We planned for a home birth halfway through my pregnancy with our first son, but unfortunately, he was born prematurely at 33 weeks following a month-long NICU stay. Although we were surrounded by our beautiful friend and former midwife, Naomi Thomas, who helped advocate for us, Aaron and I still carried trauma from having our birth plan changed and enduring the unknowns of having a premature baby.

With our second pregnancy, I knew I wanted to begin our care completely out-of-hospital. Our former midwives had moved offices, making the transport longer, which led us to start the interview process for a new care provider. As a doula who had worked with Nikki, I had already narrowed down my options, and Nikki was one of my top two contenders. Aaron instantly fell in love with the SANM crew and the beautiful birth center making our decision easy.

Halfway through our pregnancy, after a babymoon, my husband was diagnosed with meningitis. At twenty weeks pregnant, watching my husband lose the ability to do everyday tasks was something I never imagined enduring at such a young age. With Aaron in the hospital and unable to work, I didn’t know how I was going to continue affording midwifery care.

I remember approaching Nikki and Denise at SANM with tears in my eyes, updating them on Aaron’s health and how I might need to transfer to hospital care so my insurance would cover costs while we navigated the hardships of Aaron’s hospital stay and rehab. I will never forget Nikki asking, “Is this where you want to birth? Is this where you feel the safest birthing?” and then saying, “If this is where you can see yourself healing, don’t worry about the money. We will figure out finances later. Go care for your husband and let us care for you.”

Unbeknownst to me, after our conversation, Denise submitted an application on our behalf to the BIRTHFUND, which we became recipients of to cover our remaining balance and more. I still cry reflecting on how God used those around us to ease so much of our stress.

After Aaron was released from the hospital, I began experiencing pregnancy complications, which increased our anxiety again, given our first experience. Our original due date was January 28, 2025, but I knew I wouldn’t make it that far. I fervently prayed to make it to 36 weeks, which would allow me to birth out of hospital.

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Lo and behold, on December 31, 2024 right at 36 weeks, we welcomed our second son into the world at San Antonio Nurse Midwives Birth Center. A birth I never imagined I’d get. A healing I didn’t know Aaron and I so deeply needed.

I remember being surrounded by love, truly calling my shots, and being respected every single step. I remember wanting to quit at the end because of how intense birth can get, but my team lifted me up. I remember listening to worship music and praising God through the contractions—a birth that left me feeling like the most powerful person on the planet. A birth that took us from wanting to schedule a vasectomy to saying, “We can, and we want to do this again!”

Thank you to the beautiful women at SANM for the love you continue to pour into us. To Megan Taylor, our doula—thank you for your unwavering support in life and for loving us so much. Aubrey, my beautiful friend and photographer, thank you for capturing these images I’ll share with future generations. I hope my children will share them as proudly as I have.

To my husband, thank you for always wanting the best for me and loving me the way you do. You are everything I’ve ever needed.

To families expecting or considering an out-of-hospital birth: find someone who will listen and guide you with care. Although it can feel scary, you are stronger than you know. And remember, your husband is a part of this—he deserves a team who acknowledges and includes him throughout the process. This is healing for everyone. - Yolyvette

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On the last day of 2024, we welcomed our second son, Damien, into the world and with him came a moment of healing, strength, and deep gratitude. His birth wasn’t just the arrival of a child; it was the closing chapter of a year full of trials and the opening of something beautiful.

Labor began quietly, almost poetically, just as we were ending a game night at our home. Friends had trickled out around midnight, unaware of the journey we were about to begin. Just two hours later, at 2:00 a.m., we found ourselves on the road to the San Antonio Nurse Midwife Birth Center ran by Nikki Brown, our hearts pounding with anticipation. Damien made his debut at around 8:29 a.m. on December 31^st, just in time to close out the year with the best gift imaginable.

This was a long labor, especially for Yoly. She pushed for nearly six hours, a stretch made more challenging because Damien wasn’t positioned quite right. Each push felt like a test of strength and resolve. But even in the intensity, there was something undeniably sacred about the space we were in. The staff at SANM completely transformed our understanding of what birth could be. Nikki a nurse midwife, along with her team of student midwives, brought not just clinical expertise but deep compassion, warm energy and presence to the room. They were never afraid to explain anything and everything that was going on with Yoly and they did a very good job of keeping me apprised of the situation. Megan, Yoly’s doula, was a grounding force, as she often is in Yoly’s life, and even Aubrey (Also a doula), who was there to capture the birth on video, stepped in to support Yoly when it mattered most.

This wasn’t just any labor. Our first son had arrived prematurely, and that experience left us with lingering fears and questions. Damien’s birth was meant to be healing, and it truly was. Earlier in the year, while Yoly was around five months pregnant, I had been hospitalized with meningitis. That unexpected ordeal sent us spiraling into a series of uncertain, difficult months. It shook us. But as we sat in the birth center that morning, exhausted yet present, we knew God had other plans. We were ready to receive the redemption we had prayed for.

The moment Damien was born which I believe was around 5 pounds and some change, I was lucky enough to catch him and cut the umbilical chord myself. Holding him for the first time felt surreal. It was like meeting someone entirely new, yet somehow familiar, as if reconnecting with a soul I had known forever. After everything our family had been through, welcoming him into our arms was like breathing fresh air for the first time in ages. It was peace. It was purpose.

Watching Yoly labor was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. Her strength, resilience, and unwavering focus were nothing short of awe-inspiring. After the year we had just endured, seeing her rise into this moment with such grace reminded me why she’s the love of my life. She didn’t just bring our son into the world, she showed me what true power looks like. Witnessing her go through an unmedicated birth transformed the way I see labor, birth, and motherhood. I will never look at it the same way again. Damien’s birth was more than an ending to a hard year, it was a beginning. A reminder that even in the darkest seasons, light finds its way in. We rang in the new year with full hearts and our family made whole. - Aaron

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Photography: Aubrey Gann @nurturingdawnbirthservices