It’s National Midwifery Week. To highlight the work of a midwife, we talked with our moms who recently gave birth. Here, they share their experience in their own words.
Nicole Rovang, a 29-year-old mom, gave birth to Camden almost two years ago and worked with Kathrine Simon and Jessie Kunz of North Metro Midwives.
You gave birth almost two years ago and worked with a midwife. Was it your first time working with one? This was my first time working with a midwife. Before I became pregnant, I knew that I wanted a natural birth, with little intervention, and someone to stand by me through my labor. I wanted the freedom to move around and let my body do what it was made to do. I found North Metro Midwives online and instantly fell in love with the practice. When I became pregnant, North Metro Midwives was my first call. I was excited to work with a group of midwives who are so passionate about midwifery. I felt confident in my choice, and most importantly, I felt supported in my decision and birth plan.
How did you settle on a midwife? During the pregnancy working with the group of midwives was similar in style to a small OB practice. I rotated through the three providers, so that I knew each person who had a chance of being with me on my son’s birthday. My questions were always answered and further testing was explained thoroughly with all risks and benefits explained to my understanding. The office staff knew us by name and took an active role in my life.
During the pregnancy, what was it like working with a midwife? The birth of my son was amazing. He was a trick and a treat, arriving a little over four weeks early on Halloween morning. Jessie took charge in the delivery room and provided my with the tools and support I needed to feel confident in my decision to birth with as little intervention as possible. She coached me through the contractions and coached my husband to sit down when he wasn’t feeling well. She constantly assured me that I could do this and that I was having a baby. Just less than five hours total at the hospital, my son Camden arrived with no complication other than being a late-term preemie.
Is there anything else you want to share about your experience? My experience with the midwives extends beyond my prenatal care and the birth of my son. I decided to stick with the practice as my primary care for women’s health. When I found a lump in breast nine months ago, it was Jessie who felt the lump and ordered the appropriate testing. She could have easily told me it was normal tissue for just ceasing breast feeding, but her choice for further testing may have saved my life. It was Kathrine who held my hand and cried with me as she gave me the results of the biopsy, and told me I had cancer. She assured me that my dream to give birth to another child was not gone and my dream to become a nurse was not over. Both Jessie and Kathrine called me often throughout my surgery and treatment for breast cancer just to see how things were going and how I was doing not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually. They both took an active role in my family and our lives have forever been changed by these women who are so passionate about women’s health.