Mirabelle Birth Services: A Birth Story

I’ve thought a lot about how to begin this blog. Do I want to write a crazy strong statement that catches the attention of the masses? Or maybe I want to start with a lighthearted story that makes me seem relatable. How about an inspirational quote or a riveting birth story from one of my clients? I know, let’s start with a super cliché statement: It all began with a dream…

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been interested in birth. After my dream of being a ballerina was gently put to rest by my parents—a pastor’s salary isn’t the most conducive for expensive dance classes—I turned my attention to other endeavors.  I started thinking that maybe I could be a missionary nurse in some faraway jungle. A doctor once told me that one of the most needed things in healthcare overseas is prenatal and postpartum care for women and of course to support them in birth. Aha! Now that’s something I could work toward, right? Fast forward several years. I was privileged to be able to travel to Papua New Guinea and Southern Mexico several times. It was truly an eye-opening experience. My eyes were constantly drawn to pregnant mamas. I couldn’t help but wonder if they would survive their birth. Would anyone be there who was qualified to handle complications if they should arise? Would these mothers be supported by their partners or community during labor and delivery?

After arriving in college, I realized becoming a missionary nurse wasn’t what I wanted to do. Labor and delivery nurses practiced in the hospital setting and weren’t trained to catch babies. In 2011, I was introduced to the idea of direct-entry midwifery. My mom had my siblings with nurse midwives in the ‘90s, so it wasn’t as if midwives were a new concept. But the idea of being able to enter into a midwifery program without having to complete a degree program first was intriguing to me. I figured it was something worth looking into. In the meantime, I was able to attend the birth of my first nephew in the hospital. My sister was induced and almost ended up with a C-section. Her baby was separated almost immediately to the nursery, and she was left alone with oxygen on. Looking back, I wish I knew then what I do now in how to support women and their partners. I could have done things so much differently than my 19-year-old self. That experience spurred me to learn as much as I could about birth and how to support women well.

My midwifery dreams took a backseat for a few years as I got married and moved out of state while my husband finished college. We miscarried our sweet baby in September 2015 which was completely devastating. It took me many months to grieve and heal from the miscarriage while simultaneously dealing with infertility and health problems. That’s a story for another post though. We moved back to New York where my family is from in 2016. I got connected with some homebirth midwives in my area and started taking up an interest in midwifery again. I took my first doula training in the early spring of 2017. I honestly did it just to fulfill the requirements of a midwifery school I was interested in attending. I learned a lot through the in-person training but left thinking surely I am not cut out to be a doula. I want to be the person catching the baby, doing the well-woman exams, suturing, and starting IVs!

Every attempt to attend midwifery school fell flat, but I was determined to stay in the birth world if I could. I attended several more births over the next couple of years as a doula in home birth and hospital settings. I came to realize that women need to be supported in any setting. Each birth comes with its own unique challenges and opportunities for growth for me as a doula. I learned to appreciate the integral role that doulas have as part of the birth team. I began seeking out birth resources in my county and was frustrated to realize that there was a shockingly low amount for women. I live in a small rural county, but we still have a community hospital that women travel sometimes close to an hour to come and give birth at. I started to wonder if these birthing families were being well supported. Did they know their birth rights or that they have options for birth? Thus, the idea for Mirabelle Birth Services was born.  

The name Mirabelle means “wonderful” in Latin. It beautifully sums up pregnancy and birth. Bringing a new life into the world is a wonderful miracle. After coming up with a fitting name, I began dreaming in earnest about what I could do as a birth and postpartum doula to bring awareness and knowledge to the people in my community. What if there was a place that birthing families could come to that had all the resources needed at their fingertips? As 2020 threw the world through a major loop, I realized that I shouldn’t limit myself or my business to just my county. What I have to offer is valuable and is worth being shared through online and virtual services as well as in person.  

That’s as far as my story has come so far. I am excited and yes, a little bit nervous as I stand here at the beginning of...what? The future is always a bit daunting and definitely uncertain, but I am confident that what I have in knowledge and passion is worth some discomfort and anxiety on my end. I am excited as I launch this business and blog to see where God takes me in the future. Thanks for coming along with me for this ride. Stay tuned for coming attractions!

Until next time,
Abby

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