Posts tagged Family Centered Care
85 |There is Always Room for Healing - Anese Barnett

When Anese and her husband found out they were pregnant, it was not only a surprise but extremely exciting. They were caught off guard when at ten weeks, her pregnancy would shift into high risk as she was diagnosed with a short cervix, making her susceptible to preterm labor. At 20 weeks, her doctor indicated they would need to make some serious changes to help maintain the chances of that occurring. These changes included strict bed rest and a treatment plan for a cerclage (cervical stitch) placed.

Anese would be met with the unexpected again, at 31 weeks when her water broke, resulting in a 2-week hospital stay, and at 33 weeks going into spontaneous labor. While labor wasn't long, pushing her son earthside did take an extended amount of time, and after 2 hours and birth vacuum assistance, she and her husband got to meet their 3lb baby boy. When reflecting on her experience, Anese shared that she was thankful to have had a birth team that gave her the space to try. Many plans for her birth had changed; she hadn't thought about that impact until she was in the moment having it all unfold. But her birth team made sure she was informed, and all options were considered.

This type of support would continue as her family adjusted to life in the NICU. After five weeks, they were able to bring their son home. And as they celebrate year two of his life, healing continues and is just beginning for some family members. The layers of healing have allowed Anese to create support systems for other mothers with her similar experience. It has created a deeper bond for her husband and son and created space for her father to share his experience. Lastly, it sheds light on just how impactful full family-centered and focused care can be.

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80 | The Moment of Surrender - Marissa Msefya

Hiring a doula is the part of Marissa's journey that set in motion building her dream birth team. Speaking with her doula and getting educated about her birth options, she would switch from her OBGYN to a midwife at eight months of her pregnancy. After discovering alarming rates for surgical births and episiotomies, she knew switching to midwifery care was more aligned with her and her husband's birth plan.

Marissa attributes her birth team for really guiding her in the moments when she thought she couldn't do it. Her doula and husband continuously reminded her of her strength, and her midwife was talking her through her options. Whenever there might be a shift from her birth plan, she always made sure to check back in with Marissa and her husband about what they wanted to do. With that support, eight hours after arriving at the hospital, Marrissa and her husband met their daughter.

In postpartum, their community support would be just as vital as their birth team. Navigating the newborn parenting fog, Marissa relied heavily on the check-ins, meal drop-offs, and any other filled request. And as things arose with breastfeeding, her doula, birth coach, and lactation consultant were always there with advice. Marissa is grateful to have a community to lean on and in every step of the way.

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