My husband and I found out that we were pregnant with our first baby, and we were over the moon! I have endometriosis and doctors told me to expect infertility and a long journey ahead to have our first baby. I wanted to make sure that I had a great team of healthcare providers that I had access to. The OBGYN that I was seeing was very difficult to get a hold of and understandingly, she was very rushed. I always felt like I left the appointment with more questions and more worries.

I always knew I wanted to have a natural birth and REALLY wanted a water birth. I was interested in the birth center and took a tour. That is when I met Amanda... I knew the moment I met her that I wanted her to deliver my baby. The same night of the tour I switched over to the birth center for my prenatal care at 20 weeks.

I chose the birth center because of the natural birth model and their accessibility. There was not a single moment where I didn’t feel supported. I went through half of my pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the world was filled with fear and uncertainty, I would walk into the birth center and feel at home. Even though we had our masks on, Hannah and Lauryn would greet me with smiles (I could tell by their eyes) and wonderful conversation. The midwives would come get me for my appointment and just chat with me. The birth center became the only place I felt safe to go and I miss it all the time. They truly became my friends. I’ve never had healthcare providers take the time to get to know me and care about me in this way.

I ended up going into prodromal labor for 10 days- contractions 2-10 minutes apart consistently. We still don’t know what caused it, but the midwives NEVER halted communication and would check on me with their PERSONAL phones because they TRULY cared about me. They didn’t want me to suffer. I unfortunately had to be induced but I still was able to have Amanda deliver my baby at Baton Rouge General. I had a 20 hour induction naturally!!!! Amanda supported and cheered me on the entire time. When I thought I couldn’t do it anymore, she was there to remind me of my goals and that I was strong enough. I am forever grateful for my birth center family