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00:00:02.879This is Beyond the Front Door Podcast with Lindy and Rhea.
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00:00:11.839We're opening the door to real stories from our community, business owners, leaders, dreamers, and doers, sharing the journeys that shaped them.
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00:00:16.559Our goal is simple to support, spotlight, and celebrate the people around us.
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00:00:17.920Come on in.
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00:00:18.719Yeah.
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00:00:20.000All right.
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00:00:25.679Welcome everybody to Beyond the Front Door podcast with Lindy and Rhea.
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00:00:33.679We are thrilled to have as our guest today Sarah Mori from Earthside Birth and Wellness.
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00:00:34.159Thanks.
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00:00:35.200Thank you so much for joining.
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00:00:35.759Welcome.
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00:00:36.880Yeah.
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00:00:46.320So if we could just start off and have you tell us a little bit about yourself, like how long you've lived in Cheyenne, just a little bit about your background, if you want to chat family as well.
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00:00:48.399Just give us a little insight as to you.
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00:00:49.039Sure.
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00:00:53.520We have been in Cheyenne almost 10 years now, but moved over from Laramie.
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00:00:55.600So I was in Laramie quite a long time.
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00:00:58.000My wife is full-time Air Guard.
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00:00:58.399Okay.
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00:01:01.600She's an officer there in the Wyoming Air National Guard.
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00:01:08.159We have five kiddos, ages almost 23, 20, 18, 14, and 12.
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00:01:10.079Yes.
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00:01:13.280So it's getting fun, like the more adult age.
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00:01:13.680Yeah.
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00:01:15.439I'm having a blast with that.
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00:01:35.439Um, so yeah, we've been living in China almost 10 years, and I just throughout my own birth experiences, started to we call become involved in the birth worker world of becoming a childbirth educator, doula, lactation counselor, all that fun stuff because of my own experiences.
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00:01:39.840And so mostly was a stay-at-home mom for the past 20 years.
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00:01:45.200Finally, the kiddos were all in school only for COVID to hit, and they all came back home.
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00:01:47.359Yeah, how that works.
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00:01:50.799My youngest was in kindergarten that year, and I was so excited.
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00:01:54.319I had one in I had my it was my oldest, but kindergarten.
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00:01:56.000I was thankful it was kindergarten.
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00:01:56.239Yeah.
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00:01:57.359I was teaching.
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00:01:57.840Yeah.
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00:01:58.239Yeah.
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00:01:59.680That you were teaching.
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00:02:03.760I was so excited to like I was retiring from being an at-home mom.
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00:02:04.159Yeah.
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00:02:06.079Figuring out what I wanted to do with my life.
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00:02:11.919And like six months later, they all five of them came home and trying to teach five different grades.
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00:02:14.800So that was that's that had to have been a lot.
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00:02:15.120Yeah.
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00:02:16.319Yep.
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00:02:26.479So um, so mostly stay at home and just doing kind of some birth work on the side, different, different businesses I ran, Airbnbs, we own a few properties.
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00:02:33.599So that was kind of my little side thing to keep me, you know, your mind at least functioning while you're raising children.
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00:02:41.120Yes, you got to do something outside of I believe anyway, you got to do something to for yourself for yourself.
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00:02:49.919I mean, I do think being a mom, like we all take a lot of pride in being a mom, and that serves that that what do you how do you want to say it?
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00:02:51.280Um, feeds the soul.
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00:02:53.439Yeah, but you also need something else as well, right?
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00:02:55.199Talk to an adult once in a while.
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00:02:57.039A doll once in a while.
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00:02:58.319Yeah, absolutely.
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00:03:09.599Well, what I guess, like you say, like birth gigs, what like I think most people, or not most people, I we talk about uh being Gen X, I'm complete Gen X.
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00:03:16.639And in my day when I was having babies, I mean you just went to the hospital and had a baby, there really wasn't a whole lot of other options.
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00:03:21.520Although I did start to see, do you ever remember the one that's 23?
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00:03:23.599Mine are 26 and 27.
