My mother became pregnant with my younger brother when I was five years old. I was unbelievably excited and buried myself in her pregnancy and nursing books. Although they were slightly dated, they were filled with photos of birthing mothers. I was simply fascinated! I went with her to her prenatal appointments and attended her ultrasound exam. Aside from the disappointment from the "it's a boy!" announcement (HA!), I was so excited to be a part of this process. Finally, toward the end of the 9 months, my parents began Lamaze classes at the hospital. Having no one to babysit me, I got to go along! I was almost about to explode with excitement! I was the only child attending the class with her parents. It was absolutely fabulous! I was fascinated with the breathing exercises and the information being shared about labor and birth. I remember my mother "preparing" me for the videos they would show and her telling me to not be scared; I thought "what is there to be scared of?". The evening came, that the lights were shut off in the classroom and the video began. I was amazed! In that time, homebirth was slightly more accepted and so there were videos of women birthing at home and in the hospital (vaginally and c-section). I suppose most children would have been upset by the images, I was not at all. I was excited. Excited that I would one day be able to give birth in that way! I couldn't wait to have a baby! Thus began my even deeper obsession with pregnancy, birth and babies.

 

My mother went into labor with my younger brother, the evening of her and my father's 10th wedding anniversary. Her labor carried on into the following morning, my sixth birthday! My oldest half-sister came to stay with me and my mom while my dad went to buy some very special (I'm sure "we're sorry") gifts for me. While he was gone, I sat with my mom on the side of her bed, "shushing" my freaked out sister during my mom's contractions. Between contractions I tried very hard to convince my mom to "JUST STAY HOME!" and "I know you can, I saw them do it on the videos!!!". I begged and pleaded with her, figuring that it had to be a simple thing and she was a nurse-she should know it all anyway! My begging didn't work and they did end up going to deliver in the hospital ad I did still have my birthday party, thrown by my sister-by the way she's a great party planner now! And mom, dad and baby were at home that evening, six hours after the birth.

 

Eighteen years after this amazing event, I was pregnant with my first baby. My new husband, Mark, and I began prenatal care with the same OB that delivered my brother. As my pregnancy progressed, Mark and I began studying the Bradley Method of Childbirth and I was very much set on laboring and birthing drug-free, just as my mom had. I began to have doubts that I would be able to have EVERYTHING the way I wanted and how I had always seen my birth happen in my dreams. We decided to take a tour of NE Baptist Hospital where we would be delivering. Upon stepping into the labor/delivery/recovery room part of the tour, with the 7-8 other couples, I whirled around to my husband in the doorway and whispered with eyes WIDE, "I AM NOT DELIVERING HERE!". I can only imagine what he was thinking at that moment. His only response was "ok?". After listening to the annoyed nurse answer questions like "can we go with the baby to the nursery?" and hearing the response of "well, sometimes". I said, "Let's go, no one is going to take my baby away from me!" and as everyone was going into the elevator to continue the tour to the nursery, we requested that they take us down to the lobby, so we could leave. I cried the whole way home, Wishing that I didn't have so much knowledge of how birth really should be! Mark was very concerned about what exactly my plans were for our birth. I said homebirth sounds really good to me. I had read up on it and it was mentioned in the Bradley book, several times. I told him that I never dreamed of my wedding as a child, I did dream of my births! And I didn't see myself birthing that way, in the hospital. It didn't seem right! So, he said "ok, if that's what you want, then let's do it!". OH! I could breathe again!!

 

Our sweet Liam Edward Cooper was born at home several weeks later, with the help of midwives. I was hooked! I began my studies as a midwife and attended a few births as an apprentice, one being a breech delivery. One month after that (slightly scary delivery) I found myself pregnant again, our Liam was only 9 months old! Aedan Nicholas Riley joined us at 36 weeks, totally healthy, caught by his daddy and momma, at home! Following his birth, I began far more intensive training and attended a huge number of births, including a triplet home-waterbirth, breeches, and plenty of more common vertex deliveries. In the spring of 2008, I completed all requirements to sign up for the NARM National Certification Exam for midwives. Within this time, I became pregnant with our third baby. That August, I sat for the midwifery exam, passed and was certified the following month. Two weeks before our last baby was born, I received my Texas State Midwifery License. Mia Giselle Elise was born at home, in water, delivered by her father and I, with the midwives nearby, keeping an eye on all of us. This waterbirth was amazing and I encourage all women to jump into a tub for labor, there is nothing like it for pain relief!

 

So now, three years following the opening of my own private practice, and 26 years after my first experience of labor and birth, I am living my lifelong dream of caring for women and their families as they grow these amazing little babies in their bodies! I am living my life philosophy of giving the babies of the world a much gentler start to life outside of the womb, by encouraging healthy women, with healthy, uncomplicated pregnancies to seek a better way to bring their baby into the world-and that is through midwifery care and in birthing at home...I have never heard a parent express regret at having a birth at home. It is the highest level of holistic care there is!