With our first pregnancy, I wanted to go with the midwives but my family and friends talked me out of it. I stayed with my OB and had a fine and uneventful 9 hour labor, but never saw the Doctor until I was pushing. When I found out I was pregnant with our second child, I knew I was going with the midwives. A friend of mine was pregnant at the same time and she told me how much she loved Gretchen and Sandy. I set up a meeting with Sandy for my husband and myself to meet her and learn a little bit more about midwives. Sandy was so great and I was excited about getting started.

Over Mother's Day weekend, I was about four months along, I was panicked about not feeling the baby move. I thought I had pushed myself with to much exercise and a race that weekend. I called the first thing Monday morning and left a message and shortly after Gretchen called and told me to come on up. She instantly took me into the back and everything was fine. They never made me feel silly or stupid with my questions, or made me feel rushed (I was used to 10 minute apt. with my Dr. and they always seemed like they understood or experienced it themselves.

As the time got closer I was told that Gretchen was going on vacation around my due date. I was a little nervous as I usually saw Gretchen more for my appointments. I started to see Sandy and I met with Nancy who just returned to Jeannette. As September started, I began to dilate slowly and Gretchen told me I might not make it to my due date of October 3rd. Since my daughter Olivia was a week early, I thought she might be right. At about 38-39 weeks I was about 2-2 centimeters dilated and I asked if there way anything I could do to get the ball rolling faster. Gretchen offered to strip my membranes and I said ""Yes" I went to 4 centimeters. My due date came and went so I got my membranes striped again and a non stress test. Two days later I woke up at 12:15 am with really bad back pains about three minutes apart. I called my husband to come home from work and then I called the midwives. Nancy called me back, and then she told me I sounded like I was in labor and not to wait for my husband to get home from work, which was 40 minutes away, but to go to the hospital now. When I got to the hospital, I was greeted by nurse Patty, who is my neighbor and the same nurse that helped deliver my daughter three years earlier, and I was also put in the same room. Nancy was there in minutes, and then followed by my husband.

Nancy never left my side, keeping me calm, talking to me. This labor was nothing like my first, everything so fast. I was dilating about one centimeter every 20 minutes, and by 2:30 I was allowed to push. They had the mirror ready and talked me through it all. I got to see and touch my baby as he was being born, something I did not get to do with my first. Our little boy was born at 2:51am. I started to hemorrhage after delivery,, and I was scared, but Nancy and Patty were calm and had it under control with medicine within minutes.

We now have two healthy, wonderful children. I thank Nancy for a wonderful birth experience. I was everything I could have hoped for and more with her suggestions and ideas. I have told everyone I know about my wonderful experience with the Family Nurse Midwives. I wish I only had done it three years ago.

Written by Julie Urbanic, Jeannette, Penna.