Jane and Victoria, I cannot begin to express how grateful I am for everything you have done during my pregnancy and labor. You two ladies are absolutely amazing. I cannot wait to come back (I can wait for about another year or more...but we will be back)! I have so much love for the both of you, You are a blessing to anyone who walks through your door. ~Maria
From the first meeting with you we had found an excellent place and the right people to deliver our second baby. We were impressed by your knowledge and experience, and all of our questions were answered in detail at our prenatal visits. This gave us confidence and security. We felt a relationship of trust was established, which helped greatly during labor and birth.
You, our Midwives, were essential in helping us with this special journey through pregnancy and birth.
Thank you, Kathy (Student Midwife) and Jane, for a very pleasant birth experience, attributable to your caring and reassuring touch. We can't thank you enough for your professionalism, care and support. ~ With Warm appreciation, David and Lana
Believe it or not, growing up I don’t remember hearing horror stories about birth. All the women in my family gave birth naturally and it never occurred to me that I couldn’t do so as well. As an adult, I was horrified by images of women giving birth in hospitals, w/ their legs in stirrups. It just seemed so cold and sterile to me.
When my husband, Allan, and I began contemplating having a baby, I knew my best chance of having a natural childbirth was w/ a midwife. Especially since nearly all of my pregnant friends had had induced labors in the hospital, thus requiring epidurals. When I found out there was a birth center in town, I knew I had to find out more about it!
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Our journey began on Tuesday, May 28th 2002 when I started leaking fluid. At first I wasn’t sure what it was, perhaps I had just sat on something, but while on the phone with a friend that night I felt the first “squirt” and KNEW something was up. Unfortunately, this was the same way that my last birth ended – in a C/S – ROM with no contractions. I decided at that time to just ignore it and see what happened.
The next morning I called my midwife and let her know that I was leaking. She thought that perhaps I had just lost my outer bag. I started taking my temp. every six hours, started doing kick counts etc. But she put me on oral antibiotics (I had just tested + for GBS) after about 24 hours just to be safe.
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During labor and post delivery care, we often leave critical medical decisions up to the medical staff for mom and/or baby. After my 8th hospital birth and over a period of 10 years, I realized that hospital protocol and birthing policy (medical decisions) kept changing, in the name of ‘it’s in the mother’s and baby’s best interest’. My wishes as the mother were very often overridden, without good cause. After having 2 botched epidurals, internal fetal monitors routinely used on 2 of my unborn babies without my consent, etc. I finally decided it was time for me, as my child’s mother, to decide what was in my and my baby’s best interest. I had heard it said several years earlier, “Hospitals are for the sick and dying, not necessarily for something that comes so naturally.”
I was quite apprehensive about birthing at home but knew I was not willing to go the traditional route unless an emergency arose, so I researched everything I possibly could and finally had enough confidence to proceed with a home birth. There, I found I had the complete freedom to decide where to have my baby, what birth plan and which birth method to use, free speech to state what I didn’t want and much more.
I’m one of those people who would have never considered having a home birth. Sure, I’d heard about using a midwife, but the thought just never crossed my mind. I even had family members that used a midwife for their children. They would rant and rave about the wonderful birth experience and one on one treatment they received, but I just didn’t think that home birth was for me. Especially not for someone with my labor record… Whew! Four children, three girls and a boy. Four deliveries, and four lousy experiences in the hospital left me thinking there was something seriously wrong with ME! For years I carried this thought with me, and then I began to notice a pattern… others were going through the same experiences that I had gone through four times… Induced Labor! To this day I cringe when I hear that someone is going in to be induced! Read more…
"The birth team of Victoria and Sonya (Student CNM) was everything I'd hoped for. I felt very supported throughout my antepartum, labor & delivery, and postpartum. It makes me excited for my next pregnancy and delivery. Sonya will be sorely missed." ~Jackie