Just in Time.. God's

We had a couple of great births last weekendJ. The first one came on Sunday. This first time mom
was due on the 6th of November. So by Thanksgiving I was getting a little nervous and she was at her
wits end with perfecting the art of patience. So on Saturday I ask Kathy (my little hands couldn’t reach
her post cervix very well) to strip her membranes and fortunately by that evening she was having
some contractions. On Sunday morning things began to pick up after her water broke. She came to
the Birth Inn mid morning with labor in high gear. The first thing she said after walking in, she pointed
to the Jacuzzi.”I want to get in there!” I smiled and Cynthia soon started the tub. As of this day our
new momma was 20 days past her due date. I was very relieved to see that her amniotic fluid was
clear, this re-assured us that she was not likely that far over her due date as there would likely have
been meconium if she was. Baby sounded great and she was 5 cm. We put her in the tub where she
relaxed super well and stayed for a few hours. She soon began light pushing, she then got out of the
tub and moved to the bed . Within a short time we had a very pretty baby girl. This first time mom did
a wonderful job. Sometimes the calendar says “overdue” but the baby says I’m here on time! It’s an art
in this day and age and it requires a lot of patience and faith in the Lord to wait past your due date but
usually that is the best thing for baby. I admire this momma for going above and beyond in her endeavor
to wait it outJ.

On Sunday night I got a call at 10:30pm that Mrs F was having some regular contractions. (She too
had been waiting longer than she expected she had delivered her first 2 weeks early. This one was
now at her due date. ) She was debating whether to come to BI or not as they weren’t very strong
yet. We talked about it and she decided to give it a little while to let the contractions get harder. At
11:45 dad called to say that she was ready to come to the BI, contx had increased in intensity. This was
her 2nd baby and sometimes those little ones shoot out, especially since she hadn’t had a very long
labor even with her first. They got to the BI about an hour later. She was focused and very calm. We
listened to baby who sounded good and mom was 5-6 cm dilated with a bulging bag. I had decided not
to call my assistant until necessary because I knew she was very tired as we had been up all night the
previous night with one of Kathy’s moms. Then at 1am moms water broke so I called Cynthia to come.
Mom reported a slight urge to push within a few minutes ..I finished getting things set up knowing
that Cynthia may not make it or at least she would have very little time if she did. Mom was on hands
and knees in the living area..I suggested she move over to the bed, which dad helped her to do. 2
contractions later we had a beautiful baby boy with an intact perineum. Cynthia came about 10 min
later and we all rejoiced over a quick labor. Baby arrived barely over an hour after they got to the BI so
glad they came when they did, this little one may have arrived in the car on a cold night.

Thank you Lord for 2 precious babies who came easily and right on time!
BY Deidre

Mrs. L

 A testimony of God’s  mercy on a recent birth….J is the daughter of a dear friend and spiritual mentor to me when I was young. I have been blessed to attend her in the births of her 3 children. Their last baby a girl had a chromosomal disorder and wasn’t able to stay here on earth but a few short days. Number 4 was also a girl and was going to be received with much gratefulness and a bit of apprehension. Ultrasound showed that the baby was without problems and this family decided to birth with us at the Birth inn. Close to her due date J began some contractions…late in the day (9pm) I went over to see her. While I was there she didn’t have any contractions and noted that things didn’t seem consistent. I went ahead and listened to baby. Great heart tones! She wanted to be checked so we did and found her cervix to be posterior and 1 cm. So we thought it was a warm up and assumed baby would be coming but just not sure when.  She was tired and thought she would get to bed for some sleep. I went home and did the same.

