Can I be real with y’all? The world we live in is complete and utter trash. Existing is hard, but things like Trader Joe’s plantain chips, direct deposits and plans you regretted making getting canceled are just some of the things that make existing bearable.
You know what else makes life a little bit brighter? Finally getting something you’ve dreamed about that you thought would never happen. Insert Gabrielle Union. As she’s publicly disclosed, Union has been biologically trying to bring life into this world for years, and has unfortunately been unsuccessful. She’s suffered multiple miscarriages—and yet, she persevered.
Union and her husband Dwyane Wade recently welcomed a new baby girl, named Kaavia James Union Wade, via surrogate. But what was supposed to be a time of celebration and warm and fuzzies was met with ridicule and ill-advised commentary.
“Why is she wrapped up in bed like she carried the child?” one of many Instagram pundits commented on a picture of Union and Wade having skin-to-skin contact with their newborn in a hospital bed. “Why is she in a hospital gown?” another asked.
And the assault on the couple’s happiness continued—apparently, these vagabonds didn’t learn that if you don’t have anything nice to say, then you should keep your damned mouth shut. But a career in social media has taught me that people are in serious need of hobbies and things to occupy their free time.
Union and Wade debuted photos of their new blessing on Instagram and they were understandably in a hospital because their baby was just born there. Would it have made more sense for them be caught up in the rapture at your local Piggly Wiggly? And since they were in a hospital, Union and Wade both donned hospital garments to meet their new bundle of joy ...but apparently, the lovely people of Instagram would have preferred them in a freakum dress and basketball gear, respectively.
When I saw the photos, I instantly thought of Kangaroo Mother Care. According to Mary Kinney of the Healthy Newborn Network at Save The Children, Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) refers to the practice of providing continuous skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby, exclusive breastmilk feeding, and early discharge from hospital. Both Wade and Union were documented holding their newborn to their skin; the practice has been known to reduce mortality by 40 percent.
Kinney also states that this continuous skin-to-skin contact can protect a child from infections, help regulate temperature, improve breathing and increase brain activity.
It’s not 100 percent proven that the couple was participating in KMC, but what is 100 percent factual is that they were minding their black ass business, and you should too. If a couple celebrating the birth of their new blessing—however she arrived here—bothers you, then you should probably take a look inside and find out what’s wrong with you.