Grace Village Midwife

Fresh air does a body good!
What were your favorite moments in labor?
This isn't me, but my husband and I did walk outside while I was in labor. I'll never forget. It was Thanksgiving Day; it was almost 22 years ago, so every other house in our tight cookie-cutter neighborhood was deep-frying their turkeys in their driveways as we walked by. If a contraction started in one of those driveways, I powered through it until I wasn't right in the middle of it. The irony of it is, we didn't have the baby that day. I dilated to 7ish cm, and everything stopped. We had him 10 days later. And the chorus of birth workers ask: "3rd baby?" Yes, yes, it was.

So, boys and girls, our lesson of the day is: What does a vaginal exam before labor starts even tell you?

This sounds like an exclusive club. Show up as your authentic self, but only if you fit this list...can we please stop dividing practitioners who care for women during pregnancy? Can we find the common ground of consent before touch and respecting women's autonomy without the rest of the list? There are clients in all camps of these other categories that desire and deserve the same respect to not be touched without consent.

I don't have a lot of words today. I do feel so honored to be the one trusted to walk alongside a mother as she heals past birth trauma during a birth I stand as a witness to. Welcome, little one.

I haven't been super active in social media lately, and likely will continue that trend. The less social media I do, or scroll through, the less stressed I feel. I believe in secondary trauma. Hearing bad news over and over causes high stress in my body. Finding peace, so I can serve women for at least 15 more years means slowing down a bit and staying off of the bombardment of information I don't need and often breaks my heart, is one of the ways I am doing that. I may pop on occasionally to post my practice related stuff so potential clients don't lose site of who I am as a midwife. If you are a potential client, reach out early as I am maxing out at 2 due dates a month! And know ahead of time, I don't work from 1 week before Thanksgiving through to 1 week after the New Year every year. And 2027 I am 100% not available May 6th - 10th, and all of June and July! Needed vacation time to not burn out. All my love to all of you!
-Skai

What is truly needed for a home birth?

Let's talk low-technology midwifery, autonomy, and highly motivated clients who advocate for themselves to avoid a medically unnecessary C-section!

I am a licensed midwife in Washington State. I recently had an incredibly motivated and educated young client in her first pregnancy find my contact information on website. After a fully informed discussion, we both felt it was worth going forward with a homebirth. This post is an enthusiastic shout-out to this young woman for advocating, researching, and owning her responsibility in her own journey that protected her future health and her future children's health by avoiding a planned C-section. I have to say, as the midwife, she saved herself from future complications and had a very straightforward breech-presenting baby with no complications. Her beaming-with-pride face the next day was so worth it! And, no, I did not promise her a vaginal birth without complication; I promised to support her in her decisions and be there with my expertise to educate and guide her if a complication arose.

Unfortunately, the facility rules/laws in WA prohibit vaginal breech birth in Freestanding Birth Centers, even though our license does not. This brings us to the low-technology setting.

I'm committed to low-tech, client-centered care. What do you think is truly essential for a beautiful and safe homebirth where you live? Share your thoughts below—let’s have a respectful conversation!

Finally, I want to add a shout-out to my team that came- you know who you are- and my community support from the Middle of the Night Patreon group from . They help me feel less alone in this work of true support for women's autonomy in childbirth and to trust myself and not hesitate! One last shout-out to whose voice was also in my head the whole time, telling me to pay attention and not hesitate if help is needed! Thank you for that. We acted when needed, and baby did very well! (photo used with permission)

The following thoughts may be confusing, but I'm confused by something that happened this morning.

I'm not an influencer. I'm a midwife. I am an expert in undisturbed, physiological birth. I read research. I have my own experiences. I serve women that do and have the same.

I have stepped back from social media, mostly. But I thought I respectfully disagreed with a reel by an OB about research in a comment. It was hidden. No discussion. I sure hope if I post something and someone asks my thoughts on a different view, I hope I respond with curiosity and humble enough to know I could be wrong and have an actual discussion. Not just block the person and not engage with respect of their expertise that is different than mine.

It's such an incredible honor to be allowed into the birth space of women. The strength and perseverance this sweet momma showed was beyond anything I have witnessed in my career! A redemptive birth where both she and her partner felt heard, seen, supported, and loved in their autonomy and choices. Staying home and having the HBAC is a bonus to the respect, gentleness, and patience they desired for their care. Women are strong and powerful and that demands great respect!

https://youtube.com/shorts/6dFrAb0DuTc?is=I5XFbFwkWHyLHzdY

What happens to women’s’ and mens’ brains when they sleep?#yakovsmirnoff #standupcomedy #women #men Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

WE NEED ULTRASOUND MODELS
Spread the word! We’re looking for volunteer ultrasound models at various stages of pregnancy to help with ultrasound training for our nurse.

Appointments are available from August 31st – September 4th and will take place onboard the new Cornerstone Services Mobile Medical unit! We have 24 appointments available.

If you are pregnant (or know someone who is), and are interested in participating, please call and schedule your FREE ultrasound today! Participants will receive a GIFT CARD!
Appointments are required.
CALL: 360-419-5416