By Emily Wyrick
Honestly, I'm amazed that I'm writing this before she's even 2 weeks old. And by writing, I mean punching out a few sentences in between changing diapers, feeding every 20 minutes, changing my clothes from spit up or milk stains, and stuffing my face with the first thing I can get my hands on.
Tuesday, February 18th I woke up having slight contractions. I conveniently had my weekly check up with my midwife that afternoon. Contractions progressed as the day went on and I was a dilated to 3cm when I was checked. My midwife predicted that things would pick up by midnight that night, but also said anything could happen. So midnight rolls around and no sign of baby, just a little more uncomfortable contractions. We went back to the birth center around 2:00am to get checked, as contractions had picked up a bit. This time, only dilated to 4-5cm. So we trudged back home to continue laboring there. I was tired, but I could manage. My mom came to stay with us that night and she and Brandon were tremendous help.
Wednesday morning fell and none of us slept much. We drove back to the birth center for a check up to see what had happened through the night, and to our surprise, not much. This type of labor happened until 5pm. Bad enough contractions that I couldn't sleep, but nothing strong enough to get her out. We stayed in contact with our doula, Kristian at Natural Baby Doulas and midwives at Magnolia Birth Center through the day as things got more uncomfortable. By 6:00pm, I had reached an intensity that I hadn't experienced yet. I knew something was happening. We made the calls and left the house! I want to add that Magnolia Birth Center is 40 minutes from our house and Brandon made it in 27. He is our hero. We all three cried on the way. I balled because I was nervous, but so ready to meet our girl. I won't lie. Up to this point I had experienced a bit of pain that was manageable, but I knew the last stretch would be the hardest and I was exhausted. I had only been able to close my eyes a few times in between contractions for the last 24 hours. No true sleep.
We arrived and I was dilated to 7cm. That was good! Things truly were happening. Family started arriving and my doula told me she had never worked a birth with that many people in the waiting room. Shout out to our fam bam! We chose to do a water birth, and, ironically enough, my mom birthed me in the water 23 years ago. Our doula blew up the inflatable tub and started adding water. I got in as soon as I could. I needed some kind of relief. The warm water was relaxing until the next contraction hit.
I had about 2 or 3 more contractions and I was ready to push. So labor was moving pretty quickly. The room was dim and quiet. I remember everything. My mom, grandma, sister, and sweet husband stood waiting with heavy anticipation you could touch it. Roughly 6 minutes of pushing and at 10:00pm on the dot, out slid our auburn haired baby. Bristol Leigh Wyrick. She took her first breath and began to cry. Mama and Daddy did too.
We stayed at the birth center only for a few more hours. Long enough to rest a little, get cleaned up, eat something, and have vitals checked. Everyone was incredibly healthy. Completely unmedicated. Completely unharmed by interventions. I would do everything unmedicated again and again and again. I'm just shy of 2 weeks postpartum and feel great! I truly believe I have healed faster and she has adjusted smoother because of being unmedicated. God had His favor on us and I'm humbled to be living this miracle. As for the water, I would tell everyone thinking about having a baby to labor and deliver in a tub, if you have the chance. My body was almost weightless. Imagine how much more strength you have to conquer each contraction if you don't have to support your body as well. That being said, I have to mention that any form of birth is a miracle. The fact that our bodies (speaking to women on this one) can endure every little detail of a pregnancy is astounding. The important part is that you are proud of your journey and your story, whether it's exactly as you imagined or slightly different. And proud of the decisions you made to get your child in your arms. Lastly, it is valuable to trust the team surrounding you. As cliche as it sounds, this is a crucial impact.
Our team was everything we expected and more. We can't say enough good things about the entire staff at Magnolia, but especially our midwife, Daniela. Our doula, Kristian, played a bigger role than we thought and we could not have done it as easily without her. And our family - they have blown us away with the generous help that has been extended. Thank you to anybody that has helped in even the smallest form; you know who you are.
And to my honey, Brandon. I could have never dreamed of a better partner and best friend to wake up to every day and to assist me in delivering our first child. Your maturity in each step of this is amazing. You are a natural at daddying and you are our safe haven.
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