At 2:49am on October 20th, my phone rang..Dad indicates that mom had just woken him and wanted to go to the Birth Inn.  I hear mom groaning in the background……hmm I think that sounds intense. I tell him I will be headed that way and I’d see them there soon…At which point he tells me they are all still in PJ’s and it will be at least 15 min before they are able to get out of the door. I hurry out of bed and quickly get dressed. Three minutes later 2:52 am I am nearly dressed and my phone rings again. (NEVER a good sign)  Dad is yelling at me to get over there as baby has just delivered on the kitchen floorJ I hear baby crying in the background tell him to grab towels and keep her warm. I put on my slippers a mouthful of mouthwash in my mouth and run out the door spitting it on the ground as I get into my car. Fortunately they live in my neighborhoodJ. I arrive to a very pale faced grandma and dad, but a smiling mom and a crying baby!  Grandma tells the story about how she caught baby. Dad says how he tried to tell her NOT to push when she said she needed to (that never works). Mom tells me how she was stirred awake with contractions over the last 2 hours but how she slept between them until the last 8 or so contractions, when they got close and she could no longer sleep. At which point she woke up dad and I think began to realize that she was in transition. Grandma admits to praying she would be able to attend the birth.

 Just goes to show us that one can be 1 cm dilated one minute and a short few hours later have a baby in arms.   Needless to say all was well...mess wasn’t too bad and they have such a story to tell. Thank you Lord for a GREAT birth, and a precious life. No human help needed Your hand is never too short! Deidre DeGrado 

Mrs Rink A Dink

As of This morning (Friday) we have four lovely moms past their due dates; two moms due within the next five days, and two moms within the safe zone both of which are trying to deliver early. Other than that, not much is going on. ;o)

I Will start this out with momma A, Mrs. Rink a Dink; Gravid 6, para 5. First baby a C-Section due to failure to progress and more importantly BC (Before Christ). Second pregnancy 13 years later, and AC  (after Christ) and a successful VBAC. Nineteen months later another boy was born into this family, her first home birth.  Mom was so thrilled with her first un-medicated totally natural birth. Then 19 months later another boy born at home, 19 months later another  baby boy born at home, a then with a 30  month break mom calls with her 6th pregnancy, "I need your services again". This call came while her first born son and daughter in law were expecting their first baby. You might remember them, Mrs. Dancer.

 Mom and Dad are hoping for a little girl to add some femininity to their family but really they’re okay with whatever the Lord gives them.  Mrs. Dink has had two nights of laboring with little progress. UGGH! This morning dad called saying mom is getting tired and wants to get something going. When I arrived at the Birth Inn, mom seemed in pretty good spirits, but definitely wanting this over. After prayer and discussion of options we decided to do a "no-no" in my book and break her water. Its important to give parents the information and let them make the decision. 

This was already a strange birth that we had going on here.

Usually when a baby is in the posterior position (which this baby was at times), contractions decrease and sometimes even stop; however, with this grand-multip, contractions picked up while the baby was in a posterior position and when mom is lying down. But, when the baby turned anterior, (a more favorable position) the contractions stopped... WEIRD! Complete opposite of what you normally might have going on.

As it turns out, this mom labored for several more hours without any progress. Needless to say she was exhausted after several attempts to turn the baby and hours passing.  The decision was made to transfer mom in for an epidural. She was nervous about going to the hospital and having unnecessary interventions. However, she wanted relief, I assured her that  Dr. J was available to meet us at the hospital  and that alleviated her fears. The staff at the hospital was very nice and ready and willing to help. They made every effort to speedily get the epidural going which gave mom the relief she needed. Within one hour, and after Dr. Jensen manually dilated her the mom delivered another boy. Oh Well maybe next time... We Praise God for giving us a wonderful doctor to work with and help us out  when we need to transfer.

In the meantime, we are getting calls from other moms with contractions, Bloody show and feelings of desperation to get their babies delivered.

This is a huge spiritual battle for me. I want to help moms, you know, be there for them, minister to them. We've gone through the pregnancy together getting to know one another and looking forward to the time of the birth. We pray for our moms on a regular basis, we invest time and energy and lots of emotions anticipating the grand  event, and now, it seems that things are piling up and only by the grace of God will I have the time to focus on one family at a time. We are all trusting in the Lord for his perfect timing for each family. Stay tuned for Mrs. Singing mom.

