2023 Reviewed

22 births

11 additional babies born with Amy as doula (and not included in following stats)

18 hospital births, 4 home births

16 vaginal, 6 Cesarean (3 planned, 3 unplanned)

3 VBACs (vaginal birth after Cesarean)

11 unmedicated, 11 epidurals

13 with midwives, 9 with OBs

7 inductions

Smallest baby: 5 lbs, 9 ozs

Biggest baby: 8 lbs, 9 ozs

Longest gestation: 41 weeks 1 day

Shortest gestation: 36 weeks

First birth: 7

Second birth: 10

Third birth: 4

Fourth birth: 1

Shortest labor support time: 0 hrs (client was COVID+ and baby came before midwife arrived)

Longest labor support time: 31.5 hrs

Average labor support time: 10.5 hrs

Location of births: Baptist Health Lexington 2, Home 4, Norton 1, Norton Women’s and Children’s 1, UK 14

Individual provider who caught the most of my clients’ babies: Megan Sharp, UK Midwife Clinic (4 babies)

Practice whose providers caught the most of my clients’ babies: UK Midwife Clinic (9 babies)

Professional development: Recertified as a DONA doula

Here are some interesting facts from 2023:

• One baby born on his due date

• Lots of “early” babies- only 6 babies came after their due date

• Missed two births- one client had COVID and provider didn’t even make it to her birth, one had baby about 45 min after she called me to come

• Popular baby names: Benjamin (3) and “Josie” (2 Josephine, 1 Josie)

• Alphabet babies- only letters of the alphabet not used in a baby’s first or middle name were Q, S, U, Y, and Z

No grand or wild thoughts come to mind when reflecting on 2023 clients and their births. You could even say that the year was a little boring which was due in large part to having a doula partner with whom to share the work. Last year, I attended 32 births (and did all of the prenatal and postpartum support as well). In 2023, I only went to 22 births. It felt so incredible to have Amy Jessie supporting not only our shared clients, but also me as a partner and friend.

One trend this year did seem to be breech babies. We had a lot of clients whose babies were breech pretty late in pregnancy and some who were still breech at birth. Some clients opted for ECVs and others opted for c-sections. There also seem to be more and more clients with blood pressure issues, either gestational hypertension or preeclampsia. I wonder if other doulas and providers have noticed this.

One sweet personal connection this year was that I was able to support a dear client during the birth of their third baby after having been with them for their first baby’s stillbirth and their son’s live birth. Then, I got to attend the birth of the OB who supported them for the first two births. Both the client and the OB hold very special places in my heart and I’m glad that I got to be by their sides as they welcomed their daughters. And when I attended the OB’s birth, I also got to see my 50th provider deliver/catch a client’s baby. I’ve now seen 53 different providers in action at the time of birth with many others who’ve been a part of the labor process. I think having worked with such a variety of providers is one of the greatest benefits to my clients. The knowledge I’ve gained from watching them practice helps me provide solid informational support and advocacy for birthing people and their families.

Thanks for continuing to support my work as a doula. Looking forward to supporting five repeats (so far) and incredible new clients in 2024!

2022 Reviewed

33 babies (32 clients- one had twins)

27 hospital births, 5 home births

27 vaginal, 5 Cesarean

1 VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarean)

12 unmedicated, 20 epidurals

24 with midwives, 8 with OBs

9 inductions

Smallest baby: 5 lbs, 4 ozs

Biggest baby: 9 lbs, 11 ozs

Longest gestation: 42 weeks 6 days

Shortest gestation: 36 weeks 1 day (two clients)

First birth: 14

Second birth: 15

Third birth: 2

Fourth birth: 1

Shortest labor support time: 3.5 hrs

Longest labor support time: 41.5 hrs (twice!)

Average labor support time: 13.5 hrs

Location of births: Baptist Health Lexington 3, Bethesda North 1, Home 5, Saint Joe East 1, UK 22

Individual provider who caught the most of my clients’ babies: Angie Chisholm, UK Midwife Clinic (5 babies)

Practice whose providers caught the most of my clients’ babies: UK Midwife Clinic (18 babies)

Professional development: Became Birth Becomes You Certified Photographer and Body Ready Method Certified Professional, renewed as an NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program) Provider

While doulaing in a pandemic continues to prove challenging, I started to feel a little more in my groove after a long break this summer. I entered both my 40s and my sixth year of doula work in April and I have to say that that combo has been pretty wonderful in terms of my confidence in advocacy and informational support for clients. I’m also really embracing that one of my greatest skills as a doula has been relationship building with providers and nurses. If you know me outside of doula work (I’m an extrovert who doesn’t particularly like people) that may surprise you, but it’s something that has made this job more enjoyable for me and made experiences better for my clients.

