Midwife Mykl

04/09/2026

Imagine the pure joy and relief a mama would feel when she has a beautiful natural birth, after experiencing 3 past c-sections and secondary infertility.

The tears of joy. The realization that her body isn’t broken. The past trauma beginning to melt away.

Can you imagine?

Now imagine for a moment that none of those cesareans were necessary in the first place, and all the trauma from these surgical deliveries could have been avoided.

I’ll try to summarize:

👶 Baby #1: Cesarean chosen by doctors, due to Breech presentation. No other indications for cesarean. Only because Breech isn’t “allowed” there. Pre-labor cesarean preformed. “Oh, don’t worry,” she was told, “you can always have a VBAC next time.”

(Can you feel the lack of autonomy? This mama would have chosen a breech vaginal birth, if she wouldn’t have been told no.)

👶 Baby #2: Her doctors say: “Yes, you can have a VBAC. But you can’t go past 39 weeks. We’ll just induce you.” This time she has a cephalic presentation [head down baby], so “it should be a pretty straight forward birth.”

Induction began, and was going along well for a while. Then as labor advanced, she began showing signs of uterine rupture, so she was rushed to the O.R. for an emergency cesarean.

(Rates of uterine rupture is known to be higher when paired with induction, compared to the body’s spontaneous, non-augmented labor. But she’s told to be grateful that she was in the hospital and that they ‘saved her baby’s life.’ Of course she’s grateful. But she’s also traumatized, as well as confused about their opinions that claim she needed induction.)

👶 Baby #3: She’s told now that she is far too high risk to have a VBAC. “You have a uterine rupture in your history. You are not allowed to have a vaginal birth.” A pre-labor cesarean was planned for 37 weeks, due to the doctor’s worry of this mama going into labor.

(Again, the doctors choices. Not the mother’s. And do you notice how each subsequent cesarean is simply a side effect of the risks that were created by doing the first cesarean? And do you notice how the first cesarean was caused by stripping away the woman’s autonomy to have a breech vaginal birth?)

🤷🏻‍♀️ Then comes 5 years of secondary infertility. She’s told “this is a known side effect of having c-sections.” And it’s true. This is the reality for many women. “Scar tissue build up is often part of the problem.” Yes, that’s true too. Not the only cause, but certainly a part of the problem in many cases.

🙋🏼‍♂️At 4+ years postpartum, she had moved to another area. She decided to seek fertility and potential VBAC option advice of a local Midwife who her sister had hired for one of her recent Homebirths. After doing so, she began a strict nutrition regimen of foods and supplements, and fascia release as well, to promote fertility and heal internal scar tissue as best we can. The results weren’t guaranteed. But they were worth a solid try. Her mama heart deeply desired another baby.

👶 Baby #4: At more than 5 years after her 3rd baby, and about 1 year of being on the nutritional protocols, she became pregnant!

🙋🏼‍♂️ She decided to call that same Midwife again. This time it’s because she wanted to discuss the idea of a Homebirth. Every hospital within a number of hours of her would not ‘allow’ a VBA3C attempt. Every one of them would require a pre-labor cesarean at 37 weeks. Or an emergency cesarean upon arrival, if she were in spontaneous labor.

✅ But is it safe? Yes, it is—statistically speaking, still safer than the risks of a repeat 4th cesarean, but only if done spontaneously, without induction or augmentation. We discussed all the things we can do to set her up for the very best chance of success. But there’s also the chance of transfer for an emergency c-section if things don’t go as planned.

📉 The statistics say that VBA2C has a 1.8% chance of uterine rupture. But these studies include a huge percentage of induced labors. So we know that statistic is flawed, and the chances are actually less. But we don’t know how much less, because those statistics don’t exist.

📉 Also, published statistics for VBA3C don’t exist in large enough sample sizes to know the actual risks. And again, the numbers that do exist include mostly hospital stats that induce the mothers.

