The amazing Andrea Lum with her son Archer (3 months) and daughter Amelia (pictured in photograph - 06.04.14). Andrea's first pregnancy was uneventful and uncomplicated. She carried her daughter to term and delivery went well. She was able to hold Amelia for a moment but her daughter never cried and struggled to ever breathe on her own. She was rushed away and it was ultimately determined that for reasons unknown, her lungs had never fully formed. Amelia passed away later that day.
Andrea was advised to wait to conceive again but there was no medical reason for it. She ended up getting pregnant again just a few months later. While the pregnancy was uncomplicated she was followed by MFM's and deemed high-risk. She had a lot of appointments and testing and found the pregnancy to be incredibly successful after her loss but Archer continued to do well. He was measuring small and at her 38 week appointment they realized he was even smaller than expected; the decision was made to induce the following day. Andrea had felt pressured to have an epidural during her first labor so she hired a doula for her second. As she labored, Archer's heart rate began dropping. She was able to push twice before they needed to assist with the vacuum. Archer was born quite small at just 5lbs 4oz and lost quite a bit of his birth weight due to nursing complications. Andrea continued pumping and on his 30th day of life, Archer was able to nurse successfully! Things have been going very well and he's doubled his birth weight since.
The transition to motherhood with a living baby has been difficult for Andrea but she says it has gotten easier. In the beginning it was easy to think about all the moments she was having with Archie that she had missed out on with Amelia. After carrying and birthing two babies in the span of year, Andrea says her body is forever changed. She has struggled with the extra weight and the stretch marks but knows those changes are the result of the way her body provided for Amelia and Archer and for that, she is nothing but grateful.