“I had a wonderful experience with the birth of my third child. My two prior birth were with midwives, however, in the hospital setting, which was nothing like the birth of Gracie. My disappoint with the hospital experience and the clinical setting in which I had my ante and postpartum care with my first two children caused me to search out a different alternative. I came across Community Midwifery and set up a consultation. At the consult I knew I immediately wanted to have them care for me and my unborn child. I sailed through my pregnancy with no complications and was fast approaching my due date.
Four days before my due date I started having harder, more painful contractions. I knew that my body was getting ready for the day. Then two days before my contractions started progressing, I went to sleep Saturday knowing that I would be seeing her soon. I woke up early Sunday and called the midwife on call, which happened to be Gail. Since I live out in the boondocks, she headed my way and called Nikki to meet her at my house. When they had both arrived I was checked, but was only at 2cm. So we rested and relaxed. When checked again, I was progressing, but only around a 4.
We had dinner and then decided to walk; the contractions were starting to get closer and become more intense. During that late afternoon it had stormed off and on and was quite humid outside. When we had gotten back from our walk and had gone inside, my husband, who had walked around back of our house, called to us to come outside to check out this awesome rainbow. It was a beautiful double rainbow that stretched across the whole sky. Gail and Nikki said that was a sign that everything was going to go well with the birth. A few hours later after walking, I felt it was getting closer to time and decided to get into the tub. I stayed in the tub awhile, however, decided to change positions from the bath to the floor where I gave birth to my beautiful baby girl.
She was born with the cord around her neck, her hand up by her face and a knot in her cord. She also still had the bag over her face, which Gail had to puncture so she could breathe. I didn’t witness all of this since I was birthing on my knees, holding on to my bed, so my back was to them; however, my husband did which made him a little nervous. Gail reassured him that everything was alright and removed the cord from around her neck. She was perfect and healthy looked great and had high scores! They knew just what to do and I had complete faith in them, and knew that the lord would guide them and me in delivering my child. My husband cut the cord as I held her in my arms. After, they helped me into the bed with her, and they let us have some one on one time before weighing her. That was so great and both my husband and I enjoyed it. Afterward he got to weigh her. It was the greatest experience for both of us. I felt so comfortable and at ease during the entire labor, something I could not say about my previous birth experiences. Gail and Nikki were great the stayed with me that entire Sunday and my little one was born shortly after midnight Monday morning. I would have to say her birth was one of my fondest memories.”
-Brandi F.