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The New Mom Podcast is a Christian motherhood podcast for women navigating pregnancy, postpartum, and early motherhood.
Whether you're a first-time mom, expecting, or in the middle of sleepless nights, this show offers real, honest conversations about motherhood, marriage, identity, and faith. We talk about birth stories, postpartum recovery, relationships, mental health, and trusting God through every stage of motherhood. If you're looking for encouragement, practical advice, and a reminder that you're not alone—this podcast is for you.
Our prayer is that New Mom leaves you feeling seen, strengthened, and a little more equipped for the beautiful calling of motherhood!
New episodes weekly.
Welcome back to Do Mom. Today on the show, I sat down with Meredith McKee, one of my childhood friends back in my hometown of Tip City, Ohio. Currently, we took the show on the road and I'm so blessed by this conversation. She shares her experience with delivering her daughter at 34 and living in the NICU for almost a month. This is a positive NICU story.
Carrie:And, I just pray that that moms are encouraged by this whether you're walking through it or you one day will or you've been through it before. I think that Meredith's heart and her faith is so encouraging. And she truly has a beautiful, miraculous story of little Scarlet's life. So I hope you guys enjoy it. If you are loving New Mom, take a moment to rate and subscribe to the show and maybe even leave a review.
Carrie:It helps us to get the word out to more moms like you. Thank you for listening. Well, hi, guys. Welcome back to New Mom Meredith. Thanks for being here.
Meredith:Thanks for having me, Carrie.
Carrie:This is so I'm so excited to be here. I feel like we've talked about you being on literally since before I launched it, like when I was in the the prayer portion of this podcast. So I'm really, really grateful. This is so We're We're making
Meredith:it happen.
Carrie:We're doing it.
Meredith:Yeah. In Tip City, Ohio.
Carrie:I was just gonna say, in Tip City, Ohio, we do have to preface. We are currently in my aunt and uncle's beautiful barn
Meredith:Beautiful barn.
Carrie:In our hometown. Meredith and I are both from Tip City. She still lives here with her husband, Patrick. Yeah. And we life updates, I guess.
Carrie:Like, all the Yeah.
Meredith:A lot of life updates.
Carrie:Yeah. Film it. Life updates and then Nicki conversation. But we actually Connor and I just moved to Nashville. I don't know when we're gonna air this, but we just moved to Nashville.
Carrie:We just, like, started announcing it, I guess.
Meredith:So excited about But yeah, I haven't talked about it
Carrie:on here. We're loving it. We literally moved like a month ago and we're still settling. But the funny thing is we're living with friends who are so sweet and incredible and letting us stay with them. So we are very much like living out of our car, living out of their house, driving everywhere.
Carrie:It's our second trip to Ohio in the
Meredith:last two weeks, I think,
Carrie:with Saint Louis. So we're kind of everywhere and this podcast is on the road. But Conor did a great job. Amazing. You would never we brought the curtains, which is most important
Meredith:for the shot. We steamed the curtains.
Carrie:We steamed the curtains and it did nothing. So we're like, we're just gonna start going. But I'm I'm honestly so happy that that we could do this. I know. Just seriously thanks for being on because I know you have a a beautiful baby and like you're busy and you have So I
Meredith:appreciate I wouldn't wouldn't make time for it.
Carrie:Absolutely. Yay. Well, I wanna start probably by just talking about how we know each other and like a little bit about you.
Meredith:Yeah. So we We like go let's go way back.
Carrie:We go let's go way went to the same school Yes. Like, you were a grade older than me.
Meredith:Yeah. But I'm thinking of dance.
Carrie:I was just gonna say already knew Meredith because you always know the grade older than you because you look up to all the girls. So I already knew you. Like, knew of you and like would see you around and stuff. But we we first connected and actually like spent time together when we were in dance class. I was in I think it was fourth and fifth grade.
Meredith:Wow. You're you have a great memory.
Carrie:Thanks. Yeah. I remember like the the little we were I think it was jazz that we did It was a
Meredith:a jumpsuit that had fake Yeah. Fake denim whatever With like pink. Hot pink and they had pigtails. Yes.
Carrie:It was so cute. You gotta find the photo. Yeah. We gotta find the photo of our swim. But you were an amazing dancer and that was my one year of dancing in Ohio.
Carrie:I did I did not do a ton of dance, but
Meredith:You have a short stint
Carrie:for you
Meredith:and then I went on. You kept going on.
Carrie:How long did you dance? Like, a while.
Meredith:Yeah. Until I graduated.
Carrie:You were she's a great dancer. Yeah. Do you ever dance anymore?
Meredith:I mean, at, like, weddings.
Carrie:Okay. Okay. But no. You don't like singing. That counts, sir.
Carrie:But not like because I know Not like I used to. I know. Tell me you've talked to my sister about it because she Yeah. She dances some. Okay.
Carrie:It's amazing too. Yeah. But yeah. So that's where we met or, like, started spending time together. And then honestly, like, I moved Life We did cross country.
Carrie:That's right. Yeah.
Meredith:See, you
Carrie:have good memories
Meredith:with yours.
Carrie:I'm not
Meredith:Sitting at Marion's with you. Really? We we went to like the up and running store or some some running store. Was like a field trip for the cross country team.