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00:03:27.199Do you remember that little um show, a baby story?
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00:03:28.560Did you ever watch that?
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00:03:30.240Did you ever no?
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00:03:30.879It maybe not.
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00:03:32.800But it was a TLC kind of.
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00:03:34.000Yeah, well, yeah.
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00:03:48.240So it were these these like stories of women that um you saw their story of how they decided to have a child and just it almost like um like uh like a house hunters, like a how do you want to say?
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00:03:54.080It's just a 30-minute reality show that determines their journey of being pregnant and then having babies.
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00:03:58.080And that's when I actually started to see women have babies like in pools in their house.
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00:03:59.120Yeah, yeah.
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00:04:02.479Yeah, that's when I was kind of introduced to new ways of doing it.
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00:04:03.680But yeah, for sure.
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00:04:09.599With my first, I was determined to have a natural birth, but had no idea anything but a hospital birth existed.
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00:04:15.280So I just took classes, had a natural hospital birth, which was amazing.
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00:04:23.040And then with my second, I was doing another class, and someone in that class was planning a home birth, and I was just like, What?
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00:04:23.680What is that?
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00:04:24.319What is that?
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00:04:25.759That sounds amazing.
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00:04:32.480And at the time we lived in Michigan, we were on a family farm, and I was like, Oh my gosh, that's just what I want.
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00:04:52.160And so I ended up switching care at 38 weeks from an OB to a midwife, had him a week later, and just that kind of ignited that journey for me of like, oh, there's alternatives, and also just the importance of taking that class of becoming informed.
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00:05:05.120And then, you know, as we all learn, like I'm one of those people who are like, I'm gonna take a childbirth, you know, become a childbirth instructor, and then you have to attend a couple births, and you're like, oh my gosh, this is amazing.
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00:05:13.040I want to learn to become a doula, and then you do that, and you're like, oh my gosh, I want to become a midwife, and your journey of educating yourself just keeps getting deeper.
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00:05:13.839Yeah.
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00:05:23.199So what are the um I guess what you talk about, like a childbirth instructor and then a doula and then a midwife.
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00:05:28.959What can you walk us through like what each of those mean and what the responsibility level is for each of them?
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00:05:33.759Yeah, the biggest question people ask are what's the difference between a doula and a midwife?
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00:05:37.279So a doula is non-medical support person.
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00:05:40.959So they're kind of like emotional support in your labor journey.
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00:05:49.680They help you advocate for the birth you want, whether it's I need an epidural at five centimeters, or I really want a hospital birth and I want to go natural.
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00:06:01.600Um, they're more doing that emotional coaching, being there, helping you advocate for yourself, doing some education, whereas the midwife is a medical provider.
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00:06:06.319So they're definitely more holistic for the most part.
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00:06:13.199Um, there's we say there's two different models of care: the medical model of care and midwifery model of care.
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00:06:17.279So they follow that holistic path, but they're trained.
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00:06:24.879Emergencies, they're, you know, making sure everyone's healthy, we're doing blood work, blood pressures, all of that same thing.
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00:06:45.120But the biggest difference between a midwife and an OB, besides some schooling, is that midwives believe birth is normal and natural part of a woman's and a family's journey, and we're on the lookout for things going wrong, but we're also assuming this is just normal and natural.
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00:06:51.759Whereas the medical model of care, the second a woman becomes pregnant, she is on a disease continuum.
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00:06:53.600What does that mean?
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00:06:56.240So we assume something for something new.
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00:06:57.680Oh, okay.
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00:06:59.519I feel like that is true.
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00:07:05.920Uh when I had kids, I every time you went to the doctor, I feel like it was something to scare you.
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00:07:06.800Right.
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00:07:14.639And I think there's a hundred percent a place, and I want to like get that out of the front of like we are so thankful for OBs.
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00:07:20.560Um, but they are a higher level of care, and the majority of women only need that.
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00:07:21.199Don't need it.
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00:07:29.040So it's like you're going in at a high surgical level for something that's pretty baseline, normal, and natural.
