As the oldest girl among four children and 16 grandchildren, Brooke Wilcox
spent most of her life taking care of kids. At age 20, she and her husband
John decided to have a child of their own and sought the help of a midwife
at Catawba Valley Medical Center
Maternity Services. She had heard good things about the care available there and she liked
the idea of experiencing childbirth as naturally as possible. Brooke met
nurse midwife Rebecca Huneycutt who would walk beside Brooke throughout
her amazing childbirth journey.
On August 6 of this year, Brooke and John had little David with the help
of Rebecca, a graduate of East Carolina University’s Midwifery Program.
Rebecca enjoyed getting to know Brooke and hearing the romantic story
of how Brooke and her husband met, eventually married in May of 2018,
and decided to have their first baby.
“Brooke’s pregnancy was so special,” said Rebecca. “Since
childbirth can be unpredictable, it’s not often that I have the
opportunity to care for my patients throughout pregnancy and be with them
during labor and delivery. I feel blessed to have gotten to know Brooke
and to have delivered David in what was such a positive birth experience
that only took about two hours.”
The bond between Brooke and Rebecca throughout the pregnancy and birth
was unmistakable. In fact, just after delivering David, Brooke was captured
on film receiving a kiss on her forehead from Rebecca. The photo immediately
resonated with not only the two ladies pictured, but with the staff at the CVMC
Center for Women & Children. Jackie Miller, the Center’s administrator, said, “That photo
is so indicative of the care we give here. It isn’t out of the ordinary
to see our caregivers and patients develop such an intimate connection.
It truly typifies the spirit of healthcare and compassion at our hospital.”
Brooke is now enjoying motherhood and is on the path to become an elementary
school teacher. “I love caring for David and look forward to being
in the classroom and getting to know other young children and their families.
I think it will be so rewarding.”
Thanks to the support of Catawba Valley Health System, half a dozen midwives
are available to help women without insurance or with high deductibles
get the pre-natal and post-natal care they need to have healthy babies.
Physicians at Catawba Women’s Center support the program and meet
monthly to discuss moms like Brooke as they prepare for what they wish
to be a wonderful childbirth experience.