Begin at the beginning. The beginning of Juniper’s birth story was not water breaking or pressure waves tightening. It was Rebeca listening intently to me. At 41 weeks and 3 days, I shared with her some of my past traumatic experiences. This was my first baby to make it this far, so I did not know what to expect from labor. Beyond that, my fears involved being left alone in a hospital and feeling out of control of my body. Rebeca listened patiently and compassionately. She talked through my options and answered my questions. By the end of our conversation, I felt, as I often do at WBWC, heard and safe.  At 41 weeks and 5 days, my husband and I headed back to the birth center for a midwife induction. That afternoon in the Blue Room, at Lydia’s expert direction, I swilled cohosh, bounced on the birthing ball, and pumped, for hours. Lydia bound my stomach, and she and Bonnie attended to us all afternoon. Still, the baby would not budge. Before my husband and I could head home, a 20 minute NST test was needed. After a while of trying to track the always-moving baby, the results of the monitoring became concerning to Lydia and Bonnie. Joe and I were impatient to return home and did not immediately understand their concern. When Joe had stepped out for a moment, Rebeca materialized in the Blue Room. She approached the bed, where I was hooked up to monitors. She gently told me that she knew the hopes I had had for a birth center birth, but that it was important that we go to the hospital for more monitoring and an induction. Rebeca understood how scary this news was to me. Just as before, she addressed my fears and answered my questions. She managed to be deeply comforting, even while speaking through a face mask. Joe and I followed Rebeca to UNC Hospital. The nighttime drive through Chapel Hill was surreal. Once at the hospital, Rebeca led us through layers of security, temperature checks, and health screenings. We met with ob-gyns, who agreed with the midwives’ assessment. My husband, confused at the sudden change of plans, had questions, which Rebeca fielded with the same patience she had shown me. Ultimately, my husband was persuaded by my trust in Rebeca. He sensed that I would have followed her anywhere. I was … Read More