00:07:29.439 -->
00:07:37.120And so a quote I heard recently was like, every woman needs a midwife, and then some of them also need a doctor.
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00:07:43.360So we do it the opposite where we assume that you know we need a high level of care.
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00:07:43.839Yeah.
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00:07:50.720And midwives also usually pr um provide a lot more of that relationship-based care.
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00:07:51.279Sure.
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00:07:55.439So they're building the relationship, they're getting to know you, what you want.
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00:08:08.000Um, they are still doing all the medical things and informed consent, but really like you're in the driver's seat as a parent, because again, this is also the beginning of parenthood.
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00:08:10.319Yeah, a lot of decisions to make.
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00:08:11.199Yeah, yeah.
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00:08:16.800And why start in pregnancy being told what to do and what's right or wrong for you and your body?
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00:08:17.600Sure.
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00:08:18.399Sure.
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00:08:26.319So if someone, if a woman recently discovers she's pregnant and she wants to go the route of a midwife, what's different?
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00:08:29.839Like walk us through the process of what she does differently.
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00:08:30.560Yeah.
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00:08:34.480So in the state of Wyoming, I'll just kind of back up a little bit.
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00:08:38.000Um, midwives are allowed to practice autonomously.
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00:08:48.639And so they can do home births, birth center births, or certain types of midwives can do hospital births too, if a hospital is hiring and has midwives on board.
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00:08:55.679Um, so our birth center has what we call CPMs, which are certified professional midwives.
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00:08:59.120They can do home births or birth center births.
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00:09:11.120And we provide the same type of standard of care, like you're coming in the same amount of visits every month, you know, for the first 28 weeks or then every two weeks.
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00:09:19.600Um, we're doing all the same blood work, blood pressures, pee in the cup, measuring baby, checking baby, right, that kind of thing.
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00:09:22.000Um, we spend a lot more time with our clients.
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00:09:30.399So an hour at every visit instead of feeling like you're a number and sat in the waiting room for 30 minutes for your two-second appointment.
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00:09:33.440Um with someone who might be different than last time.
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00:09:33.840Right.
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00:09:34.480Sure.
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00:09:35.440Yeah, sure.
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00:09:38.080Yeah, an hour, that's really amazing.
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00:09:38.559Yeah.
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00:09:40.320So we get to know them.
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00:09:43.519They get we get to talk and educate.
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00:09:57.360And I think having even my own personal experience as both OB and midwife care with my babies, like people assume that at some point you're gonna be told like what's gonna happen and how this is gonna look.
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00:10:06.559And so every appointment you're showing up at an OB, like, okay, they're gonna let me know what birth is gonna look like, and suddenly you're in labor and you don't know what it looks like.
00:10:06.720 -->
00:10:07.759Yeah, no one's told you.
00:10:07.840 -->
00:10:08.559You're like, what?
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00:10:14.799Well, and back in my day, I mean, all that you all that any woman had was the book, What to Expect When You're Expecting, right?
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00:10:15.919It's so scary.
00:10:16.080 -->
00:10:19.919It's like it could be nothing, but you could be dying.
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00:10:21.200Yeah, right.
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00:10:24.559Awesome.
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00:10:42.240Okay, so it's similar in terms of you're still meeting every month until it gets to the point of every, you know, you're increasing as you get closer to the end of your pregnancy, and um, but you're getting more specialized attention from um the midwife, correct?
00:10:42.559 -->
00:10:45.679Uh, as you go along and you're still doing blood work, you're still measuring.
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00:10:47.360So you still do like ultrasounds?
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00:10:48.559Are you doing ultrasounds?
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00:10:48.960Yep.
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00:10:56.159So we order out one 20-week anatomy scan, and that's a very precise measurement at 20 weeks.
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00:10:56.480Okay.
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00:11:02.559Read by a radiologist to just make sure babies, you know, also low, low risk.
00:11:02.639 -->
00:11:06.399You know, they that's when they look at all the organs, all of that stuff.
00:11:06.639 -->
00:11:13.120Um, in Wyoming, birth centers and home birth midwives can only take low-risk healthy women.
