It's a God Thing

My daughter Kendall and her husband Jon have decided to have baby Micah at the Lakeside Birth Center on Lake Tapps in Sumner, Washington. The announcement from Kendall came as a surprise to me yesterday afternoon, when I went to pick her up for our trek to North Bend for a chiropractic appointment, particularly since the due date is a couple weeks away! She said she had been thinking for some time about having a natural birth and had great misgivings about having the baby in a hospital setting. Her misgivings were intensified by her last doctor's visit. She saw a partner in the practice instead of her regular obstetrician and was told that her doctor only delivers three days a week and that one of the other partners may attend the delivery.

Since Kendall has been on modified bed rest, she's had lots of time to do research. She's no stranger to using technology to her advantage and for the last month or so has found every good deal on baby stuff the internet has to offer. So scouring the internet for information about alternatives to a hosptial birth is what led  her to find the Lakeside Birth Center. She and Jon visited the center early yesterday morning and after talking to Nancy Spencer, the licensed midwife, who has been delivering babies for over thirty years - a total of around 4000 infants without losing a mom or a baby - they were convinced this is what they wanted to experience. Not to mention, the center is very close to where they live and coverd by their insurance plan.

Kendall expressed feeling much less stressed since the decision. On the other hand, while calm on the outside and trying very hard not to sound concerned, I couldn't help asking the "what if" questions. What if you're overdue? What if you need a medical intervention? I was an administrator for the Washington State Department of Health for many years working in the division responsible for licensing midwives as well as the state's other 400,000 health care practitioners. I have no doubt on an intellectual level about the qualifications, expertise and safety record of the vast majority of the state's medical professionals, but when it comes to my own child...  It's emotion that takes over, particularly in light of what happened on October 3rd with Scott's oldest daughter, Krista, and her baby. Their loss was devastating to the whole family and certainly caused additional worry for Kendall too. 

Monday evening I attended my 13th week of studying Isaiah with the Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) women's group. This is a group of about 400 women who meet from September through spring to study a specific chapter of the Bible. There are openings for new attendees the first of every month. Discussions take place in small groups of 16 women followed by a lecture at the end of the evening, which everyone attends.

Last night, we had a social gathering before the small group discussion. I was able to share with a nurse about Kendall and Jon's decision. She shared with me that one of her closest friends had given birth to all five of her boys at Lakeside and that Nancy Spencer was very highly thought of by her friend.

I sat with my firend, Kim, during the lecture and afterward I also shared with her about the birthing center. Kim worked for seventeen years with a nonprofit organization in Tacoma, CareNet, that provides free counseling and medical care for women with unplanned pregnancies. She let me know that Nancy Spencer was the number one midwife to whom they referred their clients.

Yes, of course I felt relieved and very blessed to have been given reassurances which I hadn't even asked for. When I told Kendall on the phone today about what happened last night, she said, "Mom, it's a God thing; totally a God thing. Thanks for sharing with me. I'm more convinced than ever and I bet you feel better too."  Yup, I do. Thank you, Lord.

To learn more about Lakeside Birth Center go to http://www.lakesidebirthcenter.com/
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