Beautiful Babies Born At Home

I received some devastating news this week. My midwife, Amy Medwin, was arrested. She is an amazing woman who has helped women have beautiful births at home for over 30 years now. She is a CPM (certified professional midwife) and can practice legally in all the surrounding states of SC, TN, and VA. I believe women should have the right to choose the health care that they are most comfortable with, but North Carolina doesn't believe women should have that choice. They think we should let the "experts" (the people that supposedly know more about having babies than the mothers themselves) decide. It doesn't make sense to me that in NC a woman who has had a c-section can choose to have subsequent children via elective c-section in a hospital but a woman can't choose to have a v-bac at home with a licensed midwife. Which option seems healthier for the mother and the baby, having a major surgery or having a baby naturally in a natural environment? I know the answer because I have experienced both sides. I had a c-section in the hospital with our first child and it was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. I never fully got over it until I had my first v-bac at home. When I was pregnant with our 2nd child I visited 4 different doctors who told me I would have no other choice but to have a repeat c-section and weren't even willing to let me try to have a v-bac. Then I went to a CNM (certified nurse midwife) who told me she would TRY to support me in having a v-bac but if I didn't have the baby in less than 12 hours then they would have to do a repeat cesarean. I knew I could do it, so why weren't they willing to support me? I knew I had to find another option and that was when I turned towards home birth.
I met my wonderful midwife half way through my 2nd pregnancy. She had delivered numerous v-bacs at home and told me she would support me 100%. She seemed to believe that having a v-bac would be no problem at all. I knew that I had found my best option. My first v-bac was very long and the hospital would have definitely made me have another c-section. But Amy allowed me time, space and freedom to labor the way that I needed to. Caleb came after 26 hours and Amy was by my side the entire time. She slept on my couch. She rubbed by back. She talked to me in her calm voice, reassuring me that everything was going to be ok. And it was more than ok. It was triumphant. When Caleb was born and I held him in my own bed, in my own house, I felt like my entire terrible hospital experience was redeemed. I did it. I knew I could. Amy's confidence and encouragement liberated me- she believed in me when no one else did. It was empowering to know that I did something that the "experts" told me I could not and should not do. Each birth after that was faster and easier. Having my babies at home was the BEST decision I ever made in my life.
My hope is that her arrest will stir up such a commotion that the state will have to make it legal for CPM's to practice in NC. You can read another testimony here and go here to read more about this situation and find out what you can do to support Amy and other midwives in NC.


Caleb was my first v-bac. There is a joke that a woman in labor will find the smallest space possible and decide to have her baby there. That was really true with this birth. We squeezed a birthing pool into our small farmhouse bedroom giving barely enough room for us and the midwives. It was a very quiet birth... mostly because I was so tired. The labor was very long and exhausting but I knew I could do it and so did Amy!

Jonas was my 2nd v-bac. I labored through the night, cleaning every inch of the house while everyone else was sleeping. This time the length of the labor was half the time of the first. Amy arrived about 2 hours before Jonas arrived and helped me move him out of a back labor position. This was the birth of the primal scream heard around the world. We all laughed about it afterwards...but it wasn't too funny at the time:)

Ezra was my 3rd v-bac. My labor was cut in half again. His birth was, by far, my easiest. Amy's calm voice helped me focus and before I knew it I was holding him in my arms.

Silly baby with her pants too high! Adara was my 4th v-bac. The labor was 6 hours long, but very intense. Amy recommended that I get in the tub and it was exactly what I needed to do. I was able to relax a little in between contractions. When it came time to push, it only took one strong push and she was here. I was determined to have that part over with quickly:)