A christmas Miracle: Our Son’s Birth Story
The holiday season of 2022 brought my husband and me the most precious gift of all - our son, Kerrick (nickname: Kricket). His arrival was a beautiful journey that began on Christmas Eve and culminated in a heartwarming home birth on December 26th.
The Anticipation Begins
On Christmas Eve morning, I woke up with mild cramping, knowing that this was it - I was in early labor. Despite the cold mid-west weather of Wichita, my husband and I decided to head over to the YMCA to get some movement in while I was still feeling good. I walked around the indoor track while Kerrick lifted weights and I experienced intermittent contractions but remained excited.
As the day progressed, my contractions intensified but were irregular. Our midwife and doula advised us to rest, so we settled in for a Harry Potter movie marathon to pass the time.
A christmas day surprise
Christmas Day arrived, which was my due date, and we were certain our son would make his debut. However, my labor pattern remained inconsistent. We continued our movie marathon, barely remembering to open presents. Our doula suspected that the baby might be in a posterior position, which explained the irregular pattern of my contractions.
Home stretch
On December 26th, I woke up determined to meet our baby. Our doula arrived around lunchtime and guided us through movements and positions to help engage the baby. The most crucial lesson was surrendering to my body’s wisdom.
I found a rhythm of walking and deep lunges that kept labor progressing. Suddenly, I felt the urge to use the bathroom. As soon as I sat down, my water broke with an audible “pop” - a moment my husband and I will never forget because it shocked us both.
a speedy Arrival
With my body ready to push, my husband rushed to prepare the bed for our planned home birth. In a scene that now seems comical, he speed-made the bed while I waddled over from the bathroom.
After just 20-30 minutes of pushing, our midwife and her team arrived just in time. At 4:14 pm on December 26, 2022, we welcomed Kricket into the world weighing 7lbs 8oz and measuring 20 inches long.
a cozy christmas celebration
To celebrate our new family, we snuggled into bed, enjoyed some pizza and watched White Christmas. As we drifted off to sleep, Bing Crosby’s crooning provided the perfect lullaby for our little Christmas miracle.