Marathon Mom

Prenatal visits are a time of excitement and anticipation for mothers.  Excitement to hear the heartbeat, and to check another month off the calendar countdown!  With this anticipation comes getting on the scales and watching the dial edge into numbers that nobody wants to see!  Then there is the barrage of questions. “How’s your diet? Are you drinking plenty of water? Are you exercising? “  Really?? Are you serious?? Exercise with this giant belly??  I can’t even get my tennis shoes tied!!

Often we remind moms that labor and delivery is like a marathon.  Imagine the outcome of attempting to run a marathon after spending 9 months sitting on the sofa, eating anything you wanted, and gaining  40 lbs.  No one in their right mind would attempt that! Yet, time and time again, mothers show up the day of delivery expecting the baby to painlessly slip out after a few hours of contractions and then complain that they are tired, even exhausted, worn out, hungry and weak.  Even to the point of feeling like they won’t have the energy to push out the baby.

This particular mom, let’s call her Marathon Mom, was excited for her second birth.  She had heard that usually the second birth is the “best” birth.  The “door” had already been opened and surely this wouldn’t be another 24 hour labor!

Marathon Mom is a very strong mom.  She is fit and has very good muscle tone. She maintained a healthy diet and exercised daily. She is very determined and purposeful.  She had specific instructions for us and a timeline that she expected.  It seemed reasonable that the baby should be here by 4 pm.  She wanted to push twice, and when the baby was born, she wanted me to hold up the baby and announce, “It’s a GIRL!”

Marathon Mom walked all morning.  By 1:30 contractions were picking up, but is was 3:00 before she was ready to call for help.  When we arrived at 3:30, mom complained of back pain.  We tried changing her position several times trying to encourage the baby to turn into an anterior position.  4:00 came and went and mom was dilated to 7cm still complaining of back pain.

The clock ticked on; minute after minute turned into hour after hour.  Finally around 9pm it was time to push…..and push, and push and push.  It was well past the 4pm time that Marathon Mom had picked to deliver.  In fact, it was just an hour before midnight when she pushed out the 9lb 8oz baby that was looking straight up at the ceiling.  One more push and the baby was out.  I held it up and announced……”It’s a BOY!”

In pregnancy a mom can hope, plan and prepare for the birth.  But sometimes our best laid plans don’t turn out like we hope.  That is when preparation comes into play.  Prepare for delivery like an athlete prepares for an event.  This is how Marathon Mom prepared, and when the time came and her strength was challenged, she was able to go the distance and come out smiling on the other side….holding her precious prize.

Mrs Thiseasy

Mothers choose the care of a midwife for many different reasons.  Some because that is what their mom did, some out of fear of hospitals, and some for financial reasons.  For others it’s a journey.  A desire to have a birth different than the one(s) before.  Our mom, Mrs. Thiseasy, came to us pregnant with her second child.  Her first baby was born in the hospital and she had an epidural. The second pregnancy came a little sooner than planned, so in addition to the anticipation of having a home birth, Mrs Thiseasy was a little nervous about having two babies so close together. 

We pray for all of out moms, but with some, we know of more specific things to pray about.  With Mrs Thiseasy we prayed that God would bless her with an easy birth and that she wouldn’t have fear. (As you know, fear equals more pain and a longer labor)  It was late June when Mrs Thiseasy started having contractions.  She timed them and waited for them to intensify, but time after time they fizzled out.  July 2^nd was different.  This time, the contractions continued even when she rested.  Finally she decided it was time to make the hour+ drive to where she was going to deliver.  By the time she arrived the contractions were further and further apart, but still coming.  She decided to rest and by early morning it was clear….false alarm.

She was discouraged. “How will I know when it’s the real thing?” she wondered.  July 11^th she called sounding as chipper as ever.  Was this another case of wishful thinking?  She paused, “Hang on, I need to sit down.” she said.   Eyebrows raised, I told her to come on in.  But to first stop by the office for a check.  She arrived an hour and a half later.  She was smiling as usual. I checked her.  “You are at least a 7,” I said, “Lets get ready to have a baby!”  She and her husband headed over to the Birth Inn……I didn’t tell her, but  really, she was more like an 8!!  I just didn’t want her to panic.

