The 'Impossible' Dream

Hey, friend! 👋🏾

I have a range of emotions recounting this story but stick with me, mkay?!

Mkay!

We met in January.

DST Founders Day, to be exact.

One of the first things she said was “I just want to make it to term. None of the women in my family have and that’s a real anxiety of mine.”

I asked my standard questions, to gain a sense of why pre-term births might have happened and such.

Then I let her know that we’d have to take it week by week and appointment by appointment.

I can’t confirm this but I kinda felt like she thought it was impossible but I never doubted that it was possible.

My concern was the unknown.

Alright, here’s where it starts to get a bit emotional for me.

We reached the first milestone: She made it past the gestational point at which her mom had her.

It’s no secret that sometimes our birth experiences mimic that of our mother, grandmother, so on and so forth so for her to make it past her mom’s pattern made me happy but I was still a bit on edge.

Time goes on and I start recognizing that my spirit was telling me that she was going to make it to full term but not 40 weeks.

I kept feeling 37 weeks and I don’t remember exactly what was said but her doctor said something similar.

She felt like she’d come on Father’s Day!

Fast forward to labor day!

She’s experiencing signs of labor and laboring well at home.

She and her husband head to the hospital because the contractions are getting more intense.

I make it there not long after them and sit with her husband in the waiting area.

We finally get back to the L&D room and she’s still laboring well.

We labor for several hours and then baby shifts in a weird way that is causing more discomfort that I’d like to see or hear.

The epidural helped but not that much.

The normal positions weren’t working or helping and then we realize that baby has completely turned but not breech.

She was then put in a very uncomfortable position that normally would force baby to turn but then baby was experiencing uncomfortable decels (heart rate dips).

We also found out that her cervix was swollen and I explained that it’s not safe for baby to try and exit with a swollen cervix.

So, to the OR for a c-section she goes.

I wait in the waiting area with her mom and we chat a bit.

And just like her intuition told her, she had a baby on Father’s Day!

Surgery is over and we go back to the recovery area so we can see her and the baby.

Once I laid eyes on her I exhaled and I didn’t even realize that I’d been holding my breath.

I stayed for a little bit to make sure she was good and she was!

I was able to make it outta there without crying but once I got to that parking garage 🗣I. CRIED. LIKE. A. BABY.

Because she made it full term and her baby didn’t have to go to the NICU.

There were so many more emotions I had that I still have yet to articulate but this family holds a special place in my heart.

This journey with them has been nothing short of chill and easy.

Real easy.

To The Couple: Thank you for allowing me to experience your love. It was a genuine honor to walk through this journey to and through parenthood with you. Watching you love on each other felt like body to body skating at Cascade to ‘The Matrimony"‘ on repeat; real chill, real smooth but authentic. I have no doubt that you both will continue to be amazing parents and even more amazing partners. You dreamed the ‘impossible’ dream and surrendered so beautifully to the process further proving that y’all will be alright! I love y’all real big and appreciate y’all for trusting me to walk with you on this journey!

-Aeryka✌🏾💜