It wasn’t until relatively recently that fathers were allowed in delivery rooms, but it’s so common now that it almost seems impossible to think it was prohibited until the 1970s. More recently, brothers and sisters are now allowed to witness the miracle of childbirth.
Brooke Curtis was just three years old when she learned she was about to become a big sister, and she was ecstatic.
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Sadly, just a couple weeks later, her mom, Kelsey, suffered a miscarriage. The entire family was devastated, with Brooke’s parents mourning over the loss of their unborn child, and Brooke crushed as her dreams of becoming a big sister suddenly vanished. She was, Kelsey said, “absolutely heartbroken.â€
“She cried so hard and didn’t understand why,”she added.
Kelsey suffered two more miscarriages the next four years but kept it a secret from Brooke. “We didn’t want her heart to be crushed again,” said Kelsey.
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Then, in January 2016, baby sister Ellie came into the world, and Brooke’s parents were so elated they allowed big sis to stay in the room throughout the labor and delivery:
We explained the process to Brooke, how things work, where babies come from and that I would be in some pain but that it’s all normal. She decided to stay in the room with us while her sister Ellie was born on January 3, 2016. Their bond as sisters was immediately one of a kind!
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Kelsey became pregnant with her third daughter last year, and once again, Brooke was elated. At eight years old, she was old enough to not just witness the birth but be an active participant. She was even given the honor of cutting her baby sister Summer’s umbilical cord!
She liked the idea and at my next appointment I brought it up to my midwife. She said Brooke could even help deliver and catch the baby! The smile that drew up on Brooke’s face was pure excitement!
On January 7, after 36 hours of labor, it was finally time for Kelsey to push. Brooke and her dad were right there, watching with “pure happiness and amazement”as Summer’s head began to crown. With two more giant pushes, her head popped out, and about a minute later, Brooke helped catch her baby sister and bring her into the world.
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Cradling Summer on her chest, Kelsey looked up and saw her oldest daughter in tears.
I asked her if she was okay and she stumbled through tears when she said, ‘Yes! She’s just so perfect!’ And she was – this all was. Our family was right where we all should have been.
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Through her tears, she told Kelsey that having the experience of being in the delivery room when both of her sisters were born cemented their sisterly bonds and has even inspired her to become a midwife!
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At 8 years old, Brooke shows her strength, her love and her wisdom that is well beyond her years. As a big sister, she will always hold being at both of her sisters’ births close to her heart. And as her mother, I’m proud to call her my daughter.
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