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Every mom has a birth story to tell. For me, this would be my last. After this, we are closing the factory, so I made sure to savor every moment of this miraculous occasion. The day Boss Baby Brody was born was unlike anything I expected, but it was one of the best days of our lives! Surrounded by family and supported by my amazing husband, baby Brody was born to the happiest mom in the world!

We were scheduled to be induced on September 17, at 6 a.m. I got lucky as this was my grandpa Joe’s birthday. I got pregnant when my grandmother Lucy passed, and how amazing to have my son on her husband’s birthday!


When pregnant, blood volume increases as much as 50 percent to help supply enough oxygenated blood to the baby.


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The Day Has Finally Arrived

We woke up so excited and quickly rushed out of the door. We couldn’t believe today was the day. Finally, we were going to welcome our third son to our family. Our sweet girl was going to have three brothers, and we couldn’t have been happier.

My sister-in-law and mother-in-law flew in to help us with our children, which was beyond gracious. Having such hands-on help from the family we love so much really couldn’t have made for a more perfect birthday for our new addition.

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Welcoming Our Little Baby

When we checked into the hospital the nurses were so on top of things. They did a stellar job prepping me for the induction and started the Pitocin right away. I’ve never gone into labor on my own, so I’ve always had to schedule an induction. The nurses knew we were banking our cord blood and cord tissue with Cord Blood Registry (CBR), so they gladly prepared the boxes for the post-birth collection.

Once the contractions kicked in, they offered me an epidural, and I happily obliged (sorry my “all-natural” friends). My pain threshold is worse than a child’s. I scream and cry if I bump my arm. I am a total weakling and the first to admit it. So if I can have a child and feel the minimal, sign me up.


Babies can hear their mother’s voice from inside the womb. At about 18 weeks, a baby is able to hear sounds. By 25-26 weeks, it is more responsive to noises and responds in the womb.


man holding out handssmiling man

Delivered By Daddy

This time around, however, it was a bit much. The epidural was so strong I couldn’t feel my legs. So much for pain management…I was temporarily paralyzed. At some point, I felt the head drop. I alerted the nurse, and they said I was ready to rock. They paged my doctor, and in she came.

To my dismay, my husband looked at the doctor with the most determined look I’ve ever seen on his face, and said, “Doc, it would mean the world to me if I could deliver my fourth and last baby.” She looked at him, and without even hesitating said “Absolutely.”

I looked at both of them like, “Hold on, people, Bobby is going to deliver this baby?” Ok, yes he’s a doctor, but a doctor of dental surgery. Not a doctor who delivers babies. That being said, I swallowed my fears, said okay, and allowed this wonderful man to welcome our last child into the world.

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man with glovesmom kissing newborn

The Delivery

Dr. Bobby was elated, I was cautiously optimistic and the doctor and nurses were ready to get this show on the road. But before this baby would enter the world, we had one slight problem….my legs were paralyzed. I couldn’t feel a thing. Which meant I couldn’t push.

When they told me to push, and I gave it my all, they looked at me and said “That was quite pathetic.” Then the doctor says “get the mirror.”  I said, “the what… the MIRROR?” At that moment, I thought if there was one thing I could live without, it was seeing what I would soon see in that mirror.

Before I knew it, a team of nurses marched in with a full-length mirror on wheels the size of my front door. Once the super-sized mirror was in position, I gazed ahead to see my husband, smiling from ear to ear, arms straight out as if he’s ready to catch the winning pass during his college football championship. And then, I get a glimpse of what happens on the south end of the hospital bed.

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Struggling Through Labor

Is this really happening? Is this a joke? Did it just take a team of people to get my numb legs in the stirrups? It’s all pretty surreal. U2 is blasting in the background, and my OBGYN tells me she loves U2, and couldn’t believe I was delivering to one of her favorite bands. Rock ‘n’ roll has always been present in the delivery room for the birth of my babies.

“It’s a Beautiful Day” was playing when things got moving. In the mirror, I was now able to see what I didn’t want to see. That mirror was necessary to help guide the pushing. I tried my best to keep my eyes on the mirror and not my husband’s face which had me hysterically laughing, looking like he was ready for that 40-yard pass.


The longest time on record that someone has been pregnant for is 375 days. Normally, pregnancy lasts around 280 days, so Penny Diana Hunter’s baby was nearly a hundred days overdue by the time she gave birth in 1945.


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Finally! Our Little Boss Baby Brody!

After ten minutes of pushing, and a total of four pushes, out he came! After three deliveries, it becomes a little easier as you can imagine. So yes, I delivered him like a boss. Or should we let my football star husband take the credit?! Regardless, our baby was perfect. He was better than perfect, he was mine. Beautiful black hair like his daddy and full lips like, well, we are not sure who has those lips, but he does.

It’s a boy, a sweet boy may I add! I couldn’t feel more blessed and the spirit of my grandparents was with me at that very moment. As I looked down at that beautiful little face, I thought “Oh gosh, what are we going to name this little fella?”

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Cord Blood Banking Done Right

Meanwhile, as I lay there wondering what we’ll call this precious little pumpkin, there’s an amazing thing happening behind the scenes with CBR. Just like my past experiences with CBR, they made the cord blood and tissue collection effortless on my part. Just after the birth, and while my baby was on my chest, the doctors and nurses collected the cord blood and tissue samples they needed, and I didn’t even realize it was happening.

While in the delivery room, the doctors and nurses prepared the collection kit, and it was delivered with me to my recovery room, where we made a quick phone call to the medical courier provided by CBR. The courier came directly to our hospital room for the pickup, safely delivered it to CBR’s lab and soon after our CBR representative called us to let us know that our kit had safely arrived and the cord blood and tissue were properly stored. It was as efficient as it was reassuring as we welcomed our baby into the world.

