This post deals with miscarriage and might be triggering for some readers.
NRL star Benji Marshall and his wife, Zoe Marshall, have shared the beautiful news of their baby girl's arrival into the world.
Posting intimate and raw photos straight from the delivery room, the couple announced their daughter's name - Ever J Marshall - along with the first glimpses of her.
"No words. Just her. Ever J Marshall born 15:15pm on the 15th June. Truly, madly, deeply in love," shared Zoe.
Listen to The Delivery Room, Mamamia's candid podcast of real life birth stories. Post continues below.
Benji also shared a similar series of photos, but penned a different message to accompany them, making sure to compliment his wife after going through labour for a second time.
"Ever J Marshall Welcome to the world baby girl. Mum, Fox and I love you and can’t wait to give you the world. I am already wrapped around your little finger. You are my everything. Your mum @zoebmarshall is amazing. Actually She is the greatest.
"The way in which she brought you into this world without any self worry and sooooo unselfishly giving is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. (She was a Queen in childbirth) Your big brother Fox already loves you so much and is ready to look after you forever. You complete us baby."
The safe arrival of baby Ever comes after the couple's infertility struggles, which they have been bravely open about within the media.
During an episode of The Deep (a podcast that tackles the uncomfortable moments in life), Zoe discussed how cautious she and Benji had been during this pregnancy, after losing a baby in 2019.
"He's had a lot of anxiety around me sharing prematurely, which I completely understand," Zoe explained on the show.
"We had a loss around this time last year. I think the impact of that on me really rattled him. He's private in general, but didn't want me to share."
Alongside their terrible loss, Zoe has been fairly candid about her struggles with stage-four endometriosis. This is a condition that is well known to cause fertility issues, with many women unable to fall pregnant naturally with endometriosis.
"We always knew we wanted a baby, so living with that uncertainty was tough. It was always in the back of my mind," Zoe said to Women's Day in 2017.
In the end, Zoe and Benji turned to a Chinese medical practitioner (Dr Shuquan Liu) for assistance, and sure enough six months after their first visit, the couple received the news that they were pregnant.
That pregnancy led to the arrival of their first child, Fox. However, the birth itself was still fraught with difficulty.
"The doctor said the cord was wrapped about the baby's neck, so I told Zoe she had to push. It was as if I was giving a talk to the boys on the field," Benji told Women's Day about their first birth.
"Everyone in the room was making pushing noises to motivate her. Then the doctor said I'd have to grab the baby really tightly, because he'd feel like a wet footy. I squeezed him so hard, he was going nowhere!"
It seems, based on the beautiful black and white photos that the couple shared of baby Ever's birth, that the second one went a lot smoother!
If this has raised any issues for you or if you would like to speak with someone, please contact the Sands Australia 24-hour support line on 1300 072 637.
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Feature Image: Instagram.
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