(Laura, Leah and Armin)

Armin's Birth Story

On a Friday evening in January 2005, almost two weeks past my due date, my phone rang.  It was my sister informing me that she had "beat" me--her newborn daughter (due the same day as my baby) had arrived!  As I was visiting her at the hospital I started to notice contractions that were coming pretty regularly, but I waited until we were in the van on our way home to mention it to my husband.  At home, we called Leah and told her what was happening, and she and Laura decided to drive over to our house later that evening, as it seemed likely our baby was ready to arrive!

We put our two other children in bed for the night and prepared the birthing room and Leah's new waterbirth tub.  I was still having regular contractions, although they didn't feel very strong.  When Leah arrived, a vaginal exam confirmed that the contractions were affecting my cervix, so we continued with preparations for the birth.  Leah and Laura decided to try to get some sleep until things picked up and encouraged me to do the same, since I would need as much energy as possible for the task at hand.

Toward morning, after a long night of seemingly half-hearted contractions, my labor stalled completely.  I was dilated 4-5 centimeters, but it seemed we would have to wait awhile longer to meet our baby.  Leah and Laura left for the day but said that we should call if anything changed.

I spent that Saturday caring for my other children and trying not to be frustrated that we were still without a baby.  Towards evening I noticed my contractions started in again, but was almost afraid to call Leah after the false alarm we'd had the night before.  However, we did call her, and she and Laura decided to come out again that night in order to be close at hand.

I experienced contractions most of that night, although still not to the intensity that I expected with full-blown labor.  We tried a few natural remedies in order to encourage my body along, but as the sun came up the next morning my contractions again completely stopped.  At that point I was dilated to almost 7 centimeters, which seemed like a ridiculously frustrating place to stop labor!  Leah and Laura left again, suggesting that we should try to get on with our day as normally as possible.  Although I had missed almost two complete nights of sleep by that point, we decided to head to church in order to get out of the house and keep my mind on something besides feeling sorry for myself.

Not only that, but Leah is truly personable—a good friend. Leah possesses the ability to balance the assertive, professional nature required to be a midwife, while still remaining sensitive and extremely gentle. During all of my pre- and post-natal visits, as well as the birth, I felt that Leah was “all there” for me, focused and attentive to providing the very best care as my husband and I dictated.

When I first began seeing Leah regarding my second pregnancy, I still felt very much new to the birth scene, and I harbored some questions. First, I was nervous about the present and future condition of my perineum. I had had a second degree tear with my first baby, and our attendant at the time was not comfortable going to the hospital with us. To me, it seemed the tear had not healed properly. After I began seeing Leah, she had me see a doctor, who determined that while the tear had sufficiently healed (it didn’t feel like it to me), if I wished to have it sown up better, this would most effectively be done immediately after the upcoming birth. While this incident may not sound reassuring, it was a huge relief to me that upon Esther’s birth, Leah accompanied my husband and me to the emergency room to have the small resultant tear repaired as well as the old one. It felt good to have the injury resolved once and for all, and to have a fearless midwife accompany me to the medical establishment, confidently standing on my behalf and equipped with paperwork to back up my medical history. My husband and I were both impressed—her action said volumes for her character and preparedness. I also now feel much more confident about the way that midwives and hospitals can work together and support each other.

During my prenatals, which usually lasted around an hour, Leah and I had built a relationship that fostered trust and knowledge about pregnancy and birth. She also was very thorough in educating and insisting upon follow-through on my part; largely, through nutrition and proper care of my body. I was given a checklist more than once in which I was to report on my dietary habits—an important factor in preventative health. She was full of suggestions and information about how to eat healthy, and thus support a healthy pregnancy and birth.

The night I went into labor, I awoke with definite, although short in length, contractions. I called Leah just to let her know about it casually, but to my surprise, she insisted on making her way over because we lived over an hour away, and a snowstorm was in progress. I even tried to talk her out of coming so soon, as my labor was not that hard to handle, but she insisted on coming, and it was a good thing she did! Meanwhile, I decided to relax in the living room while watching worshipful nature video. My nineteen-month-old son Peter awoke and was with me, but I didn’t even mind most of the time—my labor was so peaceful! After awhile, I decided to take a shower/bath, and as the intensity increased, the water felt good. Then I got out of the tub, and the power of labor began to overtake me. My husband had to take Peter, because our childcare arrangement, Grandpa, was still on his way. And that is how Leah and Laura found me when they arrived—naked on my hands and knees in the bathroom—still wet from the tub, and overtaken with intensity, unsure what to do! Leah quickly checked me and said, “I think you better get on the bed—you’re quite close!” I was shocked and pleased—it’s such good news to know that those intense labor pains equal transition and “almost done!” Soon I was on my side in the bed, pushing as hard as I could on a 9-lb. baby that surely was a chore to budge—but finally she was crowning, in which I felt no real pain at all, and then she was out! The labor had totaled 5 hours—a pleasant improvement on the 17-hour back labor with baby number 1.

Her thick, black curly hair was a lovely surprise to all (my husband and I are both light-brown haired), and we almost forgot to check the sex in all the exclamation over her hair! We were then even more surprised that it was a girl. They placed Esther on my chest, and I was totally in love! Daniel was thrilled, and of course taken in by his very first daughter. Grandpa and sister-in-law got to share in the joy as they had just been waiting in the next room. We all laughed about what a little “papoose” she was, and her lovely dark eyes drew in everyone, even the birth assistant, Laura. 

My deep satisfaction with how the labor went was met by a new wave of appreciation, as Leah and Laura worked quickly and intensely to ensure a smooth placenta delivery, monitor blood loss, and warm my now-empty body. I felt they were just as intense after as they were during the labor. Leah explained to me that after the birth is a very critical time for the mother, and a time where it is essential that home birth attendants not drop the ball. I felt very grateful and cared-for. Soon after is when we departed for the hospital, as explained above.

Post-term visits went equally as well, and I was sorry to be finished with them when Esther and I were finally done.

Another interesting note occurred, demonstrating Leah’s competency in her dealings with all—my doctor was a little new to the home birth scene, and a bit uncomfortable with my choice. Leah assisted me by suggesting helpful statements and encouraging a supportive relationship, rather than one fostering antagonism. When my doctor suffered a personal tragedy very near my baby’s due date, Leah encouraged me to write a note of sympathy, which she shared and signed as well. My doctor was touched.

Overall, Leah is deeply missed in her previous vicinity, and will always be. I wholly recommend Leah as a primary midwife, and I wish you the very best with the wonderful birth you will have attended by her.