Former Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson East says it would have been fitting if her rainbow baby arrived on October 21st. This is the date that two years ago, the couple learned she had miscarried with their first child.
Shawn and her husband, football player Andrew East, are expecting to welcome their baby into the world any day now. This is their first child since the miscarriage back in 2017.
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And as the couple plays the waiting game, wondering when their baby boy or girl is going to make an appearance, Shawn took to Instagram. She took a moment to remember the day she learned she miscarried on social media.
“Two years ago today our world was turned upside down when we lost our first pregnancy… 2 years later we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our rainbow baby. Baby East, we can’t wait to meet you and pray for your safe delivery and arrival into our arms. Andrew, thank you for being my rock through it all. You’re going to be the greatest daddy ever. #throwback #pregnancy”
Several of her followers said the caption to the photo she posted, which showed the couple holding a pair of infant-sized converse, gave them “chills.”
Shawn and Andrew first revealed that they had suffered a miscarriage in a 2017 YouTube video. The video begins with Shawn learning she was pregnant, although they weren’t trying to start a family at that time.
However, the video takes a turn shortly after Shawn told Andrew they were expecting when she began experiencing stomach pains and bleeding.
The couple, who married in 2016, first revealed they were pregnant again on April 4, 2019. The soon-to-be mom wrote on Instagram, “We cannot WAIT to welcome you to the world and shower you with love. Andrew, WE DID IT!”
However, as Shawn explained in a YouTube video, their second pregnancy has also had its share of complications. While the former gold medalist has remained in good spirits, Shawn explained she was diagnosed with a two-vessel umbilical cord, rather than a three-vessel umbilical cord.
Two-vessel umbilical cords only occur in 1-percent of all pregnancies, and according to March of Dimes, that means that rather than having “one vein that carries food and oxygen from the placenta to your baby and two arteries that carry waste from your baby back to the placenta,” some women rely on only two vessels to do the same amount of work.
Thankfully, the couple and their doctor seem to have a good plan in place to ensure Shawn is able to deliver their child safely.
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Shortly after remembering the miscarriage of their child, Shawn took to Instagram again this time with a 10-minute long video piecing together their pregnancy journey, start in 2017.
As of October 25, the couple is still awaiting their baby’s arrival.
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