I decided a few years ago that when the time came I would want to have a natural birth. In high school I started reading books about natural childbirth and midwifery and became more and more excited about it. As I increased my knowledge I knew I wanted to have my baby at home.

When I found out I was pregnant, I started looking for a midwife. After I met with Janae I knew she was right for me. My birth story starts two weeks after my due date...

At two weeks past my due date Janae sent me to get a stress test to make sure everything was ok with the baby. Once at the hospital the attendants did an ultrasound and said everything looked great, but when I was on the monitors the baby’s heart rate dropped slightly whenever he would move so they kept me there. After a few hours a doctor came in. He wanted to induce me right then and told me about everything that could go wrong if I left the hospital and tried to have it at home. Overwhelmed and not knowing what to do I call Janae. I really did not want to have my baby at the hospital! Janae told me not to make my decision at the hospital and that I should go home and think about my decision. I had total confidence in Janae and trusted her completely. We left the hospital relieved not to have to be there anymore. My husband and I prayed about it and knew everything would be ok.

The next couple of days passed with small contractions here and there but I knew deep down the baby was ok. I tried almost everything; castor oil, massage, walking, acupuncture, and a few other things. In the mean time my family started to get really worried. Family members were telling me I should go to the hospital and that the baby needed to come out now. I was getting a lot of pressure from everyone. I finally broke down and started crying. I felt like everyone was not supporting me the way they should have been. So I sent my mom home, telling her I needed to be alone to think about everything. I called my husband and asked him to come home. We talked and I told him all my worries and concerns. He reassured me that everything would work out the way I wanted it to, and that everything would be fine. I felt so comforted by his words and knew everything really would be ok.

So we were just hanging out for about 15 minutes when suddenly, I started having contractions! And they were pretty hard ones. They were worse than any before and I knew the baby was coming. They were about 5 minutes apart and getting really strong. We called Janae and asked her to come. While we were waiting for her the contractions got worse. Janae arrived after about a 30 minutes and checked me. I was definitely progressing. So she told me to get in the bath to relieve some of the pain. It helped a little. I was in the bath about an hour. When a contraction would come on I just wanted everyone to be quiet so I could focus on getting through it. Janae checked me a couple more times during that and told me that I was progressing pretty quick. She called her assistant, Liz, to come over and help. I got out of the bath and laid down on our bedroom floor. During the next few contractions I started pushing. Janae really helped me with my breathing, and worked hard to make sure I didn’t tear. Before long the head was out. And on the next push the whole body slipped right out. It was such a relief emotionally and physically.

Krew was 9 pounds 12 ounces and 21 inches long! He was perfect!

Having Krew at home was so worth everything I had gone through. It was the best feeling to know that my baby was healthy, and in the safe environment of our own home. I couldn’t imagine having a baby any other way. I am grateful for Janae, and the work she does. Through everything she was calm and so supportive. She is a great midwife.

Thank you Janae!