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00:11:17.440So that also includes we can't do twins, we can't do breach births.
00:11:17.600 -->
00:11:23.840If women develop some kind of medical issue, usually it's like high blood pressure, that kind of thing.
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00:11:24.639That's what I did.
00:11:24.879 -->
00:11:26.559I had high blood pressure through my own.
00:11:26.639 -->
00:11:28.399And that's that can be really common.
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00:11:30.639Um, so that's a higher level care.
00:11:30.720 -->
00:11:33.679We definitely want to be on the lookout for those types of things.
00:11:33.919 -->
00:11:39.519Um, but interestingly, about 85% of the population is considered low risk and healthy.
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00:11:41.279Oh, that is interesting.
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00:11:41.759Yeah.
00:11:41.919 -->
00:11:42.159Yeah.
00:11:42.399 -->
00:11:46.639So most women can, I mean, if you think about it, back before there were hospitals.
00:11:46.799 -->
00:11:54.000I mean, women were giving birth in caves and in and in homes and in, you know, the nature.
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00:11:54.720Right, right.
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00:11:58.639And they say midwifery is the second oldest profession.
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00:11:59.440Mm-hmm.
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00:12:13.039I just first for some reason have this picture in my head of not not of a birth, not with birthing center, but like, you know, a hundred or two hundred years ago with, you know, like the leather strap in your teeth right down.
00:12:13.200 -->
00:12:13.440Yeah.
00:12:13.600 -->
00:12:18.879And all the women in the village are there with their hot water and their blankets and giving birth.
00:12:19.039 -->
00:12:24.720But the problem was, I'm sure back then, um, higher fatality rates, right?
00:12:24.960 -->
00:12:36.399Because then women did not have the ability to make a decision from going from lower level to uh to to upper higher level, and then, you know, because that higher level just didn't exist at all.
00:12:36.879 -->
00:12:40.320And then yeah, so I think that came and went too.
00:12:40.480 -->
00:12:44.399I have studied like the history of birth, especially in the US.
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00:12:52.879And a lot of times those higher mortality rates came from like when we were in Europe and there were crowded conditions and people weren't eating well.
00:12:53.120 -->
00:12:53.360Sure.
00:12:53.600 -->
00:13:03.679And when they moved to the Americas where they're, you know, farm fed and really healthy, like the birth mortality rates really dropped.
00:13:04.080 -->
00:13:13.200And then I think the mortality rates that we picture are because at some point women just like you have enough babies and eventually your body just does it.
00:13:13.519 -->
00:13:14.879Just is done, right?
00:13:14.960 -->
00:13:24.320Like, and so so you know, our grandparents, great-grandparents had 14, 15 kids, and eventually your uterus will stop working exactly.
00:13:24.720 -->
00:13:33.279So so then we it kind of reinforces like childbirth is that dangerous because we just keep having babies until sure our bodies give up.
00:13:33.440 -->
00:13:36.960But um, yeah, so I think it's probably like anything, right?
00:13:37.039 -->
00:13:38.799Like you hear the horror stories, right?
00:13:39.039 -->
00:13:46.559And uh we were just my son, my youngest son and I were just having this discussion about um sharks and the movie Jaws, right?
00:13:46.639 -->
00:13:52.879Like when again, you know, when I was growing up, Jaws was the big so everybody's afraid to get in the water.
00:13:54.320 -->
00:13:57.440Yeah, but the odds are of you being attacked by a shark are really low.
00:13:57.679 -->
00:14:04.559And it just so happens, of course, that my younger son wants to do the the cage, uh be in the cage in the water with the sharks.
00:14:04.960 -->
00:14:06.480I'm like, I really no, thank you.
00:14:06.559 -->
00:14:07.600I really would rather you not.
00:14:07.679 -->
00:14:08.639And he's like, well, guess what?
00:14:08.720 -->
00:14:10.080I'm going to do it anyway.
00:14:10.240 -->
00:14:18.799But anyway, I we had the discussion about how Jaws really shaped a generation of being afraid of sharks because of how they portrayed them.