2022 was a record breaking year in some fun and not so fun ways. Super grateful that I was chosen to support 32 families as their 33 babies were born! And that was with my summer off call! I had the most repeat clients that I’ve ever had at nine and one of those was my first threepeat. A repeat client birthed the biggest baby girl I’ve seen (and third biggest doula baby on record). I supported my oldest doula client, but that record won’t stand for long as I have a slightly older client in 2023. At the end of this year, one of my clients was knocking on the door of 43 weeks gestation as she carried her son for 42 weeks and 6 days. That’s basically a month longer than the majority of my clients want to be pregnant! I surprisingly had four clients with gestational diabetes (3 diet controlled, one insulin controlled); all had vaginal births. And a doozy for me was attending not one, but TWO births, for my longest support time ever of 41.5 hours; both were inductions and both resulted in vaginal births of perfect baby girls.

Notable occurrences also abounded this year. The one I’m most proud of is that I was chosen as the doula for two other doulas and one OB! It makes me feel like I’m doing a lot right when other birth workers ask me to be their doula. I was also super excited to add birth photography to my services this year; I hope that even more families hire me as their doulatog next year. Something interesting that happened with several repeat clients was that their second birth was more challenging/had more interventions than their first. Most of the time, second births are “easier,” but you won’t catch me making any guarantees about that, especially after having so many this year that did not take that path. Here are some more notable facts from 2022:

• I got to support my second twin birth.

• Two of my clients had successful ECVs (both at UK).

• Thirteen of my clients went past their due dates. Considering that the majority of my clients gave birth in the hospital and how high induction rates are, this feels like a win.

• Three baby names that were chosen twice by my clients: Eleanor, Henry, and Seraphina.

Thankful as always for the clients that chose me, the nurses, doctors, and midwives that provided patient centered care, and the community and family members that supported me so I could show up for my clients. Looking forward to new and repeat clients as well as beginning my partnership with Amy Jessie in 2023! Cheers to all the relationships grown and lessons learned in 2022 and to all that 2023 will bring!

2021 Reviewed

31 births

29 hospital births, 2 home births

24 vaginal, 7 Cesarean

1 VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarean)

14 unmedicated, 17 epidurals

9 inductions

20 with midwives, 11 with OBs

Smallest baby: 4 lbs, 6 ozs

Biggest baby: 9 lbs, 1 ozs

Shortest labor support time: 2.5 hrs

Longest labor support time: 35 hrs

Average labor support time: 9 hrs

Longest gestation: 41 weeks 5 days

First birth: 17

Second birth: 12 (4 were repeat clients)

Third birth: 1

Fourth birth: 1

Location of births: Baptist Health Lexington 6, Clark Regional 1, Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center 2, Frankfort Regional Medical Center 2, Home 2, UK 18

Individual provider who caught the most of my clients’ babies: Hayden Meza, UK Midwife Clinic (5 babies)

Practice whose providers caught the most of my clients’ babies: UK Midwife Clinic (17 babies)

Professional development: Body Ready Method

My house is quiet and still as I write this- my children are at school, my husband is at a job site, my dogs are asleep on a rug. Outside my window, it is also still (and bare and cold). It feels like such a heavy contrast with the way I would describe this year in birth work. I’ve had more clients than the previous four years due in large part to situations related to the pandemic. So many of my clients’ labors and births were unique and unpredictable. Because of that, I’ve grown quite a bit in this work. The never-ending learning as a doula continues to challenge and amaze me.

Three of my clients had preterm births, meeting their babies at just over 35, 33, and 32 weeks of pregnancy. One had IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction) and severe preeclampsia that required induction of labor and the other two went into preterm labor. Two of the three had Cesarean births and all of the babies spent weeks in the NICU.

Due to the pandemic, I supported two clients virtually. One was at Baptist Health Lexington which was not welcoming doulas at the time and the other was COVID positive (on her last day of isolation- so close!). I was also unable to attend two of my clients’ births at Baptist Health Lexington because they had C-sections and the current policy does not allow doula support in the OR, in recovery, or on postpartum. I was able to support some of my clients in the OR at both UK (unplanned Cesareans) and Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center (planned Cesarean). I also had to call a backup doula for the first time this year because I was at another birth down the hall. I walked in shortly after their baby was born; they had wonderful care from my backup and I’m so grateful she was there for them.

