia but recommended induction because my blood pressure had been steadily rising for weeks.
Last time I hadn’t eaten before hospital admission, so this time I checked myself out AMA to finish packing the hospital bag, pack for the kids, and actually eat a proper meal.
We arrived at the hospital around 5 p.m. and the induction went smoothly for the most part. I had an epidural that worked — a rare thing for me (only two effective epidurals across all five births). This one did cause nausea and vomiting, but I was grateful it provided pain relief.
In the early morning the next day I began to bleed heavily with each contraction. Something similar had happened with my third baby and a later miscarriage. The team couldn’t pinpoint the source of the bleeding because baby and I remained stable, but the bleeding continued after delivery.
After a few hours they broke my water, I dilated to a 10 quickly, and I pushed him out in just five pushes.
Shane Thomas arrived at 6:45 a.m., weighing 7 pounds 11 ounces and measuring 20 inches long — pure squishy perfection.
Shane’s Limb Difference
Shane was born with a limb difference that we didn’t know about before delivery. Knowing in advance wouldn’t have changed the medical outcome — radial dysplasia forms very early in pregnancy, typically within the first 28 to 56 days, and can’t be reversed. But having time to research and prepare emotionally would have made the birth moment different for us; instead, we were shocked, scared, and confused. I’ll admit I resent that it wasn’t detected on ultrasound and that some of the initial joy of his arrival was overshadowed by worry.
Since then we’ve had time to process, learn, and experience countless moments of love and awe. Shane has radial dysplasia, meaning his radius bone — the bone between the elbow and wrist on the thumb side — did not develop. He’s also missing three fingers, including his thumb, on his left hand, and his humerus (the upper arm bone between elbow and shoulder) is underdeveloped.
Radial dysplasia is congenital but typically not genetic; it occurs during early fetal development and the exact cause is often unknown.
We recognize this as a new challenge for our family, but it’s important to remember this is the only body Shane has ever known. He will learn how to use his arm and hand in his own way, amaze us with his abilities, and tackle life with the support and fierce love of our family. We’re committed to advocating for him, learning the best resources and therapies, and celebrating every milestone.
Welcome to the world, Baby Shane!