InnerBirth Midwifery

During my pregnancy with my daughter, I had an experience while visiting the labor and delivery unit that made it clear that a hospital birth was not going to be the best choice for me in order to have a drug-​free, calm-​as-​possible birth experience. My hospital midwife wanted me to have an exam because I was having extreme braxton hicks contractions and she wanted to make sure it wasn’t anything more serious. When they asked me to put on the gown that is commonly worn, I had a full on panic attack — my mom had passed away from cancer a few months earlier, and was wearing a gown of the exact same color and pattern as the ones they had in labor and delivery. I had never had a panic attack and it was a terrifying experience.
We began to research home birth providers and our search eventually led us to Innerbirth Midwifery. I was already in my 6^th month of pregnancy when I made the switch, and my midwife Kim (who was the only licensed midwife at the time — Andrea, who is currently also licensed, was still in training, and Kristy, who is now in training, was acting as my doula) made the transition as smooth as possible. My husband and I were nervous when we met with her the first time. My husband had been born at home, and my grandma had one home birth with my uncle, but I was still unsure as to what to expect. The atmosphere at the office is so warm, inviting, and comforting, and you immediately get the sense that these women are truly experts in their field, and care so much about the work that they are doing. By the end of our meeting (which was so much more personal and caring than the rushed, clinical experiences at standard medical offices), my husband and I were both completely at ease and comfortable with our new «action plan». Throughout the remainder of my pregnancy I continued to feel cared for in a very loving and personal way. Kim recommended supplements that gave me immediate relief from the discomfort and fatigue I was feeling from the other supplements that my previous midwife had me on. During my labor I felt extremely supported and cared for by the wonderful team at Innerbirth.
My daughter’s birth did end up with complications that required a transfer to the hospital (and by that time I was so ready for my baby to safely greet the world that having a panic attack was a non-​issue) which was disappointing, but my Innerbirth team continued with their phenomenal support. Even though she didn’t end up being the one who delivered my baby, she still was my midwife through the early post-​partum weeks and did a home visit, and saw me in her office to make sure everything was ok. She even recognized and correctly diagnosed that I had a severe diastasis recti (separation of the abdominal muscles) when the OB who ended up delivering my baby kept insisting that there was nothing wrong and that I «just needed to do some crunches» — the worst advice for healing a diastasis.
I would recommend Kim, Andrea, and Kristy in a heartbeat to anyone wanting to birth in the comfort of their own home, surrounded by a group of extremely warm, knowledgeable, and caring women there to support you. Love them to pieces.