Carrie:Love this.
Meredith:And we were eating Marion's together. Okay. That's another one I have with you.
Carrie:See, we have these different memories. I this is the fun thing about living in a small town. Yeah. It's like, remember that one thing? It's like, I don't remember that.
Carrie:But I remember this thing you don't remember about that one time in downtown Tip. That's so awesome.
Meredith:Yeah. Yeah. I oh my gosh. But I think you should share the story of us like kinda reconnecting
Carrie:in So this season of you'll have to help me, but I think I think it was through well, it was definitely through Mitchie Yeah. Through my aunt. But I think what happened is she had run into you guys. Yeah. And then she texted me and I had not talked to Meredith in years.
Carrie:I don't even think we followed each other on Instagram.
Meredith:Like, don't yeah.
Carrie:Obviously, you know, knew that maybe we're Facebook friends or something. Yeah. But we didn't keep in touch. And I was out in LA and she texted me and she's like, I just ran into Meredith and Patrick and like, she's just the most lovely thing. Like, do you do you guys have you talked and the thing was is that we've vacationed.
Carrie:Our parents have. Yeah. They both have vacation properties up in the same area of Michigan. Mhmm. So she's like, they're they're gonna be up there and she's like, you have to be friends.
Carrie:You have to reconnect. And I was so I was so excited too. So I literally like took the leap. Was like, I'm gonna cold DM this girl
Meredith:that I haven't talked to since like eighth grade.
Carrie:Be like, hey, I heard we should be friends. I don't know.
Meredith:I love it. It was so thoughtful. You're mean so joyful
Carrie:and love. I knew you'd
Meredith:How be flattering is that? Who wouldn't wanna receive a DM to be like, hey, wanna be your friend? Okay. I guess you're right.
Carrie:That's that's a good point. I don't know if I've ever had anybody do that, but I'm I'm happy that I did because you were, of course Yeah. Just so lovely about it. And I think we ended up maybe meeting up when we were both in Michigan like a few months later.
Meredith:But I just feel like you were, like, obedient to what God was asking you to do, you know? Well, I'm so glad.
Carrie:And I think it makes sense,
Meredith:like, when you have the holy spirit in you that you're you're just being obedient, you know?
Carrie:And I also think it's cool because it was the same time when you guys were getting married, you're engaged this time. And then also you're moving back to Ohio Yeah. Which I don't live here, but we spend time here. And so I think you were also rebuilding community back here or desiring to. So I think it was cool for both of us.
Carrie:Cause now when I come home, an extra amazing friend is like, I don't have a ton a ton of my friends like back here. So having you here is definitely a gift. It is a gift. So I know it was God orchestrated.
Meredith:It was.
Carrie:Yeah. Sometimes we got married
Meredith:in Northern Michigan. So we were talking all about Yeah.
Carrie:Yes. Cause we got married the year before and then you guys August, you have a summer in Northern Michigan. Beautiful wedding. Beautiful wedding.
Meredith:Highly recommend. It's gorgeous. Yeah.
Carrie:It's good stuff. And then ever since then, I feel like you're my Yeah. Like, FaceTime long distance Yeah. Prayer partner. For sure.
Carrie:Yeah. Which is a complete I know.
Meredith:It's so cool. I'm like, we haven't even lived in the same city. And like, I think that our friendship has grown Yeah. Testimony to our friendship and Yeah. Yeah.
Meredith:The Lord's work.
Carrie:It's so awesome. And also just being in small town is so sweet because it's like, I I talked to you some and then my sister's like, was just talking to Meredith and she was praying about this. Then my aunt's like, I'm in the Meredith and Patrick and they were saying, it's just so Your mom texted me. Yeah. Yeah.
Carrie:It was just like the fun the fun thing about Yeah. About being in small town. It's so awesome. Yeah. That's a little little background on our friendship, which brings us to being pregnant together.
Carrie:Because I think Scarlet's just a few months younger than ours.
Meredith:She is. Yeah. Wasn't really planned that way, but she Okay. She came a little early. Okay.
Carrie:That's true. Yeah. That's true.
Meredith:She But we were pregnant at the
Carrie:same time. Yeah. We were. Yeah. Because I you I came back home to Ohio for my baby shower,
Meredith:pregnant, but you hadn't told you were newly pregnant.
Carrie:Were you sick at my shower? Probably.
Meredith:I was yeah. I think I was brown.
Carrie:Was I was really sick. So this is funny. We realized after my shower that I had a table with like six people on it. All of them were pregnant.
Meredith:No one said anything, and they were all, like, grossed out. All do, like, the same time too. Like, we've been, like, two weeks. Yeah. Yes.
Carrie:And it it's so funny looking back and all with girls, which obviously wouldn't have Yeah. But it's just a table full of girls that were pregnant with girls, but nobody was saying anything. And then two weeks later, they're all texting like, by the way, I was pregnant. By the way, I'm pregnant, which was so Yeah. So sweet.
Carrie:Like, all my friends were pregnant girls at the same time. I was like the token boy. I remember McKee
Meredith:Carrie saying, oh, it's gonna be a really special year or something like that. And I was like, I wonder if she's pregnant.
