Meet Leanna:
We cannot say enough wonderful things about this woman. I remember meeting with her for our very first appointment. The office was bustling, but we never felt hurried. Rather, she took nearly an hour to answer our questions, ask us about our reasons for wanting to use a midwife, and explaining the way she usually did things. We knew immediately upon leaving her that we'd made the right decision.
When we told people that we were using a midwife, we quickly realized the misconceptions out there that in using a midwife, we were lowering our standard of medical care because she didn't have an "MD" after her name. We are very fortunate because a hospital here in our area has the only hospital-based certified nurse-midwives in the state. Leanna not only has the experience, but she, along with the other midwives in the office, is a certified nurse-midwife and is recognized by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. It's neat because the midwives and doctors at this hospital work alongside each other.
As the months progressed, Leanna came to know us, not as just another patient, but as Gib and Lauren and Baby Park. Her sincerity was something I've never experienced with another medical professional, and her desire was to help us have the birth we envisioned while ensuring that everyone remained healthy.
Fast forward to labor day. Oh, what a day that was! But, Leanna never once wavered from her cool, calm demeanor, even when Levi started acting up with his umbilical cord, even after she'd been at the hospital with us for 30-some hours straight, even when presenting us with the idea that we may want to consider surgery.
We knew going into labor that we absolutely trusted this woman. She knew that our labor was not happening as we'd planned it, that we truly wanted a natural birth, and even as the bullets on our birth plan began falling off right and left, she still salvaged as much of that plan as possible.
The surgery was our choice - it was not presented to us in a way that we feared not having it. Rather, she gave us the options as she saw them, and told us that it truly was up to us. I asked her what she would do if this was her own daughter, and she looked me in the eye and said that she would tell her daughter the very same thing she was telling us.
From hour 37 to 38, we prayed and prayed, and called her back in when we decided that surgery is what we felt was right. We felt that God had given us a peace about having the surgery, that He was telling us to trust Him. And yet, as I cried, mourning the fact that things had not turned out as I had expected or wanted, Leanna was there to assure us that we were making a good decision. I asked her when she was going home, and when she said, matter-of-factly, that she was not leaving until our baby was born, a huge sense of relief washed over us.
During the surgery, Leanna held a trash bag as I vomited, and with Gib on one side of me, she sat on the other side, each of them holding my hand. After Levi was born, she even manned our camera, snapping pictures right and left of him being weighed and cared for. She made sure that he was brought to me as quickly as possible so that the bonding could begin.
As it turns out, it truly was the right decision to have the surgery, as the little guy needed to come out. She reassured us the next day that we had made a good call. And since we left the hospital, I've had several calls from her just checking in on me, seeing if I needed anything.
We initially chose Leanna because we were determined to give birth "the Bradley Way." Little did we know that choosing to come under her care would provide us with such a sense of security and comfort during a challenging time. We cannot recommend her enough, and we owe her the biggest thanks! In the end, she was a huge part of one of the most joyful events we've ever experienced. Thank you, Leanna!
