Midwifery Care Matters

When I had my first baby in early 2018, I was mildly familiar with the idea that different hospitals have different policies. My local hospital had a "Baby Friendly Designation" and offered TOLACS/VBACS while a county over the labor unit was beautiful, but didn't offer the same sort of policies. I went into my birth fairly prepared and actively pursuing an unmedicated birth. But, like most first time moms, the experience was still reality shattering; the idea of the process and transition into parenthood just isn't something that is fully conveyable (you have to experience severe sleep deprivation, adult diapers, and sore nipples to really understand it!).

I was in labor for 24 hours, spending the last seven of those at the hospital. When I was finally ready to push, the OB came in yawning to facilitate. She was relaxed, kind, and a little sassy. I'd never met her before, but I really enjoyed her bedside manner.

Because I was GBS positive, I had an IV line of antibiotics given to me upon arrival to the hospital. A very short time into my postpartum period, I was then nailed with a horrendous illness, no doubt contributed to by my stripped microbiome (and adjusting to sleeping in increments).

After my first baby was born, I started to become more health conscious. I was responsible for what went into her body from breastmilk, to vaccines and medicines, to toddler snacks and toys she was mouthing. This awareness widened my lens in regards to so many more things. So, when we found out we were pregnant again, I wanted options when it came to the potential positive GBS and having a PICC line inserted and antibiotics. I decided to interview a local midwife, but at the time, I still hadn't gained the confidence I would have needed to ask for what I desired. I was just comfortable enough with my local hospital to deliver once again there.

At the end of my pregnancy I was inching closer to the 42 week mark based on my LMP, even though my date of conception would have barely put me over 40 weeks. Because of this, the OB I saw that day, gave me the weekend to go into labor, but scheduled me for an induction the following week. He stripped my membranes before I left and said, "See you next week."

I had her eight hours later. The on call OB barely made it in to catch her because I had waited till the very last minute to head to the hospital. Because I was "so overdue" and I refused a PICC line, the OB stabbed me in the thighs with pitocin to prevent hemmorage because surely my overdue daughter would be so large. Spoiler, she wasn't.

All that to say, two unmedicated births to two healthy babies in the same hospital led to two very different experiences.

Fast-forward nine months and we hit the the hormonal jackpot, getting pregnant the first time I ovulated postpartum. But this was 2020 and the "new normal," fancy, un-tested vaccines, and masks weren't going to touch this pregnancy. I reached out to another midwife team and had alot more confidence this go round. I drove to Green Bay to consult with them and they were 100% my kind of people. It was a no brainer to choose them.

During my 37th week, my midwives informed me our boy was breech. They encouraged me to see a chiropractor, and put some consistent effort in each day with some Spinning Babies techniques, but told me they would support me at home regardless if he flipped. A small fortune in chiropractor appointments later, too many inversions to count, and he did indeed flip head down. I spontaneously went into labor with him and the midwife team facilitated a very empowering birth. At this birth I learned how to check my own cervical progress, break my own bag of water, and listen intuitively to my body both in regards to labor movement and when I was ready to push.

I have the most beautiful video of breathing him down and pushing him out in a semi squat in my very small bathroom. One midwife sat on the toilet in front of me, while the other caught my baby from behind. They cleaned us up, checked us out, tucked us into bed, cleaned up my house and saw themselves out peacefully. After my postpartum period ended with them, I was sad it was over. They helped me become a more intune with my body as a feminine, birthing woman. It strengthened my ability to bond postpartum and let me sink deeply into this new season without the interuptions I had experienced in the hospital.

Round four came 16 months later. Without hesitation, I reached out to one of my prior midwives who had opened her own practice with an office in Stevens Point. At 38 weeks I began having prodromal labor every single day beginning in the afternoon and taporing off at bedtime. Looking back, I now believe my body was trying to begin labor but, that's a story for another time. Just shy of 42 weeks I had called my midwife to ask when she was coming to visit for my scheduled appointment the next day. Instead, she asked if I was busy a couple hours from then, and if we could try to get labor started. She informed me that after the 42 week mark I would be encouraged to participate in some dual care with MFM.

I agreed to give it a go and my team headed over! During my initial assessment after they arrived, they noted I seemed to be carrying alot of extra fluid and my baby wasn't really applied to my cervix. After some deliberation, and knowing my heart to stay home and out of the hospital system, they decided to strip my membranes, and give me homework for a couple of hours while they attended to some other business in town. I was to eat some food, waddle around the neighborhood, and squat with every contraction to get our baby engaged. By the time they returned, I was dilating and in active labor. Like my last labor, I parked myself in the small bathroom and labored on the toilet. Because of the extra fluid, they wanted to break my water in a controlled environment- get a trickle flowing versus an explosion to try to prevent any sort of cord prolapse. My baby had other ideas, and just as she unwrapped her sterile crochet hook (my name for it, not theirs), my next contraction burst that bag in a wild flood. Quickly and expertly they began diagnosing baby to ensure he had handled the rupture and wasn't in distress.

I breathed baby down, got on my knees hanging over the bathtub and pushed our sweet baby out. Because of the additional fluid and the abrupt rupture, they were closely monitoring baby upon arrival, but he was perfect. They expertly handled every unknown and what if with great care and attention. They monitored us, cleaned up, and tucked us in once again for the night. We had a peaceful transition into a family of six, and we woke up the next morning together to beging our new, sweet reality.

If you made it this far through four birth stories, kudos, because here's the real meat and potatoes. Midwifery care in WI is safe, effective, and has excellent structure to it's practice standards. It's working well just the way it is. In July, WI is going to begin the discussion of reviewing what midwives can and can't do. If their scope of practice get's reeled in, preventing them from practicing safely in their current manner, pregnant WI women would face losing a high level of autonomy in their choices for birth.

Some potential changes could restrict midwives from the following:

• Attending rural births (30+ minutes/15 miles)

• Attending VBACS

• Attending breech births

• Attending twin births.

Birth is essential to our existence! (Duh.) Women have the right to choose how they birth and how they are supported. Trained midwives bring compassion, skills, and perspective that differs in many ways from the hospital. If you feel comfortable and safe doing so, birthing in your home is the perfect mix of safety and physiological pregression you don't find anywhere else, though midwife ran birth centers can be a close second!

But in addition to having options in regards how and where you give birth safely, is the reality of our current birth landscape. If you've given birth recently, was your OB a locum? In many areas with access to labor and delivery wards, locums are the new norm; traveling OBs who fill the gaps in coverage. Why are their gaps in coverage? Locums are not less expensive to a hospital system. Where is the break down? Again, a topic for another day, but the answers are not easy problems to solve.

And lastly, in some cases, access to a hospital is very limited, including much of the Northwoods. Driving 30+ minutes during labor just receive any sort of care comes par for the course in many rural areas. While many are okay with this option, having midwives come to your home can be an incredible benefit to your birthing experience.

If you've birthed with a midwife, it's time to tell your story. Tell WI how important it is to have the choice to birth safely in whatever environment is most comfortable for you. Tell them how your midwife acted with professionalism and great care to offer you high end support wherever you chose to give birth. Tell them about your VBAC, your breech birth, twin births and incredible level of skill provided in emergencies and surprises. You can write your story up before July 12 and send via email to:

friendsowimidwives2025@gmail.com

Our WI midwives are incredible. They are diverse and skilled and compassionate. They provide high level of care and offer a safe, alternative to a medicalized birth. They need our stories and support, so women can continue having expanded options for their births.