Carrie:Everybody like says I was like,
Meredith:is everyone else pregnant here too? I think we're at
Carrie:that phase of life where everybody's sitting on the table and they're like, she's not mentioning anything. She's I don't know. She's is she eating her eggs?
Meredith:You're like, what's new? And I had nothing
Carrie:to say to you because I was like, I can't hide it. I don't know what it is. But whenever you're pregnant, I feel like everybody can see it even though nobody wouldn't really know. Yeah. And it's like, what's going on in life?
Carrie:And you're like, I can't think of a thing to say. Literally nothing because all you're thinking about is like the biggest life Yeah. Change ever. Remember that feeling so specifically. Like I was just dodging people until I told everyone that I was pregnant.
Meredith:Please don't ask me on the phone. Finally. I can Please
Carrie:don't ask me phone. Yeah. Exactly. So walk us through your pregnancy a little bit because I guess just to preface with this this conversation, you know, before we get like too into the details of it, Scarlet was born early. She was born when how many weeks were you when you delivered her?
Meredith:I so yeah. My water broke at thirty three weeks, but I delivered at thirty four weeks.
Carrie:Okay. Wow. And and you spent some time in the NICU Mhmm. Which I really Meredith has a a really beautiful NICU experience that we're gonna get into like the whole story of. But that's kinda why I wanted you to be on just like for other moms that that either, you know, may have to go through that and fear going through it or have, or even in the midst of it now, and you handled it so beautifully and with so much grace.
Carrie:But if you don't mind, like walk us through pregnancy beforehand. I'd love to know like how how was your whole pregnancy experience before before Scarlet, you know, came into the world?
Meredith:Yeah. So before Scarlet came into the world, I I mean, I had a very normal pregnancy experience. Had all the symptoms. I was super sick first trimester.
Carrie:Okay. Were you, like, throwing
Meredith:up sick? I was. But I was I think I was really nauseous. Nauseous.
Carrie:Okay. That's how I was. I didn't, like, end up actually getting sick a ton. Yeah. But I was just absolutely, like, what?
Carrie:Every single day. Just, like,
Meredith:felt had no energy. So I've I everything felt very normal. Mhmm. You know, my doctor said everything is very normal about everything. I wasn't didn't have any concerns.
Meredith:You know?
Carrie:You also looked adorable. Oh, thank Very
Meredith:cute pregnant girl. We were doing all the things.
Carrie:The baby moon which we bring
Meredith:to for a baby moon. Oh, one of those goals. We were getting the nursery ready. You know, was doing the prayer journal.
Carrie:It was like
Meredith:praying over our baby, which we also didn't know the gender, which that was something
Carrie:that was so fun that we had that
Meredith:in common.
Carrie:So fun. Like the best. We were just talking about that earlier. We're like, would you do it again? Would we do it again?
Carrie:Like baby number two, are we gonna do it? You said probably. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Meredith:We loved it.
Carrie:So Patrick, he got on board.
Meredith:He did. He he got
Carrie:on board. So did Connor. At first, he's like, and then and now it's funny because we talk about baby number two. I'm like,
Meredith:I don't know. Would we wanna know?
Carrie:And Connor is like, I I thought it was fun. I kinda wanna not know again. Like, we switched roles. Like we went into this completely very strongly the opposite. But Yeah.
Carrie:Anyway, so you didn't know? We didn't know. Okay.
Meredith:No. Yeah. So we're doing all the the normal baby things. And then the only thing was we did buy a new house. Okay.
Carrie:You you should tell this story because I think it's it's actually kind of part of the birth story in a way. It kinda is. Yeah. The way that it all weaved together Yeah. Was challenging but also very god.
Meredith:Yeah. So I got word that there was a house, I mean, literally a block away from ours that was gonna be up for sale. And I look it up online and I call Patrick and I said, hey, I think we need to buy this house.
Carrie:How pregnant were you? Oh gosh.
Meredith:I I I was May. Okay. And I was due September. So, like, second trimester.
Carrie:Yeah. Cute pregnant. Okay. Yeah. So I was, like, feeling good.
Meredith:Yeah. Second trimester. Oh, we can move.
Carrie:We move. Like, no
Meredith:big deal. Like, we're doing great. Totally. Was I like, I think we should buy this house. And I mean, he was kind of aside himself, like, you wanna move right now?
Carrie:Right now? I was like, oh,
Meredith:we got it. No big deal. Right? You know, it needed a lot of work.
Carrie:So you got the house. We got the house.
Meredith:Yeah. It needed a ton of work. So we kinda kept pushing back the move because we were like, well, let's wait till it's painted. Let's wait till the wallpaper's done. Let's wait till the carpet you know, just things kept happening.
Meredith:So we're like, okay, we'll push it back
Carrie:till August 1. And you're due in September or something?
Meredith:Like late September? September. Okay. September 17. And I was like, we'll still have six weeks.
Meredith:Right?
Carrie:Because most first pregnancies get like, people are waiting forever to have their baby. Yeah. That's fair.
Meredith:I wouldn't
Carrie:say anything.
Meredith:And I honestly, I really didn't know anyone that had had a premature baby. Mhmm. So I it wasn't even on my radar.
Carrie:That would be a possibility.
