TikTok personalities Hannah and Shane Burcaw, known online as Squirmy and Grubs, have announced they are expecting their first child in January. The Minnesota-based couple shared the news on Instagram, accompanied by images of their baby scan and a lengthy caption detailing their joy and journey.
Hannah is 20 weeks pregnant, and the couple expressed their desire to share their experiences with their followers after having initially kept the news private. They also revealed that Shane will be launching a new baby blog to document their path to parenthood.
The Burcaws, who married in 2020, shared that they previously underwent unsuccessful IVF treatments for several years. They acknowledged the difficulties many face when trying to conceive and extended their sympathy to those experiencing similar challenges. "Our hearts go out to you," their post stated.
Shane Burcaw has spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a neuromuscular disease that causes progressive muscle deterioration. He has used an electric wheelchair since age two and has limited mobility in his limbs. In a follow-up video on their YouTube channel, Hannah described her pregnancy so far as "super easy," with no significant nausea or vomiting, though she experienced food aversions and pelvic pain in the first trimester due to hyper-mobility.
Shane addressed the potential for negative reactions to their pregnancy announcement, particularly concerning his disability. "There are going to be a big number of people who are not happy about this pregnancy announcement," he said. "There are going to be horrible, horrible people in the comments and in the message boards and in our emails telling us that we are making the worst mistakes of our lives, that I cannot and should not be a father because of my disability. That kind of rhetoric and belief has really affected me as a person and it's something that I grapple with all the time."
Despite anticipating criticism, Shane concluded his thoughts by stating, "Life is moving at a million miles an hour and we're having a baby. Life is good. We are so in love."
The couple has built a large following on YouTube and TikTok by sharing candid insights into their lives. They also plan to use their announcement to support other expecting parents by fulfilling baby registry items for them. This initiative stems from their understanding of the emotional toll associated with trying to conceive.