Melissa's Story, Hospital Birth
My husband and I came back home to Nanaimo from Winnipeg, MB about 2 months before my due date at the beginning of 2005. It was then that I found out that my old family doctor no longer did deliveries and I had to find a doctor I would be comfortable with. I met with one doctor and just didn't feel comfortable. He was quick and to the point and I felt rushed, which in turn caused my memory to lapse and all the important questions I had fell out of my head! I'm sure he was a great doctor and he was friendly enough, but I was feeling overwhelmed and rushed in all areas - I had to find an apartment, and then unpack, get a nursery ready and find a doctor! I remembered a friend from Winnipeg had highly recommended midwives after having her baby. So I looked online and found a number to call. That's how my wonderful experience began with Jenn and Lillian.
I remember feeling so comfortable and relieved after our first meeting. They took their time and explained everything to me and asked me lots of questions as to what I wanted for my labour and delivery. I finally felt like everything was falling into place and I was prepared. I had an induced labour at 38 weeks because I started to have pre-eclampsia. Even though my care was technically transferred to an obstetrician, Jenn and Lillian stayed with me through to the end. Jenn was especially wonderful and helpful to me.
This was my first baby, so everything was new and sometimes a little overwhelming. Her expertise in breathing through contractions and knowledge of different labouring positions made it easier to stick with my plan of having an all-natural birth. The nurse who kept reminding me every moment she could that there were drugs available, should I want them, was not so much of a help. Near the end I did decided to try some medicinal pain relief through the IV (I'm not sure if it had any effect or not) but other than that I managed to stick to my original plan.
A couple times the OB would peek his head in and check how things were going, but when it came time to deliver he wasn't around. Another moment where I was thankful to have Jenn! She delivered my beautiful baby girl, Rebekah, on March 12, 2005 at 10:00am, weighing 6lbs. 14oz. It was a wonderful experience.
So naturally when I became pregnant 8 months later, I knew I would be calling Jenn again to be my midwife. This time I didn't have pre-eclampsia or any other complications, so it was just Jenn and Lillian in the hospital room with my husband and me (with an occasional nurse checking in). It was a little more quiet and peaceful (not the contractions though!). And this time I made it through the entire delivery without any pain medication! Jenn delivered my handsome baby boy, Joshua, on August 24, 2006 at 7:35 am, weighing 8lbs. 6oz.
Another wonderful benefit I shouldn't forget to include, is the postpartum care that I received on both occasions. Jenn came to my home to check in on us and how we were doing with breastfeeding and coping with the many changes another baby brings. Also to weigh Josh and check his vitals. It was nice to get an experienced perspective when it's all new to you. Jenn has shown so much care to my family, I owe her much gratitude for all she has done. I highly recommend midwifery!
Deirdre's Story, Home Birth
When I became pregnant with our first child (in Ontario) we decided to go with midwifery care. I was immediately impressed with the quality of our prenatal visits – our visits were often at least 45 minutes long! I was wary of the cascade of interventions that often occurs in the traditional hospital setting with an ob/gyn, so when it appeared that my pregnancy was progressing normally, my husband and I decided to plan for a homebirth.
My research on homebirth demonstrated it to be at least as safe as hospital birth, often resulting in fewer interventions for both mother and baby. The idea of labouring in the privacy and comfort of my own home was very appealing to me. We also researched water birth and bought an inflatable kiddie pool. Although I did not end up giving birth in the pool, the deep warm water turned out to be an indispendable means of making labour more manageable for me during the last couple of hours before transition. The birth of our first daughter in April 2003 during a spring snowstorm in Ottawa was an intense and amazing experience – a beautiful, natural homebirth with 2 midwives, a student midwife and my husband attending.
When I became pregnant with our second child two years later, we were in the process of moving to Vancouver Island. There was no question that we wanted midwifery care again – and another homebirth. We first met with Jenn Hewko when I was four months pregnant. Jenn's nursing background gives her very solid medical expertise, and she was always able to answer our questions thoroughly from that perspective. But I also found her to be very attuned to a woman's natural ability to gestate and birth with a minimum of interference. She was very supportive of our desire to homebirth and worked with us unfailingly through a difficult logistical situation in order to accommodate that.
The birth pool turned out to be very helpful again, as the baby was a bit posterior and I was experiencing some intense back labour. The warm water went a long way to disperse and soothe the intensity of the contractions. The birth of our second daughter in October 2005 with Jenn and her partner in attendance was a very empowering and respectful homebirth experience.
I feel so blessed to have had not one but two wonderful homebirths. I wish more women would realize that having a homebirth or even just using midwifery care and birthing in a hospital setting almost always leads to a more positive birth experience.