While my clients’ induction rate was lower this year than the past two years at 29% (9 of 31), some of them happened suddenly/urgently, which I think made them take center stage in my brain. Six were medically indicated (e.g. preeclampsia, IUGR) and three were elective or unclear on the medical indication.

I’ll end with some interesting situations and highlights of the year:

• Supported a client during the worst ice storm of the year. We drove around downed tree limbs on the way to the hospital.

• A home birth client had a vaginal birth after having a Cesarean with her triplets about 2.5 years prior.

• Two of my clients were in labor at the same time in rooms right next to each other. With permission, I was able to leave one client to support the other’s precipitous labor, then go back to the first client.

• Two of my clients are best friends and they gave birth less than two weeks apart.

• Attended my first birth at Clark Regional in Winchester.

• Supported two 40 year old clients, one having her first baby and the other her second. They both had spontaneous vaginal births.

Reflecting on the year, the theme that comes to mind is team building and collaboration. One obvious advantage of attending more births is that I met and worked with more nurses and providers. I’ve said it many times, but learning nurses’ and care providers’ styles and approaches to different types of situations and developing collaborative relationships with them is so valuable to folks who choose me as their doula. I have now seen 40 providers catch/deliver babies! I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of what to expect from different practices, individual providers, and hospital staff.

I was also fortunate this year to team with Bundle Birth Nurses and cover tuition for five L&D nurses in their Physiologic Birth Training. Nurses from Baptist Health Lexington, Ephraim McDowell Fort Logan, Frankfort Regional, and UK claimed the spots. I know that the pandemic has been extremely taxing on nurses and this small gesture was a way to show how appreciative I am that they’ve continued to show up the way they have for my clients.

Birth work has not been easy this year. 2021 was harder than 2020, in my opinion. We’ve seen loss, illness, hospital staffing concerns and changes (compensate these L&D nurses and hospital midwives fairly, please, NOW!), and almost everyone I’ve known has felt burnout at some point this year. I’ve witnessed so much community support, though, which has provided some solace. I hope that this spirit of community care and collaboration continues and grows in the new year.

2020 Reviewed

21 births

15 hospital births, 6 home births

20 vaginal, 1 Cesarean

1 VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarean)

14 unmedicated, 7 epidurals

9 inductions

15 with midwives, 6 with OBs

Smallest baby: 5 lbs, 9 ozs

Biggest baby: 9 lbs, 1 ozs

Shortest labor support time: 3.5 hrs

Longest labor support time: 34 hrs

Average labor support time: 13 hrs

Longest gestation: 41 weeks

First birth: 10

Second birth: 9 (6 repeat clients!)

Third birth: 1

Fourth birth: 1

Location of births: Baptist Health Lexington 1, UK 9, Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center 1, Frankfort Regional Medical Center 2, Norton Women’s & Children’s 1, St. Joe’s East 1, Home 6

Individual provider who caught the most of my clients’ babies: Sarah Hood, Home Sweet Home Midwifery Services (4 babies)

Practice whose providers caught the most of my clients’ babies: UK Midwife Clinic (7 babies)

Professional development: Became an NRP Provider (Neonatal Resuscitation Program) and started childbirth educator training with Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings

2020 ended up being my busiest year yet. It started off beautifully, with my first repeat client giving birth at home (her first baby was born at a hospital) under the care of a midwife. Three more babies came before the pandemic, with one being born the week before everything started shutting down in KY. I had planned off call time in April due to a spring break trip (that got cancelled), so thankfully I was not dealing with the initial insanity caused by frequently changing hospital policies and had time to prepare for the possibility of supporting clients virtually. Thankfully, I was able to support ALL of my 21 clients in person. I had one client switch from hospital to home birth because of the pandemic, but others considered it.

My clients’ induction rate went down to 43% (9 of 21) after last year’s 50%. Not surprisingly, my longest continuous support time of 34 hours was at an induction. Even though I tell clients to expect inductions to last days, it’s hard to wrap your head and body around what that feels like until you’re in it; exhaustion is typically a huge factor in the process. Out of the nine inductions, there were only two that I would consider elective (although I don’t know that that is how they were labeled by the providers).

