A former client of a Tennessee Midwife

From: A former client of a Tennessee midwife
Having a midwife birth was everything I expected and more. I knew a lot about midwifery going into my second pregnancy and I knew that the service was going to be much different that what I could expect at a doctor's office. Not better overall maybe, but definitely better for me and what I wanted. I knew it was going to be a great experience when I did the initial interview and ended up talking with the care providers for more than an hour. Time constraints just didn't seem to be the top priority even though one of the apprentice midwives was in labor herself during the interview - she just calmly sat on a birth ball and breathed deeply, concentrating when she needed to. The midwives asked me as many questions as I asked them. They were really interested in what I expected birth to be like, what I wanted, and what I was doing to help make sure I had a successful pregnancy. They answered my questions like a teacher would and sometimes corrected me when what I thought was not really accurate. I learned a lot just on that initial visit. I knew then that I had picked the right place. My prenatal visits went great. The midwives were always quick to explain technical terms and gave really good descriptions of what they saw. The descriptions became better as the baby grew and they could feel its position. I asked many, many questions and always got thorough answers. When I was worried about things, they gave me reliable information and sources that could verify what they said. They encouraged me to read and study. The included my daughter on the visits and didn't really mind when she interrupted. I always felt like I was going to a friend's house. The highlight was the labor and delivery. I went to 42 weeks without a problem and with a doctor's ok that fluid levels were good and the baby was doing fine. At that point I was looking for relief and the midwives helped me responsibly use some natural induction methods. They watched my progress first-hand and took great care of me while we relaxed and waited for active labor to start in its own good time. It did and it went really smoothly. They watched me closely without interfering, helped me when I needed help, and reassured me by telling me what was happening and what I could do that might help. It was the midwife who told me the most encouraging words I have ever heard: "If you think you can't do it anymore, that means you're almost done." She said I was doing great, and she was right. I will always be grateful that I made the choice to use that midwife practice. I spent more money than I would have if I went to a hospital. I drove longer than I would have if I went to the hospital. But there was no way I would have gotten that high-quality and personal care at a hospital. A hospital would help me get a baby born, but the midwives helped me experience the true miracle that childbirth can be.