Meredith:That could be a possibility. I also think I realized
Carrie:I don't know that I would know it was with unless you were high risk or like there were things beforehand, but to have a really smooth pregnancy, I don't think I would have expected that either if my water broke early. Yeah.
Meredith:Yeah. So Wasn't even on my radar. I mean, I was thinking, okay, we're gonna move. And then after that, then we'll do the birth class. I still had I was supposed to go to one of my best friend's wedding the following weekend.
Meredith:After the weekend after we moved.
Carrie:We had We still have plans. Much to do. Traveling so much. It's like nesting times a 100 because it's a new house.
Meredith:But I was like, once we move, then I'll slow down. I'll get settled. We'll get ready for the baby. Little did I know. I I think this is also just a testament that, like, we we think we can plan out our lives.
Meredith:Mhmm. And God's like, nope. You don't even know? He had other plans. Yeah.
Meredith:So we we move on a Saturday. Sunday morning, we wake up and I did not know, but my water had broken. And it I'd obviously never had my water break
Carrie:before. So That's fair.
Meredith:I didn't know what to expect. Mhmm. And I think in the movies, you think it's like a big gush.
Carrie:Yes. You're
Meredith:like, oh my gosh, my water broke.
Carrie:Yeah. It wasn't. It's like a gallon of water like fly on the floor. Yeah. That's what you see.
Carrie:That's what I
Meredith:thought it was gonna be. It wasn't. And no, wasn't like that. I also think it wasn't even on my radar that my water could break early.
Carrie:I think that's fair. A thirty three week, I would not be prepared for that yet. Yeah. So Sunday morning, yeah, we go to church. We're we're home
Meredith:from church and I just I'm like, I think there's something wrong. I just had this sense that I was like,
Carrie:it it was like a slow trickle throughout
Meredith:the day and I just, like, felt in my spirit. I think there's something wrong. And I think that
Carrie:husband's listening to mom podcasts. Both husbands are in the studio.
Meredith:Okay. We get it. Okay. So, yeah, I think there's something wrong. Felt that in my spirit.
Meredith:So I called the doctor on call on Sunday and they said, I think I think you should come into triage. And I remember I just remember having this sinking feeling in my pit of like, oh my gosh. There like, something's wrong with the baby. You know?
Carrie:I was gonna ask. So you were you scared about not just I could be going into labor, but something's wrong?
Meredith:Yeah. I I mean, I didn't know what was going on. Didn't even know I didn't know it was like my water breaking. I was I miss like, I had no clue what was going on.
Carrie:Remember They just said come in? Mhmm. Okay. That would scare scare me too.
Meredith:Yeah. I remember calling my mom and like crying and her being like, well, what can I do? I was like, just pray. Mhmm. Like, that's all we can, you know.
Meredith:And so we packed up. We really didn't bring much because we were kind of in a in a hurry. And we didn't have any bags packed because we weren't ready to go to the hospital. Brought like a pillow and a blanket. And we got there and they checked me and they said, do you feel those contractions?
Meredith:And I I was like, I yeah. I do feel those contractions, But I didn't know they were contractions.
Carrie:Didn't realize that's what they were. Were they painful or just tightening?
Meredith:Not it was just tightening at that point. Yeah. So it was just it was just starting. And so they checked me and they were like, your water is broken. You're two centimeters dilated, and you're not leaving this hospital until you have your baby.
Carrie:Okay. What went through your mind?
Meredith:Yeah. I remember yeah. I just remember crying because I was I was so scared of what does this mean. Mhmm. Like and also, yeah, you're just overcome with fear of like, I do something wrong?
Meredith:Mhmm. You know, why is this happening to our baby? There was nothing that led up to this that made me feel like, you know, there was anything to be concerned about. Yeah. So yeah, you're just overcome with fear.
Meredith:So they get us checked into a room and the first thing that happens is the NICU team comes in and they let you know what to expect with having a premature baby that early, which that is, you know, hard to listen to. And they have to kind of prepare you for the worst in that situation. They have to they say like, you know, prepare to be here until your baby's due date. They also said you're thirty three weeks. At that point, most baby their lungs are not developed at that point.
Meredith:So likely, you know, you'll have to deliver in the OR because the NICU team will have to be there, but you won't be able to hold your baby upon delivery because they'll probably hook them up to oxygen.
Carrie:Take them away. Okay. Yeah.
Meredith:So just so much happening and unexpected day, you know.
Carrie:Oh my gosh. I can't even I remember your mom texted someone that sent to me, like, through the great bed. I got a text from your mom saying her water I remember waking up in the morning. First thing in the morning out of bed and I saw, Meredith's water broke. Tomorrow, she'll be 33 or whatever it was.
Carrie:And we're trying to hold off and, like and just just pray that everything's smooth or something. And oh my gosh. I prayed for you so hard that day. Was just and you know, when your friend is in the you don't wanna text them, like you're just not that's the one time in life where you're just like really not on your phone. You're really not just like, oh, this is what happened.
Carrie:So it's a weird feeling to know that you were praying for someone through a whole pregnancy and be like, I'm not gonna reach out to them. Yeah. So I'm just gonna pray and like pray that they know that a huge community is doing the same thing. Yeah. But man, yeah, my my heart was just so with you.