Making the plans for a safe delivery:
✅ Alternative birthing location planned/found within a few blocks of a large hospital.
✅ Assemble the birth team (thankful for 2 experienced Birth Assistants for this birth).
✅ Support labor starting ASAP to properly monitor (not waiting for active labor).
✅ Have a plan in place for quick transport if needed.
✅ No artificial labor encouragement (this includes herbs and ‘natural’ methods).
✅ Full informed decision making and consent with this mama, to honor her autonomy. Discussion of the risks including the worst possible outcomes and best possible outcomes, and EVERYTHING in between. (She appreciated these plans in place, even with the logistics they entailed. She wanted a solid chance. She deserved a solid chance.)
✅ And so so much more.

🤰🏼👶😍 What she got in the end:
✔️Zero restrictions of food and hydration during labor, to keep her energy up.
✔️Her first ever natural labor.
✔️Her first ever vaginal birth.
✔️Her first ever birth without unnecessary trauma.
✔️A supportive Birth Team who respected her informed decisions, and the backup plan that she was comfortable with.
✔️A calm birth environment with her husband and a dear friend present.
✔️As much immediate breastfeeding as she wanted.
✔️As much immediate skin-to-skin as she wanted.
✔️And so so much more.

Now imagine a world where Vaginal Breech Birth is fully supported by trained Providers—in hospitals, in birth centers, and in homes. And imagine how the above situation, along with all its traumas and major surgeries, could have been avoided.

And lastly, imagine a world where births after multiple cesareans are supported. Fully supported. (Not fear monger ‘supported.’ Not only-if-induced ‘supported.’ Not only-if-labor-by-39-weeks ‘supported.’ Because we all know that isn’t actual support.)

😍 A huge thanks to the family who hosted this beautiful birth!

😍😍😍 And a huge thanks to my Birth Assistants, and Midwives-in-training, Stephanie and Christina for their excellent help—as always!

Edited To Add: If you’re a Provider looking for Breech training, you can find it! There are many options out there, once you start looking. The best place to start is to look up Breech Without Borders. Midwives and Doctors with BWB are training Midwives and Doctors ALL OVER THE WORLD to be skilled in Vaginal Breech Birth! Find the training nearest you. Go! Learn! Become the change that women are seeking, whether it’s at home or hospital! Support VBB 😍

04/03/2026

“Your baby is too big.” Or “Your pelvis is too small.” Or many are told BOTH.

But these also make beautiful redeeming birth journeys. Because then these cesarean mamas start reading studies, and going down all the rabbit trails of research regarding CPD, and they come to discover that it was probably all a lie. A lie told to them to be able to justify the OB’s actions. Then they hire a supportive midwife team for the next baby, and have a straight forward beautiful vaginal birth.

What was actually the “problem” with that cesarean baby? Maybe nothing—maybe the only problem was a lack of Provider patience. But oftentimes the likely cause is a malpositioned baby. And yes, sometimes, in some situations, a malpositioned fetal head/baby can absolutely give enough issues to require a cesarean. BUT YOUR BODY IS NOT BROKEN.

I’ve been through this VBAC story with plenty of families. And the really funny part is several of those families who had a beautiful VBAC at home, after these lies they were told, had a baby that was a pound or two LARGER than the one that was “too big to fit through” when they had their prior cesarean.

The care team you choose matters. Interview ALL your options. Choose the one that fits your needs best.

She is triumphant! She was told she can never have a VBAC. She grows her baby's too big. She had many people tell her she shouldn't our can't. This makes me so sad and really angry! This is how women are undermined and made to feel inadequate. However, she listened to a higher voice, surrenders to His plan for her, trusted He made her perfectly capable of birthing her 10 pound plus babies. She did it brilliantly and she was a joy to walk this journey. It gives me the greatest happiness when she said she was proud of herself! All doubt had been vanquished. Congratulations momma! Your the best!

