Lis, Gabriel, and William
I first gave birth at home with Beacon Community midwives in 2022. My son Gabriel was born in March after months of wonderful prenatal care by Nicole and Barbara. This birth was a revelation. My labor felt intensely normal, in a very reassuring way — I did not get any sense of pressure or emergency from the midwives, as I had (needlessly)during my hospital birth in 2019. It almost felt like magic— time passed, I labored, and there was the strong collective understanding that baby would be born soon, completely fine…and then, he was. In the tub, in my bedroom. It was routine and also anything but. It felt effortless (compared to the hospital birth) but also anything but. It was completely life changing to experience birth among midwives who believe birth works.
When I became pregnant again in 2025, there was no question of working with any other birth provider. I was hoping again for the magic of my first home birth, and this time it wasn’t quite the same….I labored with an awful stuffy nose and cough that affected my breathing, during a freak May heat wave that made me feel faint. Even so, I was amply supported by midwives Nicole and Jess, who were intuitive in all their suggestions to help me through these conditions.
Expedience (aka getting the baby OUT) became my goal, and they totally got it. Everyone was on the same page, and there was no need to spend precious energy safeguarding my birth wishes.
Again, the overarching theme in their care for me and my babies was — trusting that birth works. This never wavered. Their palpable trust in the hard work my body was doing was calming, reassuring, and gave me the strength to keep it up. They reminded me of the relief that awaited me once William was born….how right they were!!
These births will always be among my most treasured memories.