Carrie:And I'd also just had a baby so I knew the fear that honestly, the fear that comes with having a on time delivery still can creep in. Yeah. But, yeah, I'm so proud of the way that you just, like, committed. Did you did you even were were all of your thoughts about is Scarlet gonna be okay? Did it cross your mind we're unprepared, like, to move into our house?
Carrie:Like, did did anything in terms of, like, we're not ready creeping? Oh, yeah.
Meredith:I mean, like yeah. And we weren't ready
Carrie:at all. We had we had moved into
Meredith:the house, but, like, the nursery was not set up. We didn't yeah. We it was you know, the house was still there's boxes everywhere. But I think at that point, I had to just surrender that, let that all go. And thankfully, our families are amazing and they really spent some time while we were in the hospital getting the house ready for So kind.
Meredith:Us to come home, which was so kind. Mhmm. Yeah. We so what happened was I there's a steroid shot you can get and it can help speed up the development of the lung. So I got the first dose that Sunday night and the big prayer request was that I would make it till Monday night at 9PM to get the second dose.
Meredith:And that was the huge request. And we you know, my doctor said, there's there's two ways this can go. Either you go directly into labor and you have this baby tonight or your labor will stall out and we'll be able to get you that second dose, which that's the preferred route, obviously. Mhmm.
Carrie:Are you in pain this whole time? Like your contractions picking up? Yeah. So then So the preferred route is you could be in labor for two days. Wow.
Carrie:So brave. That's I mean, it totally makes sense for for the baby's lungs, but that's a long time.
Meredith:Yeah. So my yeah. So I was in I was having contractions all that night. And even I was I think I was telling you this. I had to go get an ultrasound that morning, Monday morning, first thing in the morning.
Meredith:And I'm having contractions and an ultrasound, which an ultrasound already can be painful. You know what mean? They're really pressing
Carrie:and they're really being like when the baby's really
Meredith:They're like, it's getting something wrong and
Carrie:they're trying
Meredith:to figure out what's going on and you're having contractions I during was also stressed. I was like, I don't wanna find out the gender.
Carrie:Don't Just another layer on top. Oh, this hurts. Also, don't tell me. Don't you dare say
Meredith:a pronoun. So much was going on. Yeah. So my labor did I was able to get that second dose that first night, which was amazing. And that was, yeah, a huge answer to prayer.
Meredith:So throughout the week and like you said, you were praying for me and I'm like, we felt like such peace, which I mean, it was a peace that surpasses all understanding because, you know, initially, I felt such fear and anxiety going into it. But I think there were so many people praying for us and that's just a testament to the power of prayer and how many people like, and you said you you didn't even text. I mean, but it was one of those things you were you were getting so
Carrie:many texts, but I was like,
Meredith:I you just don't even have capacity to respond to people because Like,
Carrie:it's nice to know that everyone loves you and cares, but also Yeah.
Meredith:Yeah. Makes sense. Just holding this loosely of, like, I'm stepping into something I don't know what's gonna happen. Mhmm. Yeah.
Meredith:So throughout the week, it was really cool. We I mean, we had so many different nurses because we were there for a few days and we started like a prayer wall that we were writing down all the prayer requests. And we ended up bringing that into Scarlet to NICU. And you could see even throughout the entire time she was there, like, all the prayer requests and the answers to prayer that we prayed for her. And that so many people were praying for her to see the miracle happen.
Meredith:That's so beautiful.
Carrie:So when did you actually deliver her? Like, was it was how how long after that
Meredith:second dose? So, yeah, I got the second dose on, yeah, Monday night. Something so cool actually. So my doctor delivered her baby at thirty four weeks. Really?
Meredith:Yeah. And it it I mean, it's a total god thing because like I said, I was like, I've never I didn't know anyone that had walked through this. And I really felt that. And the the fact that I love my doctor and the fact that she walked through the same thing.
Carrie:Specifically had been through it. And I had someone right there
Meredith:with us the entire time. You know? Incredible.
Carrie:That's such an answered prayer, honestly.
Meredith:Yeah. So I got induced. It was midnight on Wednesday because then, you know, that you run the risk of you're getting infection if your water is broken. So it's like, basically, I went as long as I could to until I had to get induced. And then Scarlet came at 03:25PM
Carrie:Okay.
Meredith:That day on Wednesday. And what
Carrie:was it like meeting her? And did you get to hold her? Did they have to take her and make sure she was good? How'd that work?
Meredith:So and that and I think something I learned was, I mean, you have a birth plan. You think, like, going into this, I want all these different things and you just have to surrender all of that. Mhmm. And just trust that whatever plan God has, it'll unfold and just pray for that. But ultimately, at the end of the day, my prayer was like, I just want everyone in that room, that delivery room to just be able to taste and see that the Lord is good.
Meredith:And yeah. So I delivered her in the OR even though it's a natural delivery and she came out and and, of course, Patrick got to see that it was a girl, which was so special.
Carrie:And he's so sweet that dad gets to mess it.
Meredith:Got to turn her over. They had
Carrie:to do at least one thing. They did everything else, but dad gets to be there. It's so sweet.