00:14:18.879 -->
00:14:24.639And I'm assuming it's a similar situation, of course, that we've portrayed that women are dying during childbirth.
00:14:24.720 -->
00:14:28.000And while some women that is the case, it's not a big thing.
00:14:28.320 -->
00:14:29.360Definitely not.
00:14:29.840 -->
00:14:40.879I am a big advocate of like having a professional attend your birth because there are things that come up that are totally unpredictable, and you need someone that's skilled.
00:14:41.039 -->
00:14:47.120So women do free births and stuff like that, and you know, it's all your choice.
00:14:47.440 -->
00:14:50.960I just personally experienced enough that I'm like that.
00:14:51.279 -->
00:14:53.120I want someone that's skilled.
00:14:53.919 -->
00:14:58.559So midwives do have those skills, like at our birth center.
00:14:58.720 -->
00:14:59.679That's the big question.
00:14:59.759 -->
00:15:01.039Well, what if something happens?
00:15:01.279 -->
00:15:06.159Again, we're not assuming like birth is just great, and as long as you don't mess with it, it'll be fine.
00:15:06.720 -->
00:15:07.200Oh God.
00:15:07.360 -->
00:15:11.759When I I feel like my whole life, my mom's told me this is the closest you'll get to death.
00:15:12.080 -->
00:15:13.279She probably was told that.
00:15:13.519 -->
00:15:17.600And so then that's all you think is it's like, I'm gonna almost die.
00:15:17.840 -->
00:15:18.159Right.
00:15:18.320 -->
00:15:18.480Right.
00:15:18.720 -->
00:15:23.759Well, I mean, it feels like you want to die, but right?
00:15:24.000 -->
00:15:24.240Right.
00:15:24.399 -->
00:15:26.799I mean, there's the there's the ongoing debate, right?
00:15:26.960 -->
00:15:38.639Of what's the most painful thing in the world and childbirth, and and unfortunately, you know, there's no experience that both men and women both have, I don't think, that help us make that comparison.
00:15:38.960 -->
00:15:46.639Yeah, but we can assume that childbirth, just considering the way that your body changes while you're delivering, is kind of a big deal.
00:15:46.799 -->
00:15:47.440Yeah, for sure.
00:15:47.679 -->
00:15:52.799And you kind of were referencing the story of like picturing people biting down on leather.
00:15:53.360 -->
00:16:05.759And for me, one huge difference is that when people look at hospital births, like you're you're confined to a bed, you have an IV, you're hooked up to monitors, you really can't move.
00:16:05.919 -->
00:16:08.960There's bright lights, there's people you don't know.
00:16:09.200 -->
00:16:16.799And birth also feels a lot different when you're in a calm, supported environment surrounded by people who kind of trust the process.
00:16:17.039 -->
00:16:25.039And it's just kind of magical how like yeah, women that are giving birth, we call it like a community birth.
00:16:25.200 -->
00:16:41.200Um, it's gonna be the hardest thing they ever do, but it's not the same level of pain that people often imagine that in the hospital because you're kind of confined and you're sure it's scary and everyone's tense and waiting for something bad to happen.
00:16:41.440 -->
00:16:55.919And isn't it that and I I don't remember the the fact on this, and you'll be able to say, I'm sure, that we weren't necessarily created to give birth living or laying in a bed.
00:16:56.080 -->
00:16:56.320Right.
00:16:56.480 -->
00:16:56.960Am I correct?
00:16:57.120 -->
00:16:57.200Right.
00:16:57.519 -->
00:16:59.759You're supposed to be able to be in whatever position you can do.
00:17:00.320 -->
00:17:02.240Gravity's a really good idea in in part.
00:17:02.720 -->
00:17:03.200What's that?
00:17:03.440 -->
00:17:04.559Gravity is a really gravity.
00:17:05.039 -->
00:17:06.240Gravity to your advantage.
00:17:06.400 -->
00:17:06.960Yes.
00:17:08.400 -->
00:17:09.519But okay, okay.
00:17:09.680 -->
00:17:12.559So I so let's backtrack for a second.
