#BareMom

Brown Baby Love: A Mother’s Journey To Motherhood

Brown Baby Love

IMG_0261“Brown Baby Love is the embodiment of my experience. Loving the unseen, having faith in the unknown and trusting the uncertain. Brown Baby Love is the feeling of the African American mother for her newborn child. I feel it when I look at my now 7-month-old son. I feel it when I touch his caramel skin, when he smiles and his dimples deepen. I feel it when he laughs and his kisses taste like brown sugar. I love that brown baby. I know that I will instill in him the confidence needed to embrace and love the color brown. Although history tried to negate it and make it ugly, brown in all its shades is the most diverse and beautiful color. Its the color of a mothers love.” -Catrice

 

This beautiful answer to “What does Brown Baby Love mean to you?” Comes from a beautiful story of strength, resilience, faith, hope and yes LOVE. We don’t often share our stories of infertility or the miracle of life and defeating the odds. We may tell our families, even sister friends, but what if we shared our story on a broader platform. One that could potential help another would be mom believe that miracles are possible? Today I am I happy to share with you Catrice’s journey to motherhood. When she answered the question for the series, she included her back-story. To say I cried is an understatement. I too suffered losses and uncertainty in fertility, as have many of my friends. I was humbled by Catrice’s bravery to share her story. Here is her Brown Baby Love letter all about how she became mom to Gabriel and how Gabriel came into this world fighting and continues to win. And now Catrice’s Love Letter:

My husband and I wanted to take our love for each other and share it, we decided it was time to “have us a little one”. A statement easier said than done as Endometriosis slimmed my chances and fibroids complicated it further. Not one for defeat I set off on a mission to get my brown baby love. So my fertility doc mapped out a goal and we set up the best offensive play for me, which would entail surgery followed by a round of IVF.

My surgery was successful and so was IVF during the first round. My pregnancy went swimmingly until I hit 25 weeks. I woke up at 1AM on a Friday morning to my water breaking. There are no words to express the fear of losing a love you worked so hard to create and grow although you have never set eyes on them. I gave birth to my brown baby at 25 weeks and 2 days. Although he was only 1 lb and 13 ounces with an uncertain future, we named him after the angel Gabriel and loved him instantly. For 96 days after he made his early arrival into the world, I commuted to Cohen’s Children NICU unit to watch him grow and develop outside of the comfort of my womb. One of the most memorable points of my life was finally bringing my child home after numerous set backs and greater steps forward.

Signed with an infinite amount of love,

Catrice

 

Share your thoughts and if you want to be featured in the series leave a comment below.

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12 Comments

  • Reply
    Phyllis Jackson
    May 8, 2014 at 3:48 PM

    I am the mother of Catrice, from the moment I saw her it was instant love, and I have always wanted the best for her in life and love. I knew she was struggling to achieve the goal of most women and I knew there were issues. but after all the mishaps and surgeries my prayers for my babygirl where answered. I became a grandma he came early he was so small but a fighter out of all the babies in neonatal care he was the most active little baby he wanted to be here, he wanted life, I thought the only time I would have instant love was with my babygirl, but when I saw my grandson it all came back like a floodgate of love for him, for my daughter and for my son-n-law no parent could ask for more for their daughter All I can say is God is good.

    • Reply
      M J
      May 8, 2014 at 4:29 PM

      Happy Mother’s Day Mrs. jackson! and Happy Grandmother’s Day. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. To share Catrice’s story is a blessing. To share her mother’s thoughts is more than I could ask for. God is good. Gabriel is blessed to have you as his grandmother. I am glad you are living one of the greatest love stories.

    • Reply
      Lachonda Lucas
      June 7, 2014 at 6:04 PM

      Beautiful Ms. Jackson!
      Your daughter is such an inspiration!

      • Reply
        M J
        June 10, 2014 at 3:59 PM

        Thank you Lachonda. These babies are such a blessing to us.

  • Reply
    Vee
    May 9, 2014 at 1:28 AM

    Wow..such and amazing and inspiring story. I love this series MJ. You have in tears over here MJ. Thanks for doing this <3

    • Reply
      M J
      May 10, 2014 at 3:12 AM

      Aww Vee thank you. I just keep reading them and they keep warming my heart. Can’t wait for take 2.

  • Reply
    Ashley
    May 10, 2014 at 4:36 AM

    So special! It’s amazing the struggles we go through in order to bring a child into the world.

    • Reply
      M J
      May 10, 2014 at 5:19 PM

      The greatest reward is after the struggle right Ashley. And how brave are you to share you story. I’m running out of Kleenex over here. XOXO

  • Reply
    Lachonda Lucas
    June 7, 2014 at 6:02 PM

    Catrice, your story is so inspiring. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to share in your pregnancy and the beautiful miracles we know to be our beautiful brown babies! Our journey to parenthood has been very rewarding!

    • Reply
      M J
      June 10, 2014 at 4:00 PM

      Catrice and her little man are so blessed. Her story is inspiring indeed.

  • Reply
    Medit
    August 6, 2019 at 5:38 PM

    This is so inspiring!

    • Reply
      M J
      August 9, 2019 at 11:54 AM

      Thank you.

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