Midwife Mykl

09/14/2025

A handsome baby boy arrived last night, and surprised everyone by weighing in at 10 # 8oz! Congratulations to these awesome parents!

This was Brexten’s first birth as an official Birth Assistant! But she’s not completely brand new to birth. I’ve also gotten to attend a beautiful Homebirth as Midwife, with her in a Doula role back in March. Brexten is also a “Rebekah Mama”, IYKYK, and it’s one of the things that has made the journey towards working with her that much more special. ❤️ Brexten completed her Midwifery Skills Training in June, and she was a great help at this first birth!

09/05/2025

Such a beautiful Breech Birth last night! We loved supporting this repeat family so much. His mama was so much stronger than she gave herself credit for. We knew she could do it, and she did! They were so happy for this beautiful birth experience!

This was Birth Assistant Maralee’s first birth as my assistant. Maralee completed her Birth Assistant Training, and Birth Emergency Skills Training in June, and she completed her NRP certification in August. This was such a fun moment to have her assist at this birth! She did an amazing job. I love how she stayed so calm and collected, yet ready for anything! After already being Maralee’s Midwife for 2 homebirths, and then watching her go through and excel at all of the training, this was such a super fun part of her journey with birthwork to witness.

Maralee shares a fun fact with two other of my Birth Assistants. She is the 3rd Birth Assistant to attend a Breech Birth as her 1st birth with me.

08/18/2025

This is a pretty good description of the transition a baby makes at birth. Vast majority of the time they make that transition so beautifully on their own. But occasionally, for various reasons, we need to help the baby transition with just a few breathes.

I love this photo, because it makes me think of some births I’ve Midwifed for. There are a few babies who I’ve needed to give a couple breathes to while still in the pool, still nestled in mama’s arms. When a baby just needs a minor amount of extra support, like a couple breathes, babies should stay right there in the safety of their mama’s arms. Staying with mom is also a big factor in helping their transition.

✨Breathing support ✨

In the uterus your baby is completely dependent on the placenta to provide oxygenation through the umbilical cord.

Your baby is swimming in amniotic fluid and needs to clear that fluid to make room for air once born.

Most babies born vaginally will have no issues in doing this, they will let out a big cry and the pressure from that inhalation forces fluid in the lungs to move out into the tissues and let air in.

As the placenta stops pulsating to your baby and inhalation begins the reduced pressure will cause 3 shunts in the heart to close. These were alternate paths for blood flow while your baby is in the uterus and they are not needed after birth.

At times this transition can be delayed and that can be due to many things such as maternal medications, poor placental function etc.

So what do we do as midwives?

First we stimulate give bub a nice rub, ask mum to blow on the face to try and initiate a cry if these aren't
working we go straight to a bag and mask.

If you think of the lungs as 2 flat balloons.
We all know how hard it is to get that first breath into a flat balloon and once there is a little air in there the balloon inflates a lot easier.

Putting it simply that is what the bag and mask does, it pushes air into your baby’s lungs to inflate the “balloons” (lungs) and makes it a whole lot easier to take that first breath.

Keeping the CORD INTACT is a resuscitation technique on its own, research has shown babies with delayed cord clamping started to breathe and establish regular breathing earlier then babies who had early cord clamping.

In Australia it's rare at the moment for resuscitation to take place by the bedside in a hospital setting. At home births this can easily be achieved as you can see in the above photo.

Midwives : 👏
📷 : Emma-Jean Photography ♥️
✨ Words and informative Repost by Peace with birth ✨

08/12/2025

Was so honored to Assist at this birth with Elizabeth and 2 of her awesome assistants, Emily and Anita. Such a fun team! Many laughs were had! (Probably because it was 3am when we all were leaving. A case of the tired midwife giggles, perhaps!) 😂

It was a journey with beautiful plot twists, sweet memories and good laughs. Working with people you love is such a gift!

Thank you for making us all laugh too hard in this picture! “Do I have four heads? Wait…” 🤣

Thank you .wehking for being there for any little thing we needed including hugs.

Thank you for your sweet and funny ways, and for finally killing that sump pump I hated! IYKYK

Also thank you all for driving in a monsoon containing hail, and hydroplaning to this birth. “Neither rain, nor sleet, nor dead of night….” Oh wait, wrong profession! 😉

And thank you to the sweet souls who messaged me they were praying! I have the best friends and clients! 🥰

💗

08/10/2025

Babies are worth the wait! This birth was an excellent lesson in patience. This sweet mama was too strong to give up, and so we all waited patiently, and just held the space with her—and for her. ❤️

This was my 6th birth overall with Birth Assistant Stephanie. So thankful for her and her excellent assistance!

08/07/2025

After 26 hours and 2 baby boys born on the same day, but 18 hours apart, it’s good to be back home. Thank you so much to Birth Assistant Christina for her eagerness to do 2 back-to-back births—and both on her birthday too!

A sweet repeat family first who had their baby a bit after midnight. Then Amish first time parents who I went to right from there, and they had theirs in the evening.

Thanks also to Alivia for providing a few hours of early labor support to the Amish family until I arrived. Even though they really didn’t have much going on at all, it was obvious that they needed the emotional support that all was well. With some good teamwork, everyone was fully supported!

Now I’m hoping for a night’s sleep! Then I get to see both families again tomorrow! 😍

08/05/2025

I love that Elizabeth calls it a dress rehearsal. I saw it as a pre-birth huddle. it was great getting together and getting a good perspective of the situation. Then we'll get the real deal later, and we already have all the plans pre-discussed from this pre-birth huddle!

Sometimes, we get a birth dress rehearsal. In this case, a set of twins that seemed anxious to get here for a while, decided later it was time for a nap and to wait for another day.

