Our beautiful home birth adventure with Kate and Sam began about two months before the birth of our daughter. For the majority of my pregnancy I received prenatal care from an OB because I hadn’t ever considered or fully educated myself about other options.

Our lovely Birth Doula that we planned to have present for a hospital birth recommended a few resources to me, one of them was the book Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth. Even though she recommended it to me early on in my pregnancy I hadn’t spent time to focus on it until later in my pregnancy, but quickly became fascinated with natural birth and the opportunity for it to take place in the home that we love so much.

Before making the final decision to have our daughter at home, we interviewed four different midwives to see if our connection with anyone felt “right”. Kate and Sam were by far the quickest connection we had in the interviews, and I attribute that to them being so supportive of my feelings, fears and questions from the very beginning. Our relationship with them became very familiar very quickly and we looked forward to the appointments we had with them every few weeks. What I love most about the prenatal care was the fact that both my husband and I had the opportunity to ask many questions and discuss anything we wanted with them without feeling rushed as we so often felt with our previous provider. Being in the comfort and convenience of our home was a bonus, too.

I continued my fascination with natural birthing with each appointment and conversation we had. I really enjoyed learning about my options for pain management and labor preparation, and it was nice that you could tell they were as enthusiastic about it as I was. You can hear and feel the passion they have for the mamas they comfort and the babies they will help bring into the world.

Just before 40 weeks when it came time to deliver our baby girl, I had no doubt in my mind that Kate and Sam were going to be supportive of my birthing preferences and that we were going to have the right people in our environment to help the birth happen as naturally as possible. They were a calming presence and helped me get through the more difficult parts of labor. I specifically remember locking eyes with Kate and her telling me (without actually saying anything) that everything was going to be okay despite any exhaustion or doubt I was feeling at that moment. As a team they did a great job of communicating with each other and with us as things were progressing and made us feel very comfortable. To top it all off, before they left us to rest they got us all cozy in our bed and Sam even made us a delicious breakfast-in-bed after that both of us desperately needed after baby’s 3:25am arrival. I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that you don’t expect childbirth to feel like you’re at a resort. But we did!

Their love and support didn’t stop after the birth either! The level of attention they give in the first days and weeks of little one’s life (which especially as first time parents can be stressful and intimidating) is invaluable and we couldn’t be more grateful for it. Anytime date or night and despite the never-ending questions we texted them, they made us feel safe and empowered. I can guarantee you can’t get that level of attention and support anywhere else.

Throughout the journey, not only was my physical health a priority, but my emotional health as well. The six week postpartum appointment was SO bittersweet and beautiful. The “closing of the bones” ceremony they ended my care with was emotional and just what I needed to close the chapter so I could spread my Mama wings and fly. That was a very special touch and I highly recommend it.

We still rewatch the video that our birth doula took of the delivery (and also of Kate’s examination/presentation of the placenta!), and truly feel that our first child’s birth was everything we could have dreamed of and more. Kate and Sam have become like family and will always be special people in our lives. Thank you both for making our daughter’s entrance into the world so amazing!