03/31/2026

When there’s a sale on herbs and nutritional things that my clients need, you bet I’m going to jump on it to purchase them. Why? Because spending this money now benefits my clients later. And because sometimes when things come up in pregnancy, we may need a supplement, tincture, or herb to start NOW—not in 2-7 days when shipping will get it to them. And many items specific to prenatal and postpartum care are not stocked in local stores.

I keep many things on hand for the benefit of my clients. And occasionally it’s for the benefit of another midwife or another midwife’s client who needs it right away.

Each item is marked with the price I’ve paid for it. When these items are passed on to clients and others who need them, it’s handed off for that same price I paid (within a few cents, because make it easier by round to the nearest dollar, up or down, to not dealing with coins). And so when I got it on sale that time, the client gets to pay the sale price.

Do I also send web links for these same items often? Yes! When it’s not urgent, or when it can be found locally, they can get it on their own.

Do I usually have several frequently utilized items packed in a box along with me on home visit days? Also yes.

This is just a small window into the logistics of bringing care to rural communities. Many midwives do so many things behind the scenes for the benefit of their clients, and the benefit of the community, that are of no monetary benefit to themselves. Why? Quite simply—because we care deeply about families.

Here’s to all the mamas, babies, and families plugging along through their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journeys. ❤️

03/29/2026

BREECH DAY with several of my Birth Assistants and a few other birthy friends was SO much fun!

We were able to study some Breech lecture together, watch, pause, discuss, and learn from some breech births I’ve attended (thanks to those mamas for letting their videos and pictures be used for training purposes!), and then practice many scenarios, positions, and maneuvers on my new (somewhat makeshift) simulator!

There were 10 of us all together, plus a few babies. A few left before we thought to take a group photo. (And 2 attendees were Amish, so of course no photos were taken of them.) So much fun and so much learning!

And it was a special day for Birth Assistant Stephanie after breech class was over. As she got all caught up on sign offs for births, prenatals, and postpartum visits thus far! A fun first signing day!

03/20/2026

I’m pretty sure I could have a good side gig going of Student Driver driving hour logging. If other busy parents who can’t fit in their teenager’s 50 hours of driving needed to hire it out, I could probably get the job done! 🤣

Today my son Zeb got in 200 minutes and 155 miles. Rural Home Visit prenatal days are very handy for this. He’s also gotten 158, 337, 267, 217, and 224 minute days—and more. He usually gets 1 good long driving day a week, and is knocking these hours out as quickly as he can.

Whenever I’m getting ready to leave home for a long day, he looks over at me with a glimmer in his eye, “Is it a DRIVING day?!” Because if it is, he wants to come! He typically catches up on schoolwork or listens to audiobooks while I’m in the appointments, so it’s a win win. 😍😂

03/16/2026

It was a Happy Pi Day! Apparently a lovely day for a Double BIRTHday Party! An early morning baby after a long through the night labor, and then a late afternoon baby! The 3.14 math wasn’t mathing, but the babies multiplied by 2! 🤷🏼‍♂️ (I’ll see myself out…) 🤦🏼‍♂️

The first birth was extra special, as I got to be the baby catcher for my sweet Great Nephew! Congratulations to my Nephew and Niece-in-law! This was my 3rd birth supporting them with Midwifery care, and each journey was very unique. This was such a beautiful Homebirth, with so many sweet moments!

This was the 3rd birth with Birth Assistant Maralee’s help, and she was such an intuitive, excellent assistant—again!

The second birth was so super sweet as well, with a family having their first Homebirth. Seeing the joy of this birth in their faces was so beautiful! I’m so honored to have gotten to witness it.

Birth Assistant Stephanie was my help for this birth, and always so wonderfully helpful! It was so special to get to work with Doula Sapphire as well! It’s been quite a while since getting to experience a birth together. She’s such a sweet Doula presence!