And as said so well “If you can’t have patience, you shouldn’t be a midwife.”

So a picture was still taken, over a labor story shared not just by this mama, but so many. One where we call before the birth is meant to be. It’s a story I have lived myself.

The time is never wasted. There’s always some progress toward the goal of having the baby, and there’s always something learned.

Birth is not a set of numbers. It isn’t an all or nothing. It is a journey, a right of passage, a labor of love and of patience for all involved.

In this case, it was joy. Because we all understood that patience is a virtue that is NOT optional when it comes to birth.

This birth story has chapters, just as many of them do.

So, if you have been a mom who has called the Midwife too early, or had a practice run, or worry that you will call too soon, know this, you are one of millions who have had to come to terms with this same unknown.

We can either wrestle with these moments, OR, take joy in the journey and snap a picture to remember the chapter.

Did you call the Midwife too early? If so, how long was it before you had your baby? I can’t wait to read your birth dress rehearsal stories!

08/03/2025

Yesterday was a full day of NRP recertification for me, and the 1st NRP certification for my Birth Assistants (L-R) Maralee, Christina, Peyton, & Stephanie!

Practicing these seldom used skills is so very important. And quite literally, life saving. I’ve enjoyed doing practice sessions with all my Assistants on our own and in my trainings with them! But certification and recertification in NRP is so important as well. Always keeping our skills sharp and ready for the unexpected.

Thank you to NRP instructor Marijke (photo center with myself) for a wonderful Newborn Resuscitation course, and all the great Homebirth setting perspective that she brings to it!

Also, much thanks to Midwife Stephanie Holthus for heading up the hosting of this training! It was an excellent group of 15 of us, from multiple midwife practices. And so wonderful to get to see them all and spend a day of “Midwife Fun” together!

Maralee Biddle Christina Kaya Peyton Mettler Sacred Motherhood Doula Heaven Sent Doula Services

07/24/2025

Breech birth story! This family right here chose to jump hurdles at the very end of pregnancy. They knew that a c-section (the only option in their hospital) for their Breech baby just wasn’t right for them. But what options are there? They had already asked their hospital provider if they could have a vaginal breech birth. And the answer was NO.

This mama’s cousin referred them to my social media page, as an option that would support breech birth. But they didn’t know if I’d be available.

At just 6 days before their due date, they decided to contact me. They had already been researching vaginal breech birth. We had an amazing conversation. They were well informed on breech, and they were all in! They wanted a natural breech birth!

But the details made it a bit complicated. I wasn’t available to do a Homebirth in their area at this particular time. I was happy to support them if they wanted me to, but if I did, the birth would have to take place at an alternative location within an easy distance of my home. But this didn’t stop this family—they knew what they wanted, and they weren’t going to let another hurdle stand in their way! So we made a plan to book a rental house near me, and the rest of the details fell into place!

Labor began late at night. They drove 2 hours in the middle of the night to reach the house. Labor was long, but she was determined to get through it. We were determined with her.

Baby made his appearance that afternoon, born Frank Breech, into the receiving hands of both his daddy and me. And this couple couldn’t be more happy!

Even through the stress of being told they needed a c-section, researching breech options, hiring another provider and switching their care at the last minute, packing for a birth in a rental house, driving 2 hours through the night while in labor, and so much more—they are still so thankful and so happy for their natural vaginal breech birth, and they wouldn’t have it any other way!

A huge thanks to this family for permission to share their photo and these parts of their story as inspiration for other families! Thanks to the rental house owners too! And thanks to my amazing Birth Assistants Susan & Christina!

07/21/2025

Seeing a Mother’s strength, even in the midst of labor exhaustion, as she delivers her baby girl straight into the welcoming hands of her Husband in the peacefulness of their own home, will never get old!

A Secondary HBAC, repeat family, who I love so much. (And I was honored to be their Midwife for their Primary HBAC as well.) Birth Assistant Susan was my ‘right hand man’ for this birth, and it was so special to have her there too!

Now a few days later, I’m all caught up on the prenatals that I rescheduled for the birth and moved to Saturday. And I’ve gotten a Sunday afternoon nap. Now I’m ready for whatever Monday brings! 😉😂

07/12/2025

After a full day of Prenatals at the Office, the toy room can get pretty messy. But it’s the best kind of mess!

Children coming with their parents to be a part of their new sibling’s journey in the womb can be so special. Witnessing their joy and excitement as they hear their baby sister’s heartbeat for the first time is a beautiful sight. 😍

And sometimes they’ll pick up the stethoscope and listen to the Midwife’s heartbeat, just for fun! 😂❤️

07/09/2025

It was quite the incredible birth to witness over the weekend! An Amish first time mama who had some of the roughest points of exhaustion (from a prolonged active labor phase) that I’ve ever seen. But she was determined to carry on.

We discussed transfer to the hospital for exhaustion, and they wanted to know what I would suggest. There was not a medical reason to go in. I explained that they need to make this choice for themselves, and that I will support them 100% to stay home longer and keep trying all the things we were doing, but that I’ll also support them 100% to get in the car and transfer to the hospital. Again, she decided she wanted to continue on longer as we were.

It was a “every possible trick to try” type of birth. But she made it!! The room filled with joy when baby began crowning! And then—there she was! A healthy adorable baby girl!

An evening, a full night, a full day, and most of the next night… but she made it! (By the time we tucked her into bed with her baby, and all took to the couches to nap afterwards before going home, we couldn’t even see straight anymore—everyone was exhausted!)

During the early stages of the first day, I spent time reading the book “House Calls and Hitching Posts.” A gift from one of my Birth Assistants who read it and thought of me many times during the stories. It’s been such a fun book—and so relatable! I’m almost halfway through it now, and it felt rather appropriate to be reading it during this labor! 😍😆