Some other stats that I want to highlight are that one of my clients had a VBAC (100%) and that six were born preterm (2) or early term (4). Both of the preterm births were originally planned home births, but transferred to hospital care- one for hypertension/preeclampsia and the other for imminent preterm birth at 35wks 1day. Not surprisingly, I had a COVID exposure at one birth (that I know of). The hospitals stopped rapid testing at some point and unfortunately, we found out that a client was positive two hours after baby was born. Thankfully, I did not get infected and the mom and her baby are healthy! Also, I had a Leap Day doula baby this year! He was born at 12:48am on February 29, 2020.

The year was hard for lots of reasons, but I feel that it was the one in which I’ve grown the most as a doula. It no longer feels difficult to share confidently about my value when talking to potential clients; I’m really good at doula work. Thank you to the providers and nurses who provided over-the-top excellent care to my clients during some seriously stressful times. Thank you to the six families that allowed me back into their birthing spaces this year and to the fifteen others who welcomed me for the first time. You all have provided some of the brightest moments of 2020!

How do I choose my care provider? Statistics, Opinions, or Intuition?

Recently, my doula friend, Mother Well Doula Services, held an amazing webinar on birth options in Central KY. It was so wonderful, in fact, that I am offering the replay to any client who wants more information before they choose their birth location/provider. If you’re in the process of making these choices, hospital statistics and “amenities” can be very helpful in informing your decision. There’s also a really good chance that your friends, or even complete strangers, have told you which providers they’d recommend (and maybe you’ve gotten their full birth stories ((unsolicited?)) as well). Maybe the stats and recs lead you to meet with a provider, or even consider them your chosen provider. You go to your first appointment and your gut is raising red flags, or maybe it’s saying that you are safe and heard. So, what do you do with all of this information? What do you listen to- statistics, opinions, or your intuition?

Honestly, it’s a question that I cannot answer without knowing A LOT more about you. In general, I’d say that all of them matter, but the one that deserves the most weight will depend on your individual needs and plans. As a doula mainly serving folks birthing in Lexington, KY, I have worked with a lot of professors from local universities and colleges, including UK, Centre College, Transylvania University, and Lindsey Wilson College. Some of these clients are very data-driven and pay close attention to the statistics. For these folks, it’s important to know a hospital’s numbers, and likely more important to know the numbers specific to their provider’s practice. Many of us are also influenced by our peers’ opinions. Spend 20 minutes in a parents’ group on Facebook, and you can probably gather as many provider recommendations. Then, there’s also the feeling you get when meeting with or looking into a certain practice or birth location. It’s a lot to process, especially if this is your first baby.

As of Monday, I have watched 30 different providers catch/deliver babies. I’ve been to all of the hospitals in Lexington, most in Central KY, and a couple in the Louisville area. I’ve also been to home births with three different professional midwives. So, I’ve seen what the statistics look like in person/action. I know the offerings of most local hospitals. I have a really solid sense of how the different practices operate and which providers are most in line with your desired birth experience. Maybe your friend says Dr. X is amazing or that Midwife Z is such a good listener, but to who are they comparing these providers? I cannot emphasize enough how valuable my experience with so many different hospitals, OBs, midwives, doctors, and nurses is to you when you choose me as your doula. While protecting specific client details, I promise to be transparent about what I have witnessed as a doula.

You’re likely to hear a lot of noise in terms of opinions when you’re pregnant. It’s rarely helpful and often causes you to question your own intuition. While there are certain professionals who are incredibly knowledgeable about the medical side of birth, or the statistics and evidence around birth, as a doula I have a broad perspective on birth experiences in Central KY. I also do my best as a professional to remain unbiased and provide information that is specific to you and your needs. I also feel best aligned with clients who are able to tune into their intuition about providers. You know better than anyone what is best for you, your baby, and your body. Did you feel rushed and ignored? Listen to that. Were you surprised that your blood pressure stayed normal and that you didn’t feel embarrassed asking all of the questions you put in your phone notes before you left home? Wow- that’s meaningful. I’m here to listen to you and provide unbiased informational support.

Every birth I’ve supported has been different in so many ways. Yours will be different from those. I hope to help you quiet outside noise (and even noise in your own brain) and help you focus on what is important to you. I don’t have a list of recommended birth locations or providers and would never blast a recommendation to the general public because everyone’s needs are different. Your situation is unique and I’m ready to support your decision making with unbiased informational support and active listening. I will never doubt that you know better than anyone what is best for you.