Between all the driving, one fairly long labor of being up all night, heading straight from one birth to the next one, and the two births being at opposite ends of the day, I put in a 40 hour day for this round. Left Friday morning and got home Saturday night. But oh I slept so good Saturday night! If only I could sleep that soundly every night—it felt amazing. 😍😂 Now that I’ve had 1 full night of sleep, I’m ready and waiting for the next call! 😍😂

03/11/2026

Another Frank Breech Baby! A first time mama who we supported for almost 30 hours was so relieved to finally hold her baby in her arms. 😍 And I had an amazing team for it! Birth Assistants Susan and Christina were an amazing breech team—once again!

And while I was with the breech mama, my amazing daughter Alivia backed up for me for a different birth! A multip mama who gives birth fast, just barely arriving in time before the baby!

It took some fancy rearranging of my Birth Assistants, as several were unexpectedly unavailable on this particular day. But I still got to send 2 BA’s for Alivia, and have 2 BA’s for the birth I was at, so that everyone was well supported! A lot of prayer was involved in the rearranging of BA’s for each birth. And Susan would not have been called at all, except that I sent away one BA from me to help Alivia, and called in Susan to come to the breech to replace her. Because distance to each place is a huge factor when rushing in support to a mama who delivers quick!

I’m so grateful for Birth Assistants who care deeply about the support and safety of the families we serve! It’s not lost on me that their availability takes work to be made possible. And I deeply appreciate them for recognizing it’s importance to families. ❤️

02/26/2026

Another baby the very next night! After 3 months of no births in Stephanie’s direction, now we got to have 2 births together 2 nights in a row! This mama spoiled us with a fast labor, and had the baby less than an hour after we arrived!

Stephanie and I had a quick stop at a nearby coffee shop, and then headed on out for the 1-day visit for the breech birth couple from the night before. It was a nice early start to the day!

And that was the 3rd baby in less than 30 hours. Now we will see if we get a few days of no births, or if the birth cluster continues. ;)

02/25/2026

A beautiful Breech Birth a little after midnight!

And another beautiful birth only about 3 hours later!

After 3-1/2 weeks straight of no babies born… what are the chances that 2 baby boys, in 2 Amish communities far from each other, both with the same last name, decide to come in the same night? 😆

First birth was with Birth Assistant Stephanie, who was very excited to finally attend her 1st breech birth with me! (It was also her 1st Amish birth, so she enjoyed that unique detail as well.) Also attended by Midwife Paige, who I invited as an Birth Assistant role because of her great desire to add more breech births to her experience portfolio. Was fun to have her along for this beautiful birth!

Got called to the second birth just as it was time to wrap up at the first. Given this was a 3peat family I know well, I knew that I better call for back up who could arrive asap for their history of fast births, while I headed their way. So a bit before 3am I called Alivia to back up for me, and called Christina to be Birth Assistant. They arrived shortly thereafter! Alivia knew them well from a past pregnancy/birth, and Christina knew them well from attending prenatals in preparation for this birth. They got the perfect team! I arrived a bit after the baby was born, and was so sweet to see this mama cuddled up nursing her baby, and feeling grateful for the fast arrival of the team she had. 😍 I was able to send Alivia to head out again to go get some sleep before her work shift, and Christina stayed and finished up everything with me like the Newborn Exam and cleanup, as usual. Despite the hecticness of 2 babies in one night, it was actually beautifully smooth, and so well supported. 😍

02/10/2026

It was a pleasure to host Dr White of Headwaters Health out of Fosston, for coffee and conversation at my Prenatal Office in Bagley. We talked in depth about the unique needs of the community when serving in healthcare in a large rural setting. As well as many of the ways we can better serve the Fosston and Bagley communities and surrounding areas through collaborative care.

Dr White is an absolute ray of sunshine, and truly works to meet patients where they are at. The way Healthcare should be. I already send families to Headwaters Health for many things as the needs arise, and I look forward to all the new ways I can continue to do so. Thank you to the whole team at Headwaters Health! We look forward to collaborating even more as we move forward!

02/09/2026

So many great topics included in this round of the GOLD Midwifery Conference. Continuing education on POTS in pregnancy today!