If you haven’t had the chance to read my blog post about why we bank with CBR, please check it out. I truly can’t say enough amazing things about CBR and the entire process.


Benin in Central Africa has the highest national number of twins on average, at 27.9 per 1,000 births.


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Meet Brody Hudson Schaffer (a.k.a. Boss Baby Brody!)

The day my sweet baby was born we named him Brody Hudson. After thinking for nine months his name would end with the letter “N” like his three siblings Jackson, Dylan and Roman, we went with Brody. Bobby and Brody… when we said it out loud, it was too perfect!

We chose Hudson as his middle name to represent New York City. September 17 was my grandfather Joe’s birthday, so we needed something to represent the big apple and Grandpa Joe. Hudson was the perfect fit.


Babies can “taste” certain foods in the womb. Strong flavors such as garlic can pass through amniotic fluid, so the baby can “taste” them. In fact, when pregnant mothers drank a lot of carrot juice for a study, their babies were more likely to develop a taste for it.


siblings looking at new babykids with newborn babysiblings with newbornsiblings looking at new brotherkids with newborn babyhappy family with new baby

Welcome to Our Family!

The next day in the hospital was a great one. On that day, my three littles got to see him for the first time and give him a little present they each got to pick out. I cried with so much joy, the feelings were indescribable watching my three greet him and say how much they loved him. We were now a family of six, and it wasn’t just my baby, he was all of ours.


During pregnancy, the body produces a hormone called relaxin that softens ligaments—the tissues that connect your joints. This is to help make the pelvis more flexible during childbirth.


grandma and grandchildrenfamily with crying babywoman holding babydad holding newborn baby

The Whole Family Loves Him

Bobby’s mom and sister Kimi got to do their share of fussing over our little guy. Not sure I could have gotten through the first ten days without the support of Bobby’s family.

My sister-in-law, who is also one of my closest friends, stepped in and went above and beyond to make this transition as smooth as possible. I am so blessed to have her as my family. She is the epitome of what being selfless is. I am so inspired by her generosity and love.

With a bonus of my mother-in-law’s Japanese cuisine waiting for us at home, I couldn’t have wished for anything more.  I will be forever grateful for the time they spent with us.


Women grow a placenta—an extra organ—during pregnancy, which produces hormones. At full term, a pregnant woman will produce more estrogen in a day than a non-pregnant woman will in three years.


newborn babyjust born babynew parents mom in front of hospital

Life as a Family of Six!

As we return and adjust to our life with another family member, I couldn’t help but feel so blessed to have another child. I count my lucky stars for my family of six every day. There aren’t enough words to express the happiness I’ve felt these past two weeks. No matter how sleepless my nights are, and not knowing if I am coming or going, I look down at these little lives who need me so much, and know that this is exactly where I am supposed to be.

I will always think Boss Baby Brody is a gift from my grandmother Lucy and my Grandfather Joe, whom I have never met. The timing of it all can’t be ignored. Finding out that we were pregnant just after she passed—on my husband’s birthday—and delivering on my grandfather’s birthday seems a bit ironic… or is it? I truly believe that this was no coincidence. Grandma Lucy’s presence was all around that day. In me, she lives on.


Your partner may experience some of the same pregnancy symptoms called couvade syndrome — or sympathetic pregnancy. Men have reported symptoms like nausea, heartburn, abdominal pain, backache, anxiety, and depression.


sleeping babynewborn babybaby boyhappy mom hugging baby

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17 thoughts on “Our Birth Story: Edition No. 4”

  1. Welcome to the Schaffer Clan little Brody!!! You are so loved by a great and beautiful family I myself feel blessed to know;) Lucky kid!!! Thank you D for sharing all of thaws incredible moments and pics– wow! The shot of Brody peering while Dylan and Jackson is just unforgettable and precious. Can’t wait to see what he does next. You are all so blessed indeed?

    Reply
  2. What a beautiful life! Life is full of surprises!!! Baby Brody is the most perfect surprise ever. Blessed. You are blessed!!! It is so nice to read your kind and loving words about your in laws. How nice that they came to help and how special it is for you to appreciate it and acknowledge it. Love you Danielle and miss you!!!!! Kiss that handsome new Schaffer face for me!!!!!

    Reply
  3. So happy for your family. What a wonderful birthing story! I can’t wait to meet Baby Brody in person, but for now the pictures are a great way to be introduced to him. XO

    Reply
  4. Congratulations Danielle and Bobby! Brody Hudson is truly precious. Thank you for sharing your incredible birth story. Sending big hugs and warm wishes to the Super 6 Schaffers!
    Love,
    Mrs. Braund

    Reply
  5. I found my way to your blog from erincondren and I can’t leave! Your stories are beautiful, filled with so much honesty and love. They put a smile on my face. You are one amazing woman! I hope to be like you when I’m 40 because you rock!!!

    With Love from Colorado,

    Monique Isabelle

    Reply
  6. Hi Danielle,
    Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful birthing story and photos. My hear was so happy reading it all.
    You have a beautiful family. God bless all of you. 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻

    Reply
  7. Hi Danielle,
    Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful birthing story and photos. My heart was so happy reading it all.
    You have a beautiful family. God bless all of you. 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻

    Reply
  8. Hi Danielle and Bobby
    I just read the birth story of Brody.
    Thank you for taking us on this magical journey.
    Your children are beautiful, most of all kind humans.
    Thanks to you and Bobby.
    All of what you said about your Grandpa Joe and the number 17.
    It’s not a coincidence trust me.
    One thought I had was when you add up Jackson 7 letters, Dylan 5 and Roman 5 what do you get💖
    Wishing you all many memories and laughter.
    Kimberly

    Reply

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