"When I found out I was pregnant, my plan was to interview a few midwives in the area before deciding on one. My first (and only) meet and greet was with Angie. As my husband and I walked out of the birth clinic, we both agreed that she was the perfect fit. Angie has 10 of her own babies that she birthed in a variety of circumstances, which I found to be really comforting. It demonstrated that she was natural minded, but the health of mom and baby came before pride of personal home birth stats.

When it came to prenatal care, we felt completely supported: physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. I looked forward to every visit, not just to monitor baby, but also to visit and share with Angie all the changes that were happening in my body. It was also appreciated how willing and eager Angie was to research and collaborate on things that popped up that she wasn't certain about.
When the time came for the baby to be born, Angie was so attentive through it all. She prayed with us; she offered Sam coping strategies to help me manage the 26 hours of back labor; she sat in the dark with me offerings soft words of encouragement. When complications did arise (shoulder distocia), Angie was gentle and acted with confidence over the situation, which resulted in the birth of our beautiful, healthy baby girl.

The postpartum care was beyond what I could have expected. Miss Elizabeth and I each had our own struggles, and in the following 2 weeks after the birth, Angie came to our home at least 5 times. The ability to stay home was huge for us as our adjustment wasn't going quite as smooth as we had hoped.

Now, with Liza's shoulder distocia, tongue ties, failed latching, and jaundice and my hemorrhage, being forced to pump (which I was more scared of than labor itself) and A-symptomatic uterine infection, you might expect there to be some birth trauma, and initially, there was. It took me 6 weeks to open up to Angie about how I was really feeling, and I'm so glad I did. She opened up her notes from my birth, and we walked through my birth together. Hearing her describe it from her point of view was so helpful and healing. Angie referenced a story she had read about the analogy of a beaded necklace to birth storied. I found what she was referring to: "Imagine the necklace is broken open and the beads disperse everywhere — under the couch, in the corner of the room, in the dog’s bowl… everywhere. It is difficult to appreciate the intricacy and beauty of the necklace when it is dispersed all over the ground. As we gather each unique bead in our hands, we begin to feel the weight and significance of the necklace. As we re-string the beads together, we can see and even feel the story that they create as a whole." Angie helped me find some of my missing beads, and now I proudly wear that repaired necklace. It isn't perfect, but it is beautiful and cherished.
Every decision that Angie made came down to her truly caring for me and my family. None of my story was necessarily easy, but that didn't make it any less good. I'm so thankful to have found a midwife that shared the same Foundation as Sam and me. God has blessed us abundantly."