January - 17, 2025

Curtis and Sally’s Birth Story

It was exciting when she mentioned the possibility of a water birth — something we’d never experienced before. I said, ‘Hey, let’s do it!’ Plus, the cost was almost half of what some hospitals charge, so financially it made sense too.

The prenatal care was similar to what you get with a regular OB/GYN, but it felt a lot more personal. We had Loretta’s personal cell phone number and could call her directly. When we called her that night, she obviously woke up, but she just said, ‘Okay, let’s do this!’ and told us to meet her at the clinic in about 30 minutes.

As soon as we walked in, I was having a contraction, and Loretta immediately took over. She said, ‘Let’s put pressure here, let’s do this.’ Everything was ready — they were drawing the bath, there was soothing music playing, and the lights were dimmed. It felt so calming and intimate.

Out of all the births we’ve had, this one was my favorite. It wasn’t like a hospital with beeping monitors and people rushing around. It felt more like a personal experience. The people you see through the whole process are the ones who help you birth your child — you’re not just a number.

I also liked that everyone was so supportive. In a hospital, if you say you want a natural birth, they’ll keep asking, ‘Are you sure? We’ve got this drug, we’ve got that epidural.’ But here, it was different. Everyone was saying, ‘You can do this. You’ve got this.’ Everyone was working for me to make sure I could do it.

If we were to have another baby — another surprise baby — we would definitely come back to the birth center and do it again with Loretta and her team. But hopefully, we don’t have another!