WILDER'S BIRTH STORY
Updated: Sep 15, 2020
Wilder's story is very special. His mothers lost his sister when she was 8 months old. That was devastating. I cannot imagine the pain that the death of a child can cause.
Bravely, after Annova's death, they decided to have another baby. That rainbow baby would be Wilder.
There were some obstacles to overcome: Annova's birth had ended in an emergency cesarean section. Wilder's mom Amee, was determined to have the vaginal birth that she wanted for Annova, too.
We met and hit it off right away. They told me their story. The story of how Amee continued to produce and donate her milk after the departure of her beloved baby girl, to give it to a boy in need. Their generosity and resilience were humbling.
When the birth-day came, we met at Authentic. Sadness and hope-filled the room. The urn with Annova's photo was there while her mothers worked tirelessly to give new life.
There were moments of desolation when memories from the labor of the previous pregnancy flooded the room. When the memory of their beloved daughter invaded them and attempted to defeat them. But they always got ahead, hugging her favorite pajamas, remembering an anecdote or wondering what Annie would do in that situation. Emotions flowed with the waves. Amee and Liz held each other, convinced that the prize for such an intense experience would be greater than anything in the world.
Amee was exhausted when her face suddenly transformed. There were no more words. Her body went into transition and without making a sound, she began to push to bring her rainbow baby earthside. There he was: Wilder Grey. And there she was, the strongest mother in the world, the one who had achieved her vaginal birth after c-section. Her wife stared at her in wonder. We were in the presence of a family, devastated but seeking to rebuild.
It was a very intense experience. Pure learning for me. I'm so thankful that life gives me so many examples of different families, of difficult situations, and of how the human being is capable of getting up again and again.
