I had my baby with Community of Hope. It could not have been better. When I found out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted a natural birth and asked my first doctor. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel like that practice provided personalized care and didn’t feel much support. I was introduced to Community of Hope and had not heard of them before. I didn’t know what a midwife was or that midwives could deliver babies like doctors do. After talking with the midwives who answered my questions, I ended up switching care providers around 20 weeks.

Besides appointments with midwives, Community of Hope has other helpful resources I used. The ‘Ride for Moms’ program, which gave me free Uber rides to and from appointments, was so helpful because I do not drive. I also enjoyed the CenteringPregnancy® program, which provides group prenatal care and education. There were a lot of things that my partner and I didn’t know—like how long the milk would last in the refrigerator versus freezer. It was also nice to chat with other moms, especially during COVID. I don’t think I would have connected to others the same way at a doctor’s office.

When I went into labor and my contractions were really close together, my midwife and doula were calm and knowledgeable. They had me try different positions to help the baby move down faster. I’m happy I was at the birth center because I had more freedom to let my body do what felt natural to do. At one point, I was considering getting the epidural, but they kept assuring me that my baby was coming and that I could really have what I wanted—a natural birth.

When she was finally born, I felt instant relief and exhaustion! Holding her for the first time and feeling happy, I realized she came out of me. Here I was thinking I couldn’t do it or make it through, and I did. If it wasn’t for the midwives and my doula motivating me through it, I might have given up. It was a long experience, but I’m very grateful for how it happened.

At my follow up visit the next day, I was connected with the lactation specialists. I needed them to help get my milk supply up. I struggled with breastfeeding in the beginning, and the lactation specialist provided reassurance that everything was normal. It was definitely what I needed after delivery to make sure we were off to the best healthy start.

I felt an immense feeling of safety and comfortability when I got to Community of Hope, and I think it is a great option for all moms. Having a team around you that truly cares is important when you are pregnant. I want to have another baby with them! I want other parents to know that they can choose Community of Hope too and secure a Healthy Start for their baby and family.

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🌟 My Best Hope for a Healthy Start By Imani Bowden [SP]