Once settled, she asked to sit in the whirlpool.  We gladly obliged.  Once the tub was full she got in and immediately felt the relaxing distraction of pulsating jets.  After several minutes she tried to move to a hands and knees position, but the pressure was starting to build.  She closed her eyes during the contraction and gently swayed side to side.  When the contractions was over she smiled big and said, “This really doesn’t hurt that bad!”  We laughed, God had answered our prayers!

After a few minutes on hands and knees she moved back to a sitting position.  We folded a towel for her to sit on and did a check…complete.  We told her she could push if she wanted.  And she did…a little.  Between contractions she smiled and questioned why she ever had an epidural in the hospital with her first birth.

She gently pushed through each contraction and at 6:39 she gracefully delivered an 8lb 4oz baby boy!

Another Birth Adventure MRS. Gushy

We are sitting at the Birth Inn this beautiful mild summer morning with a delightful couple. Mama A's water broke yesterday morning at 5:00 am and very few contractions followed. This sweet Mennonite couple had their previous children in the hospital naturally but they were all long and difficult births. Her history is to labor for a long time and then once she gets past 4 cms., labor picks up and the baby comes.  I have assisted with the deliveries of her sister.
 Go figure, she had high hopes that staying out of the hospital would help her relax and the baby would deliver quicker or easier. Not the case, is seems like many times the first home birth triggers some fear that the moms have to overcome, then things pick up and start to happen. Birth is a challenge. It causes us to come face to face with our individual fears, whether our fear is having a healthy baby or fear of the pain it brings us to our knees and causes us to trust in the Creator. We can embrace that fear and turn to God and receive His blessing of help or run to some other source  like an epidural or the highest level of intensive care for newborns but in the end you really have to trust in God for the outcome of your birth.  God is faithful to walk with you through the birth and you will draw near to Him because you need Him.
 I've always believed that attending women in childbirth is a holy time, a privilege to be present when the Lord brings another life into the world. I do not and have never thought home birth was for everyone and the best option for low risk moms, instead it is for those that are low risk and feel God has lead them to take that option. Sometimes we do something because we think it will be easier on us but in reality God may be saying you will grow closer to me during this process. Either way if your heart is right meaning you seek Him first you CAN trust Him for the outcome. My preachiness is coming out again I think I better move on and tell you what is happening with the birth.
We discussed options since her water was broke and no contractions. The parents decided to go to the Birth Inn and try to sleep,  if labor doesn't start during the night then we will try some natural alternatives to stimulate contractions in the morning.
Next morning: Mom said she had some mild contractions during the night but around 3:00 am things really kicked in. She labored until 5:00 then called me to come over and help. Thanks for the sleep much appreciated. When we arrived mom was very intense with her contractions, I decided to check her, she was only 3 cms. UGH... We encouraged her and gave her "the talk' You know what I mean moms. The one that goes like this. Work your labor. What I mean is, think about what is happening with your cervix. If you are trying to get into positions to ease the pain and make it feel better then expect things to take longer and if you are in a postion that makes the contractions 'easier' then it probably isn't changing the cervix and you are prolonging the labor. I explained that to Mrs Gushy and within 30 minutes I noticed she was getting flushed in the face and was really working the contractions. She went to the restroom and we heard groaning sounds. HMMM maybe we should check. Sure enough mom was 8-9 cms. Yay,  30 minutes later we had a handsome baby boy.
After the birth, mom said it really helped her to understand that she needed to have painful contractions to finish the job. It totally changed her attitude. She began to embraced God's design of birth . Her mindset changed and so did her labor. She said afterwards that it really helped her. PTL
 8lbs. and 6 ozs. Praise the Lord for another safe delivery. In the meantime mama B calls and says she is in labor. Cynthia and I head off to grab some lunch and Ginger heads to her sons ball game. Right after we finish eating mom B calls and says things are picking up and she is ready to come in. Stay tuned for her birth story.

