I met Karly at a street fair. I just found out that I was pregnant for the second time and I really did not want to give birth in the hospital again. I did have a natural childbirth with Kaiser, but it was just a constant uphill battle to have the birth that I knew I wanted and prepared for. Karly had delivered babies in Senegal the same country that my husband is from, so it just seemed fitting that she would be perfect for my homebirth experience. No matter how prepared you are I think most people have a tiny bit of worry in the back of their mind when doing something against the grain of the normal “medical practices”.All of my prenatal appointments were awesome and she made me feel more confident in my decisions because you could definitely tell she knew her stuff. She spent ample amounts of time with my family and it felt like she was a family member more then a birth practitioner.
I had a long labor (3 days) and she was very patient and came and checked me out whenever I felt like I needed it. The experience of being home with my family and being able to eat when I wanted and get in whatever position I wanted was priceless compared to my last experience. The birthing tub was an amazing tool in helping reduce pain. It made such a difference in this second birthing process.
My birth was perfect until my son had what they call a shoulder dystocia and got caught in my pelvis. I am so grateful that I had Karly and Kayti as my birth practitioners because they were very professional and acted quickly. They advised me exactly what to do in order to get my baby out the safest way as possible. They got the baby out in time and had to resuscitate him. They had all the tools they needed close by and acted very quickly, efficiently, effectively, and informed me of his status every step of the way. Within 20 seconds his heart rate was back to normal and he was breathing within a short time after that.
I learned that is fairly uncommon to have a shoulder dystocia. I wasn’t really sure how to feel after my birth, because it was exactly what I wanted for my birth experience, up until he was stuck. Then I realized after being in the hospital with him, I’m so grateful that I had these two women who have had experience with shoulder dystocia, as it is something that occurs last minute and cannot be predicted. Had I have a birth practitioner or M.D. who does not have a lot of experience in those types of deliveries, we could’ve had a different outcome.
She came with us to the hospital and stayed with us to make sure everything was fine. The access that you have to her and her knowledge during the pregnancy, during the birth, and postpartum is priceless.
I can’t be more thankful for the support she has provided for me and my family. She is the best.
D & L- Encinitas