Last week I was contacted by a health reporter to discuss the recent birth of Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade’s daughter. Because they have publicly shared a lot about their struggles to conceive, I expected the topic to be infertility, pregnancy via surrogate or gestational carrier or motherhood after 35 ― something along those lines. Instead, the reporter wanted to discuss skin-to-skin contact between an intended parent and a baby born via surrogate or gestational carrier. Why? Because Union and Wade were heavily criticized on social media after she posted a photo of herself doing skin-to-skin with her daughter. She was accused of pretending as if she had given birth because she was in a hospital bed wearing a hospital gown.
After everything this couple has been through and after they bravely chose to share their fertility challenges with the world, this is what some people had to say?
I am sure the positive comments and congratulations far outweighed any negative sentiments, but the fact that even one person said something so hurtful is simply awful. I have to say, though, I am not surprised.”
Shannon M. Clark, MD, MMS is a double board certified ObGyn and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist, and founder of Babies After 35. In her roles as a clinician, educator and researcher at UTMB-Galveston, she focuses on the care of people with maternal and/or fetal complications of pregnancy. Dr. Clark has taken a special interest in pregnancy after the age of 35, which according to age alone, is considered a high-risk pregnancy.
Follow Shannon on TikTok @tiktokbabydoc, Facebook @babiesafter35, and Instagram @babiesafter35.
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