Furthermore, so effective was her communication with both delivering mother, husband, doctor, and nurses that she quickly established trust and confidence in all parties, thus facilitating a safe, comfortable, and intimate environment. Jaime helped my wife and I not only better understand the medical and physiological dimensions of the birth process, but also to experience it in all its joyful mystery and beauty.
-Thomas S. Concord, NH
So how do you thank someone for being your strength? For
holding your hand and making sure you know that you are
strong and can do it, even when you feel like you can't and
just want to give up. For knowing exactly the right place
to touch to relieve the pain. For saying the perfect thing
at the perfect time to give the best possible reassurance.
For being the oasis in the desert so that the water flows
and nourishes exactly when it is needed. For having the
balance to juggle the emotions that run wild, not saying
too little or too much. For being a rock and a pillar to
lean on when it is needed the most. For knowing the right
time to let it be and the right time to speak up. For
loving and caring and being one of the most important
people at the birth. Well, I don't know the right words to
thank you for all of those things, but here goes...*Thank
you!* You can never know what it meant to have you here.
-Kara M., Manchester, NH
With my first child, I hoped for a
natural childbirth. Instead, I ended up with a very long
labor, a transfer from the birth center to the hospital,
and a series of interventions. None of that seemed to
matter when we saw our beautiful daughter, but when I
became pregnant again, I realized that my first labor had
left me scared and insecure.
Jaime was amazing. She listened to my whole story and
helped me work through my fears. Again, I wanted a natural
birth, but I was also very scared about a long labor, and I
didn't want to rule out interventions altogether. Jaime
never made me feel judged or pushed any one birth
philosophy. She just listened and helped me clarify my own
position while calming some of my nervousness.
At 39 weeks, I had 24 hours of OP labor. It was a very
difficult experience, physically and emotionally. Again,
Jaime was amazing. She advocated for me at the hospital and
helped me to work through my disappointment and feelings of
inadequacy at not being in "real" labor. She then was
instrumental in keeping me sane through the next two weeks
of my pregnancy.
When I finally went into labor at 41 weeks and a day, it
was the middle of the night. As soon as Jaime got there,
there was a stunning difference in my experience of the
contractions. With Jaime's help I was able to relax through
much of active labor. She was incredibly resourceful,
sensitive, and flexible. She knew when something was
working or wasn't working before I had to tell her. She
knew when to step back and let my husband take over and
when to step in with a suggestion. When the contractions
overwhelmed me she talked me through and kept me going and,
maybe more important, kept my labor going by making sure I
changed positions. Because of Jaime, I was able to have a
beautiful, natural childbirth with much less pain and fear
than I thought possible. I can't even imagine this birth
without her. I'm happy, relieved, and proud of what we
achieved, and I will always be incredibly grateful to
Jaime.
-Catherine W., Concord, NH