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I still had reservations, but kept my thoughts to myself, because I figured if I was going to counter her decision, I should at least hear her out.
The midwives visited when Layla was at kindergarten, and it was obvious from the start, Harper had filled them in about my thoughts and feelings. As the story had been extensively covered in the news and media, none of it was confidential anyway.
Karen, the older and more senior of the two midwives, initially did most of the talking. She was friendly, and from the conversation she sounded caring and kind.
My immediate thoughts were Harper doesn’t need caring and kind or friendly, she needed a medical activist with serious skills, capable of springing into action. Glancing at the plump middle-aged woman again, I didn’t get the vibe she did anything much in a hurry.
The other midwife, Natasha, was younger, more agile looking, and she began talking about ultrasound scanning, and monitoring Harper through a series of appointments. When she charted the growth of the baby and ensured Harper’s blood work was normal, I relaxed a little. From then on, their service had begun to sound more like the regular examinations Grace had been given at the doctor’s office.
“By giving Harper continuity of care by the same person, we can often detect if anything falls out of what we regard as normal. In those cases, we’d refer her to her obstetrician for care.
“How often does this happen?”
“In a woman of Harper’s health maybe one in a hundred.”
“What kind of conditions would they be referred for?”
“It may be if blood work changes, or the baby’s growth slows down, or if blood pressure problems occur, to name a few examples. We deal with women who are healthy, and because of this, we can identify most issues before they become emergencies. We don’t take chances, Cole. We’re a professional, highly-trained service for women.”
Natasha nodded. “We would ensure Harper has her baby in a comfortable place where she feels safe and supported by people she has built a relationship with and she trusts. Research has shown when women feel psychologically supported, they are more in control of their pain and their birth is a more positive experience.”
“How long have you been doing this?” I asked them both.
“Twenty-seven years certified,” Karen replied with a smile.
“Eleven,” Natasha offered.
Dr. Ken had been an obstetrician for six years, and the two women in front of me had two degrees and thirty years on him at least, yet I continued to question their abilities.
“How many babies have you lost?”
“Cole!” Harper admonished.
“What? I think that’s a fair question since the hospital is about five miles from here.”
“One,” Karen replied honestly.
“See that’s one too many,” I replied, pointing at her before running my hand through my hair.
“I think if you directed the same question to any obstetrician this figure would be much higher. They deal with more medical cases. What I’m saying is if any doctor gets involved with our women, it’s because they already have a complication.
“The mom in question, who lost her child, refused our advice to deliver in the hospital in the first place. She was determined to give birth at home when we had already advised her a home delivery wasn’t in the best interests of her or her baby.”
“And if Harper does this, you’d be referring her to someone?”
“Harper already has an obstetrician. We simply inform him this is the route Harper wishes to take.”
“What if I want the doctor tagging along in the background?”
“Absolutely, but that would depend on whether he was willing to be here for her labor. It’s really not necessary, but if it will give you more confidence, of course you can ask. We wouldn’t ask for their assistance unless there was an issue.”
“Fine. If you’ve got your heart set on having this baby at home, then I’m going to make sure if something goes wrong we can get you help as quickly as humanly possible.”
Frustration passed through Harper’s eyes, but she shrugged and remained silent. She’d won her battle, but the emotional war going on in my head was far from over.
After the challenging questions were posed, the midwives explained how it all worked, and an hour after they’d arrived, they left with a rudimentary birthing plan in place to support Harper.
“Thank you, Cole. This really does mean a lot to me.”