Meredith:But the the most special thing was, you know, the NICU team was right there to when she was delivered, and they said she's breathing. And they're like, do you wanna hold your baby? Which they had said to me originally, you're not gonna get to hold your baby. And so I got to hold her for thirty seconds there before they had to hook her up to everything, and it was so special. And that we were, like, just praising God of, like, we didn't think we'd get this moment with her.
Meredith:You know? We were told they were gonna just whisk her away. And so that, I mean, that in itself was a miracle. Oh, absolutely. Yeah.
Meredith:So, yeah, that was the birth the birth story.
Carrie:And then you head into the unknown of, like, her just being in the NICU for how long did she end up being in the NICU?
Meredith:She was there twenty one days. Okay. Yeah. So then we head into the NICU, which I I think another thing I really learned was I I didn't have much I didn't have any experience with people in the NICU. And I learned that, you know, NICU babies, it's not just that they're small babies, it's that they're, you know, not fully developed.
Meredith:Mhmm. So everyone was like, oh, she's only five pounds. She's just a small baby. But it's it's not just that. It's that she her lungs aren't fully developed.
Meredith:You know, she doesn't know how to breathe and suck and swallow as other babies do because
Carrie:She hasn't had the full gestation.
Meredith:She's just still in my belly.
Carrie:Yes. That makes so much sense. But I had I didn't really think about that either. We talked about this the day. Mhmm.
Carrie:Oh, I've never really thought about that that when you are born early, it's like Yeah. Your body's just taking time to continue growing to what would be the forty week mark Exactly. On their full terms. Like, yeah, she has to do that outside of the womb. Yeah.
Carrie:Praise God for the NICU unit for that reason. Yeah.
Meredith:So she had to meet certain benchmarks. And so even though she was breathing, she struggled to breathe. And that was an issue where she would have these events where she would stop breathing. And then it was something where we'd see, is she able to fix it on her own? Or do we have to go in and kinda intervene to remind her to continue to breathe?
Carrie:That's so scary.
Meredith:Yeah. So it was scary. Yeah. She's hooked up to all the monitors And then also, she didn't know how to suck or swallow. So she didn't know how to nurse, so she had a feeding tube.
Meredith:So that was really the main focus while we were there is to for her to learn how to breathe and to feed, which are two very important things Very vital things. In life. But I will say the NICU nurses were just true angels to us. Like and they ministered to us. I really we're like, that is a calling.
Meredith:Oh my gosh. Absolutely. That they have. And I mean, there were
Carrie:there were really hard days
Meredith:in there and they, you know, loved us and cared for us and were there for me. Yeah. I will remember even
Carrie:I had one of those
Meredith:you remember, like, the swaddles that have, like, the bows on it that are so cute? You know, I had that for Scarlett and I was like, oh gosh. Like, I can't take a cute photo of her because she has she's hooked up to all these monitors and cords and tubes and everything. And they're like, no no no no. Like, we're gonna we're gonna do a photoshoot.
Meredith:And they were so kind. Were like
Carrie:I mean, it didn't look anything like a normal Solano, but they were
Meredith:like, we're doing this. That is so sweet.
Carrie:Yeah. There's yeah. I I do another friend of mine that had a similar NICU experience, she talked about just the the impact of the nurses and just how much they care. And Yeah. It's it's really beautiful to see.
Carrie:It's like, yes, it's about the the medical care, but also just the hard care for parents Yeah. Is such a calling, like you said. Yeah.
Meredith:Yeah. I think, I mean, there were
Carrie:I would say there were really hard days.
Meredith:There were days that were like, you know, one step forward or two steps back where you would, you know, go in and and, like, she she stopped breathing six times at night and you're like, will we ever get out of here?
Carrie:And then also, like, the fear of, like,
Meredith:am I gonna be ever ready for her to leave here? Because it feels like such a security blanket, you know.
Carrie:Yeah. To be around the doctors and nurses. That makes sense. Yeah. So did you go home at all?
Carrie:I know you said you stayed at the hospital. Yeah. Did you go home at all in between like before you went home with her?
Meredith:Yeah. So we were living yeah. We lived at the hospital and I and I originally was like, I'm not leaving without my baby. And then you you get to a point, you know, and the nurses were like, you need to to get out Mhmm. And just get away.
Meredith:And and they said, she'll never have better care than she has right here. So there were yeah. A few moments that I would go to dinner with my mom or, you know, went home to see our house for the first time since we moved just to get out. And I think that was so helpful for me just a a reminder of of what reality is and Yeah. You know, the world's still
Carrie:going. Be cooped up in that. Mhmm. Was that challenging to leave without her? Like, did that was that heavy on your heart?
Carrie:Or do feel like you still had
Meredith:the disease? Yeah. The first time it was really hard. And then I think I got over it of like, okay. Like she's in the best possible care.
Carrie:Mhmm. I
Meredith:have no reason to fear, you know. And this is actually really good for me too. And in order to be the best mom possible, it's good for me to get out.
Carrie:That's so good. I'm I'm glad you got to have that perspective because I can only imagine how challenging that would be. But I'm sure that was refreshing, especially because you guys were living there. I've had other friends that have to come back and forth, which is like its own challenge in a way to go to sleep at night at your own house when your baby's not there. Yeah.