Our Government is in Crisis

About 3 weeks ago I received a summons to Jury Duty. I really wanted to get out of it and I have to admit I tried. I want to do my duty as an American Citizen but I kind of thought I had already. When I looked at the date to serve I realized that I had served last April. Just two weeks and one year ago. They say the system is Random in choosing jurors but I find that hard to believe.
Ok, so I go to do my duty as an American Citizen hoping and praying I would be sent home or get to serve quickly and be done with the whole ordeal. I was chosen  to be on a Rape case which really was kind of scary. I didn't want to hear the gross details of this evil. I tried to make some comments that I thought would disqualify me during the selection process but that was to no avail.
How many times have you heard of the government spending unnecessary money and creating more of a deficit due to red tape or unnecessary stupid spending. Well I hear it all the time but I don't think I have seen it in action like I did today.
I went  to the court house  today even though I really didn't want to. I was concerned that one of my precious moms might go into labor and I would not be able to be at their birth. I prayed last night and again today hoping that God would not let them go into labor, but I did make arrangements for the moms just in case.
 Keep in mind that another  midwife is be persecuted in western Kansas just for fulfilling her calling in life by helping moms have their babies where ever and with whomever they choose . Persecuted by the Kansas Board of Nursing.
Anyway back to fulfilling my  Duty. We, the 12 jurors put our lives on hold, go to the court house because by LAW we are supposed to hear a case then decide if this person is guilty or not.
We listen attentively, the victim is from another country and can hardly speak English, on welfare, and is a Crack Cocaine drug addict   and can't remember what to say or what happened, her story changes several times during a two hour examination. She staggers into the court room, It is absolutely impossible to understand or follow her testimony. Needless to say we are all speechless. I personally have never been around anyone who was on Crack and I don't think any of the other jurors had either. IT was very sad.
We go to lunch and return to the court house only to find out that the case is over and the Judge will be in to explain. I thought maybe the Prosecution realized that the "victim" (HA) was unable to continue and the case was dropped. No that wasn't it.

As it turns out, the guy that supposedly committed the act was being deported this afternoon. The Federal Government had finally realized that this guy was from Somalia and was here Illegally. He was homeless when he was arrested and has been in the Eldorado prison for the past year awaiting trial.  Our tax money at work.
The Judge ( Buchanan) was livid. As were the rest of us.
So to add to our national debt we paid for this man to live in prison a year instead of being on the streets, and (possibly) raping women, we paid to hire him an attorney, and today we are paying thousands of dollars to ship him out of this country and who knows where. Somalia will not take him back they say we can't prove he was from there. So we are going to take him to France and dumb him there. CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS!!!  By the way he admitted to selling the women Crack Cocaine so he is a drug dealer also.
But the thing that really gets me the most is Nola Foulstons office taking this to trial in the first place when this women obviously was unable to give any testimony and was lying about what had happened. All 12 jurors and the judge were shocked that this was even brought to trail.  I'm not saying that we shouldn't help rape victims or that even if you are on drugs rape isn't  still a crime. But there was no way that this women was telling the truth. She was getting drugs from this illegal and had sex with him to get her fix. I know I am leaving out some important details but the truth is, she was obviously on Drugs  in the court room and the Attorney knew she was. It was disgusting.
Why didn't someone realize this man was not even a citizen of the US.
Why are we enabling  this woman and her boyfriend to live off the system, not work, continue to have enough money to buy drugs and alcohol?
That is where our tax Dollars are going?
I am so frustrated.
What is the answer to this?

CHRIST Alone and following his ways. What does God say about this? What can we do as citizens of the US, do about this?
I got up this morning to fulfill my duty and I feel like I never want to step foot into a court room again. The system is truly Broken.

Tell me what you think?