Welcome Baby Evelyn! Parker, CO birth with 1-in-500 odds
My entire journey with Rylie, from the beginning to the end, has felt like something deeper was at work. I was so honored to document her exceptional birth.
I first connected with Rylie, just five days from her due date, when she posted in a Facebook group searching for a last minute birth photographer. Her photographer got COVID and, in her last week of pregnancy, Rylie was frantically trying to find a backup. Her husband, Jaylen, had also contacted a friend who might be able to photograph the birth, so she would let me know in a couple days what photographer they were going with.
From the moment we first messaged each other, we were both so relieved and grateful to be talking (her for obvious reasons, me because I was just launching my birth photography business and trying to get my foot into the birth room (get it?)). To me, it felt like we were meant to be.
Monday evening I heard back from Rylie and we were a go! We planned to meet the next morning and I was on call for her labor to start.
Just around midnight, Rylie’s water broke at home. She was admitted at Skyridge Medical Center, and we stayed in contact throughout the morning as her labor very slowly progressed. At 11 a.m. she was still dilated at 1 cm, but contractions picked up and at 2:30 Jaylen called me to join them.
When I walked into the room, the first thing I noticed was a framed picture of their older daughter on display. Rylie’s birth space was so thought out and homey-- from the speaker playing her playlist to the baby quilt on the bed and the joking between Rylie and Jaylen.
Rylie was laboring in the bath when contractions intensified. Jaylen was talking her through each one, reminding her to “just breathe” and to think of meeting their little girl at the end. After getting out of the tub and only being at 6 to 7 cm, Rylie (who was so tired she was falling asleep between contractions) asked for an epidural. I was preparing for her to get the epidural and take a nap. Jaylen was heating up a frozen meal for himself in a microwave across the hall, returning to the room to hold Rylie’s hand (and her popsicle) through contractions.
Then Rylie felt the need to push. Her body knew what it had to do and took over; she was so strong, not fighting it and still communicating with her care team. The room was suddenly flooded with nurses and the doctor and, after less than a minute of pushing, at 4:36 baby Evelyn was born.
Both Rylie and Jaylen were kind of in shock. Between loving on their new little girl, they both kept saying “what just happened?” for the hour after her birth. Jaylen’s LeanCuisine was forgotten in the microwave. Friends and family answered Facetime calls to a surprise, not having heard that baby was close to being delivered.
Now, here’s what’s truly incredible. Evelyn was born on her due date, which in itself only is a 4-5% chance. Her older sister was also born exactly on her due date. The odds of that happening are about .25%.
And both girls weighed in at 6lbs, 7oz.
Technically, this was a 1-in-500 birth, but seeing the way Rylie and Jaylen looked at each other and witnessing the immense love with which this family welcomed their newest member, made it completely unmatched.