Carrie:But for you guys, almost the opposite issue of you're so surrounded by the NICU. It's twenty four seven. That's so that's that's such good advice for moms that are Yeah. Doing that to get out, to have a meal, to just make a little space to to breathe. And like you said, it makes you a better mom and then you get to be Yeah.
Carrie:Feeling fueled. Because even with breast milk and all those things, like, much stress and so much Yeah. It matters, especially in those early weeks recovery wise, you know, to really just be as healthy as you can be for her. Yeah. It's really beautiful.
Carrie:How was nursing? Like, how did that how because I know you you still nurse. How did you do that transition from feeding tube to did you do bottles first? How'd that work?
Meredith:Yeah. So starting out, she couldn't nurse. So we I pumped. I was pumping every three hours. Hero.
Meredith:Hero.
Carrie:Heroes among us. Like, I'm
Meredith:like, yeah. That is not for the faint of heart.
Carrie:It's amazing. Now that she's like
Meredith:fully nursing. But the hard thing was eventually, she learned how to nurse. And so when I came home from the hospital, I was pumping and nursing every three hours. Oh my gosh.
Carrie:Okay. So I
Meredith:had to figure out how to wean off the pumping because I yeah.
Carrie:It was a lot. Yeah.
Meredith:Was like producing enough milk for twins.
Carrie:Like, how do we shift this back? It it is amazing though what moms do. Another friend of mine that had a a daughter in the NICU. It was incredible. And I I saw this with you some.
Carrie:I feel like I was really in communication with her when she was going through it. And it was incredible to see how much just how much she was willing to sacrifice without even blinking an eye. And I think those of us that have a full term baby or a typical delivery, you can just take things for granted. Yeah. And I think a lot of us, you just you hear a lot of like the like even with pumpings, I didn't love pumping.
Carrie:It's like, oh, what an eye roll or I don't wanna do but the moms that that truly it's like, I'm doing this for my child. My child needs this and and I want to provide it. And I just think it inspired me to see you and to see my other friends that have gone through it just step up in a way that is just truly the definition of sacrificial love. Yeah. If you'll do whatever.
Carrie:And I remember my friend, she said to me that they'll never take for granted a normal day with their daughter. She's like Yeah. Every day is so the the oh, I have to get up and pump or have to do this. I get to because there was fear there more than the average delivery. So I just think it's so inspiring and incredible the way that moms just step up to the plate and just do what has to be done.
Meredith:Yeah. Yeah. Living there, I think that some people had said, oh, wow. You're living at the hospital still? And I was like, as long as there is a room there for us, like, yeah.
Meredith:I wanna be there with my baby. So did guys have a bed?
Carrie:What's what's the layout here?
Meredith:Yeah. It was a normal room. It was and we it was our big joke that it was like we were college dormies because I like I had the twin bed and Patrick had
Carrie:the pullout chair. And we had
Meredith:a little mini fridge that we would go like Sounds gorgeous. Eat snacks in in between, you know, our feeds with Scarlet and Oh my gosh. How far is the hospital from your house? Like, twenty five minutes.
Carrie:And from town and stuff. So did family come a lot? Like, was it was it just you two a lot or were people in and out?
Meredith:Yeah. We I mean, we stayed there, but then, yeah, we had family come every day. Okay. That's nice. Yeah.
Meredith:Which was really nice. Wow. So yeah. I and I think the hardest thing and kind of what you're saying is is it was that comparison, you know, of watching even on social media, I watch other moms or influencers that would have their babies and then go home in two days later and get to be at home with their babies. And, you know, we're still at the hospital.
Meredith:We're still we're still working at it. We're, you know, Scarlet's still working to meet those benchmarks and we're not there yet. And that was the hardest thing. And I mean, comparison can tell kills contentment. You know, even if you are content, even if you're having a good day, even like Scarlet's having a good day, but you look at what other people are doing.
Meredith:That's the hard part. And I think the verse I really clung to when we were in the NICU was Psalms 34. I sought the Lord. He answered me. He delivered me.
Meredith:Those who look to him are radiant. And that was really what I repeated every day was like, he delivered me from my fears and we're seeking him every day. And, you know, we have this prayer wall. We're watching God answer prayers for Scarlet day in and day out, and she is a miracle that we didn't expect to happen. Yeah.
Meredith:That's amazing. So
Carrie:That's so amazing. What do you feel like, from going through this experience? What are your takeaways in terms of God's faithfulness? Like, what have you learned about the Lord from walking through this? I think
Meredith:a big thing is how much God loves Scarlet. You know? I think it's so easy to be like, I'm her mother, but like, Scarlet is God's daughter and he loves her more than I could ever love her. You know? Which seems crazy.
Meredith:Mhmm. You know? You're like, how how is that possible? I love her more than anything, you know? But I think, like, being able to trust and surrender to God of like, he loves her so much and I have to trust that he's gonna take care of her, you know?
Meredith:Because there's days I'm like, I can there's nothing I can do, you know. I can be there with her day in and day out, you know, attempting to feed her and attempting to remind her to breathe. But like, I have to trust that like, she's God's daughter.
