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Cyndi Gross
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Cyndi Gross: Compassionate Birthing

As a result, one of Lisa’s patients packed up her husband and two-year-old a month before her due date to live in a motel so that she could still have that choice.

I arrived in Phoenix and was immediately curious about why a hospital in AZ would see midwives as an asset and not a liability. What did they know that Orange County did not? I decided to find out by offering labor support to a patient who was in labor. She was having her third baby and was open to both natural and medical options for her birth. The very first thing I noticed was that Lisa and the nurses were supportive of whatever she wanted. They left it to her to tell them if she needed anything. No threats of “If you want the epidural, you need to get it now, otherwise it may not be available to you!” They trusted that she would be able to speak up if she chose medication. She chose to have a little Nubain (a narcotic given via IV) at 5 cm to take the edge off. Her choice was honored and three hours later, with her husband assisting, she joyously touched her baby’s head as he was being delivered. All 8 pounds 3 ounces of him. Both mother and baby were stable and completely in awe of each other.

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