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When The Midwife Gives Birth…
When a midwife is pregnant she gets lots of questions about her own preferences surrounding her own pregnancy and birth.

 LOTS. OF. QUESTIONS.
Morgan De Kleine CNM, a midwife at Fairhaven OBGYN graciously answered some of those questions for us to share with you.        

Which midwife did deliver your baby?
Our son was delivered by Anne, under the supervision of Beverly. They both did a great job taking care of us, and we were happy that we got two midwives for the price of one! Sara and Julia were working at Fairhaven that day, so they came by to visit us at the end of their office day. We also had a wonderful team of nurses caring for us. Diana assisted during our birth, and Charlene cared for us after the birth. Elizabeth and Charlene did our home visits at 24 and 48 hours after the birth.

What is your birth story?
This is the short version! I woke up at 3:30 am with contractions. Within an hour, they were 2-3 minutes apart, and I was working hard to breathe through them. I arrived at Goshen Birth Center around 8 am and was 4/80%/-1 when I got there. (My cervix had previously been closed.) For the next two hours, I was mostly standing, swaying, and leaning forward, as well as doing squats and lunges. My husband was applying continual counterpressure/ massage on my lower back. Around 10 am, I tried relaxing in a warm tub for about 20 minutes, but that did not feel good, as I was so hot in labor and preferred to be upright. By 11:30 am, I had been having contractions 2-3 minutes apart for about 8 hours, and my ability to cope was waning. I was also exhausted from standing for most of that time. I was worried my labor progress would stall if I couldn’t find a way to relax. After talking it over with my husband, I decided to use the nitrous oxide and was finally able to rest on my side in bed, using the peanut ball to help keep my pelvis open. Within one hour, I was starting to feel the urge to push. I was 9 cm at this point. By 1 PM, I was actively pushing. It took me a little while to find a birthing position that felt right. I tried the birth stool, then hands and knees, and then side-lying. My son was born at 2 PM in side-lying position (with his left hand by his face!).

Did your birth go as planned?
Yes, in some ways, and no, in other ways. My husband and I planned and prepared for a natural childbirth, while also discussing what we would do in the event that I needed to transfer to the hospital and/or have a C-section. We felt very blessed that we were able to deliver at Goshen Birth Center as planned and that there were no complications during labor or birth. With that being said, there were some surprises along the way. I anticipated that I would be in early labor for a while, but my contractions started out moderately strong and close together. I packed a lot of snacks to get me through early labor, but most of them did not get eaten. I planned to labor in the tub at the birth center, as warm baths are usually soothing for me. In reality, when I was in labor, I was far too hot to be able to enjoy a warm bath, and I wanted to be standing up during contractions, not lying down in a tub. I had not planned to use the nitrous oxide, but after having contractions 2-3 minutes apart for 8 hours, I was exhausted and having difficulty relaxing, so I ended up using the nitrous oxide for an hour. There were some pleasant surprises too! I expected to be pushing for over 2 hours (knowing my mother and sister’s birth stories), so I was pleasantly surprised that I only pushed for one hour (despite having an 8 pound, 3 ounce baby!). I was also pleasantly surprised that my son arrived on the first day of my husband’s spring break, so we were all home together for the next 12 days.

Would you deliver at Goshen Birth Center again?
Absolutely! We were so happy to be able to give birth in a comfortable, home-like atmosphere with a caring team of midwives and nurses. We were also grateful that we were able to go home soon after the birth, as we knew it would be far more restful for us to sleep and recover at home rather than in a busy hospital. I arrived at the birth center at 8 am, delivered at 2 pm, and was back home again by 8 pm. I plan to use the birth center again for the birth of my daughter in 2018.


See our Facebook series for other questions by the midwife:
  • What's it like being a midwife and pregnant?
  • Are you going to have your baby at the hospital or the birth center?
  • Which midwife do you want to deliver your baby? 
  • Has giving birth changed your perspective as a midwife? 
  • Why aren't you taking call right now?

Thank you Morgan for generously sharing your perspective and story with us. We can't wait to get the next chapter of your story- birth of daughter Anna Grace just arriving on February 18, 2018.


Location: 1155 Lighthouse Ln, Goshen, IN 46526, USA

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