Skip to main content


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

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I believe in VBAC- thoughts from a midwife

“Once a cesarean, always a cesarean.”  That often-heard adage does not reflect the reality of birth today.  While it can seem astoundingly easy to end up with a cesarean surgery for the birth of a baby (roughly 1 in 3 babies in the United States are born this way), finding a provider to support a TOLAC (trial of labor after cesarean) and VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) can seem astoundingly hard, depending on the part of the country you live in.                  There’s always things out of our control that contribute to cesarean section being the choice way to have a safe birth for mom and baby: a baby coming breech, a pregnancy of twins where the first baby is coming breech, baby’s heart rate in labor becoming abnormal, placenta over the cervix, mother having certain active infections, some medical conditions of mother or baby.  Despite all this, the World Health Organization says the number of women birthing by cesarean should be closer to 10-15%.  I am happy to be part of a
Post a Comment
Read more

For a new year... by Betsy Black

As the women gathered around the table there was laughter. I slid into the last open place at the head of the table, all 8 chairs full. It was unexpected how strongly I felt the warm squeeze in my chest. I had gathered together these women, on this night, in this place so I could share these words. These were the women I worked with every day. Women dedicated to serving the childbearing families of our community just like me. It had been a year of hard work, uncomfortable conversations, and change. Stress held us hostage sometimes. Like any group of people working together we are susceptible to negativity and resentment fueled by miscommunication. We needed a reminder, a call to attention of sorts to stop and choose grace, kindness, and positivity. We are still getting to know each other, our work relationships deepening and trust building. Each of us holds the common thread of our commitment and passion for birth, but we also each have a life at home. Lives where we ar
1 comment
Read more

Thanks Mom by Beverly Lowther CNM

Funny to think that I never imagined that I would ever be in the medical profession, but my mom influenced my direction by persistently persuading me toward being a “midwife”.  At that time, I knew little of what that word even meant. Since taking my mom’s advice (mothers, never downplay your wisdom and influence on your children) , it has been a journey of realizing truly how well this role fits my adventurous personality because literally there is no day that is the same.   Having a strong desire to serve, I had the opportunity to teach prenatal education classes to women who were low income or in crisis pregnancies prior to my midwifery career. It was during this time, it became very clear to me how influential education and support had on a woman’s experiences and outcomes for pregnancy and birth. I witnessed first-hand the difference between women who invested time to take prenatal education and those who didn’t: in how they labored, how they made choices, and even how they c
Post a Comment
Read more