(This is Charlene) I have had four children. Two ...

(This is Charlene) I have had four children. Two hospital births (which both went very well by the way) and then two births at home with Heather Shelley and her Birthing Your Way team. I loved them so much, I am currently working with them for my fifth child. Paying cash out of pocket when our insurance would be accepted elsewhere and we could have this baby for free, I might add, it is worth whatever extra money it takes to go through Heather and BYW. I trust them with my life. (and the lives of my babies!)

I remember with my son specifically how warm and welcoming the prenatal appointments were. The women were always so friendly and they never made me feel pressured into anything. Any tests, blood draws, ultrasounds etc they wanted me to participate in, they would explain the pros and cons to me and then let me ultimately make the decision for myself, and backed me up on my decision, whatever it was. Nothing was ever required, and everything was always my choice and whatever I was comfortable with. It was like actually being in charge of my body and my baby, instead of having to go to the doctor's office and him telling me everything that was going to happen, no questions asked. Bleh.

When it came time for the actual birth/labor, Heather was never farther than a quick text away. It was SO NICE to be able to text her with my questions and concerns while I was in early labor, so my husband and I could concentrate on keeping me comfortable rather than trying to wait on hold for forever and be transferred who knows how many times. When labor finally was far enough along for Heather and her team to show up, they were so kind and gentle and unobtrusive. I was in charge of everything, every step of the way. Where the birthing area would be, who would be there, what I would wear, what position I would be in, when/how I would push, everything. It was like they weren't even there, except that I felt totally and completely safe. I knew that if anything were to go wrong, I had a group of experienced experts at my fingertips to assist me, and that was so comforting. Gene was born healthy and perfect, and the midwives made sure I was comfortable and settled with baby at my breast before they took care of all the clean up. Then they made a home visit two days later to make sure we were all still doing well. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything in the world! And when my daughter was born, I remember she had a few teeny issues and had she been born in a hospital she would have been whisked away to the NICU for who knows how long. But Heather took one look at her and knew exactly what to do. She taught me how to give her teeny puffs of breath every couple of minutes and she stood by, closely monitoring for the need to transfer, which she would have had it gotten out of hand, but giving me my space to mother my baby. Within a few hours the puffs were no longer needed and she was absolutely perfect. Again, I felt completely safe and like I had a team of medical experts at my beck and call, but they still trusted and respected me. I am having my fifth baby with Heather and BYW because I trust them with my life. They are absolutely amazing!