Finding a Midwife Next Door

Yvett Busche always knew she wanted a midwife during her pregnancy. Her decision stemmed from watching a family member’s birth experience years earlier.

“It didn’t seem like she had a lot of control over her birth or postpartum care. I wanted someone who was really focused on the care and bond of mother and baby and after some research it seemed like a midwife was the best option for me,” she says.

Busche used a midwife three years ago when she had her daughter in North Carolina and was happy with her experience. Although she knew she wanted to use a midwife again when she found out she was pregnant with her second child, the birthing center near her home in Hamburg didn’t offer midwives.

Busche continued to search for a midwife during her pregnancy but ran into a roadblock when she was diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), during her first ultrasound.

IUGR is a condition where the baby does not grow as expected. The condition meant that Busche was classified as high-risk and could no longer safely deliver with a midwife. However, after speaking to other providers and doing research on her own, Busche felt IUGR wasn’t a dire condition and shouldn’t compromise her wishes or her care plan.

“The baby was continuing to grow, and we were both doing well so I didn’t really feel like I should be a high-risk pregnancy. It was frustrating because when I voiced my concerns they were often brushed aside,” she says.

Busche grew increasingly uncomfortable with her care throughout her pregnancy. “There was nothing wrong with the care itself, I just didn’t have a connection to any of the providers and that was something I craved,” she says.

She knew that her neighbor, Sherilyn Gibbs, CNM, DNP, Chief, Midwifery, LVHN, was a midwife with LVHN, but was initially hesitant to reach out to her because she didn’t want to complicate their relationship. After several months, she finally asked if Sherilyn would be able to help, and was glad she did.

“Sherilyn made me feel immediately at ease and put me in touch with all the people and resources,” Busche says.

Even though Busche was 28-weeks pregnant, she chose to switch her care to LVPG Obstetrics and Gynecology–Red Horse Road so that she could choose to have a midwife care for her during and after her pregnancy.

Busche worked closely with her midwife at LVPG Obstetrics and Gynecology for the remainder of her pregnancy and felt a connection that helped put her at ease. “I really felt that my midwife worked with me and listened to me,” she says.

On June 28, Busche delivered a healthy baby girl, Harper, 7 pounds 3 ounces, at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest. She says her only regret is not making the switch to LVPG Obstetrics and Gynecology sooner. She urges other expectant mothers to follow their intuition, or as she calls it, “momtuition”.

“I feel like as women and mothers, we have a certain amount of instinct or intuition when it comes to our pregnancy. If you are not comfortable with the level of care you are being provided or you feel like you aren’t being listened to, it’s important to find a different provider,” Busche says.