I had two babies named after me while I was there. They are two births that I will never forget. I never
found out if the first one lived, as he was born with problems that we did not have the equipment to help.
The second one was a woman named Ann Marie. She was having her third baby. I could hear her moans across
the hall, which was really unusual, since most of the mothers labored silently. I again sat and held her
hand through the hours of endless and terribly painful contractions. As the hours began to wear on, I
noticed that her pain was almost all in her back. She said that this was the worst labor she had endured.
I finally coaxed her up onto her hands and knees, to try to rotate the baby over into a better position.
After about 20 minutes, I no longer heard her moans. She was sound asleep! It had worked for her, and she
deserved a rest. I peeked into the room only to notice three other women up on their hands and knees! I
guess they thought that if it worked for her, that they could go to sleep too! We laughed. We began to
see this "ripple effect" in many of the things that we did. When her baby was finally born, she named her
after me. Upon filling out the charts later, I noticed that her last name was my maiden name! It was truly
an ironic twist of fate that this baby girl had my full birth name, also.
There were nights that we didn't know if we would make it through. And to this day, each and every one of
us has nightmares about it. It was a test of endurance, of hardship, and despair. But it was also one of
gladness, hope and true love. It has made each and every one of us stronger. For most of us, it has
confirmed our calling in life. For others, it has shown that the path leads elsewhere. But one thing is
for sure - we have grown within ourselves to be more than we ever imagined ourslves to be. That is the
true lesson we learned.
Time after time, we were told how grateful they were to have had an American Midwife help them have their
baby. I knew that the women felt safe, secure, and loved while we were at their side. It may be the only
time in their lives that they are able to feel that way. They called us "sister", and held us in the
highest regards. It was our smiles that they saw in their hour of need. Our faces and our kind hands will
be what they will remember for the rest of their lives. And although we are gone, we have left behind a
piece of ourselves that will glow within these few women we have touched forever.
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