Carrie:That's so good. I feel like that's a lesson all of us moms have to learn at some point. Like, God's gonna force us to learn that one way or the other one time or not. Even if it's when your kid goes off to college and you're like, okay, I'm not in charge. Like, it's gonna hit all of us.
Carrie:And I think, obviously, you aren't expecting to have to learn that lesson as quickly as you did when she was born so fast in her life. But it's it's a blessing that you did because I I will say seeing you as a mom and I know often it's from afar, but when we are together Yeah. You do just have such a you just carry such a confidence and a and a peaceful surrender to your motherhood.
Meredith:Thank
Carrie:you. That really inspires me. I don't think you run with a stressful or controlling demeanor. There's just there's a lot of there's a lot of surrender there. And I I think that's just who you are in general Yeah.
Carrie:And your character. But I also think that's something that God got to show you so early in motherhood. So I do get excited to see you even just with future pregnancies and babies and just see the way that peace will carry. Because I do think people that go through more typical experiences or haven't had to rely on the Lord in that way. Like, you literally had to be like, Lord, we're putting her on a machine.
Carrie:Yes, you're relying on the people. Yes, you're relying on the hospital. But also, really, you're just relying on the Lord. Like, it's like you can't do anything but sit there and pray. And I just I'm so yeah.
Carrie:I can't wait to see the way that that continues to to like carry you into the next Yeah. Seasons of motherhood to just go back to that, I wonder. Because I I feel like I think about you and my mom friends that have gone through this often just with small things in my own motherhood, but let alone walking through it personally. It's just really cool to watch.
Meredith:Thank you. That's so thoughtful. I think also another thing was, like, even perspective. Because while we were there, we met some other NICU moms and and hearing some of their stories, like, I mean, there was a mom we met that she had twins and she had a son and daughter and she lost a daughter. And at that point, we were like, we have nothing to complain about.
Meredith:We you know, you just put everything comes in perspective of like, I you know, it doesn't matter that we're not at home. It doesn't matter that we could be here another few weeks. Like Scarlett will one day be okay. We know that. But hearing other mom stories in the NICU was really powerful for us as Mhmm.
Meredith:A Yeah. Of like how grateful we were. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Carrie:Yeah. What do you wish you knew beforehand about being a NICU mom? What would you want other moms to know that are maybe walking through it right this second or will have to walk through that road? Yeah. What would you like Yeah.
Carrie:Some people don't know?
Meredith:I would well, first off, I mean, those nurses are angels. They're gonna take such good care of you and they're and they care so deeply about your baby. No. Beside you, they like, they they're the ones that care about your baby and they're gonna do anything for them. But then I also think just the reminder of someone had said this to me was every mom walks through something at some point with their baby.
Meredith:I mean, not even baby, I guess, But, you know, every mom will walk through something with their child. You are just walking through something, a huge trial very early on in your child's life.
Carrie:Who was it someone you knew or was it someone you didn't know that said that?
Meredith:Yeah. Someone I knew said that. Yeah.
Carrie:Yeah. I think that's that's beautiful. I feel like it goes back to kind of what I was saying of like, I think you're just you're getting equipped early and Mhmm. I I don't know. I pray that like moms that that hear this, if like they are walking through this would because you can see it two ways.
Carrie:Yeah. Like, I talk about this so much on this podcast because it's a mom podcast comparisons, everything. Yeah. But you can look at it through that lens or you can look at it as the Lord is growing me in this area early and it's gonna help me be be a better mother, which I feel like I'm sure it already is.
Meredith:Oh, wait. Oh my gosh. Yeah.
Carrie:Do you trust God more with Scarlet because of the total surrender needed in the first weeks? 100%.
Meredith:Yeah. Yeah. I think I mean, her story is just a story of God's faithfulness and his goodness in her life and seeing all of that unfold.
Carrie:Mhmm.
Meredith:And I looking back, I'm so grateful for every part of that experience because it the, you know, the way that it strengthened my faith and my faith in trusting God with her.
Carrie:Do you fear your next pregnancy and delivery? Are you excited? How do you pray toward that? Or are you not even like thinking about that yet? It's okay for I
Meredith:I am like, oh my gosh. Okay. I'm gonna not do anything after thirty weeks. I don't know.
Carrie:I'm gonna not move houses.
Meredith:That's what I'm gonna do. I'm definitely not moving houses. I'm not doing anything super stressful. But my I mean, my doctor said, you know, we have absolutely no reason to believe something you know? Mhmm.
Meredith:This happens and there's nothing you did wrong and there's nothing that you need to do differently in the future. So you shouldn't be living in fear
Carrie:Yeah.
Meredith:That it's gonna happen again.
Carrie:The Lord knows. The Lord knows. The Lord knows for all of us. I I already it's so funny having a baby. For a while, you don't think about the next baby.
Carrie:And then now, I don't know, he's creeping toward a year and like, what's that next pregnancy? What's that next first trimester gonna be like? What's the next delivery gonna be like? Lord willing. So I don't know.
Carrie:It's it's good. Dude, that's a good perspective. Yeah. Gosh. Well, thank you so much for being on, Meredith.
Carrie:This was truly so lovely. I think conversation will absolutely pour into moms that need to hear it. So thanks for sharing.