00:17:13.039 -->
00:17:15.839What does a birthing room look like at your wellness center?
00:17:16.000 -->
00:17:23.359Like what what what can a woman expect when she's going to she's heading into labor and she's going to use your facility?
00:17:23.519 -->
00:17:24.480What does that look like?
00:17:24.640 -->
00:17:26.480What does a typical birth look like?
00:17:26.799 -->
00:17:29.519Since we're on the subject of position and all of that.
00:17:29.920 -->
00:17:31.119It looks like a giant bedroom.
00:17:31.200 -->
00:17:34.799It has a queen-sized bed in it, it's got an inflatable pool.
00:17:34.960 -->
00:17:40.960A lot of women are really interested in having the water birth or laboring in water.
00:17:41.279 -->
00:17:46.319Warm water in labor releases hormones to help you relax and take the edge off.
00:17:46.400 -->
00:17:48.079It's a big pain reliever.
00:17:48.319 -->
00:17:58.559And typically, when we get into a nice huge tub of water, it not only takes the edge off, it reduces your pain, but you're still like moving around.
00:17:58.640 -->
00:18:01.920You can be kind of upright, squatting, hands and knees, that kind of thing.
00:18:02.160 -->
00:18:04.400So we have a birth pool in there.
00:18:04.559 -->
00:18:08.960Women are also um can have water birth if they choose.
00:18:09.119 -->
00:18:14.640So about 20 to 25% of our babies are born in the water, which is really cool.
00:18:14.960 -->
00:18:24.799We have uh it's called a Swedish bladder on the wall, so you can hang on it, squat, do sling, whatever.
00:18:25.039 -->
00:18:31.920Midwifes are very happy to be in whatever position to catch babies, so you're not typically even in the bed when you give birth.
00:18:32.160 -->
00:18:32.400Okay.
00:18:32.559 -->
00:18:37.440You can be squatting on the floor in the pool, hands and knees on the bed, whatever you choose.
00:18:37.680 -->
00:18:52.720Um and so we also encourage women to stay at home as long as possible because when we're at home, we're comfortable, we're in our own environment, and humans are very much animalistic when we give birth.
00:18:52.799 -->
00:18:55.599Like that's the most instinctive thing we'll do.
00:18:56.400 -->
00:19:05.519And if you've ever been around farm or ranch animals, they give birth in the dark, alone, without anyone around.
00:19:05.759 -->
00:19:11.359And you know, there's always stories of the family cat disappearing for a week and coming back with kittens, right?
00:19:11.599 -->
00:19:18.240And if they're interrupted, they will literally stop labor and wait till the next night or find a different place to give birth.
00:19:18.400 -->
00:19:22.240So, humans, we have those same um instincts.
00:19:22.480 -->
00:19:30.400And so when you're in home at home in your own surroundings, you're gonna just be more relaxed and birth tends to go quicker.
00:19:30.720 -->
00:19:34.799So we encourage women to stay at home as long as possible, eat and drink.
00:19:35.200 -->
00:19:39.279They're communicating with the midwives of when to come into the center.
00:19:39.599 -->
00:19:46.720Um our sweet spot is actually women are usually there about two or three hours before baby comes.
00:19:47.839 -->
00:19:49.599Just enough to get everybody settled.
00:19:49.759 -->
00:19:58.319I mean, we have both situations happen where babies come 10 minutes after everyone gets there or ten hours, but it's usually about two.
00:19:59.039 -->
00:20:10.319And because they're doing most of the work, and so at that point that disruption isn't as big of an impact on our physiologic experience.
00:20:10.640 -->
00:20:22.640Um and they give birth, and we do they don't stay very long, so we need several hours of really stable vitals on mom and baby.
00:20:22.880 -->
00:20:25.839Um, midwives can do repairs if they need to.
00:20:26.000 -->
00:20:38.079We make sure mom has eaten a really good meal, the bleeding is controlled, she's able to get up, walk around, use the restroom, um, baby's nursed, and then they get to go back home.
00:20:38.400 -->
00:20:40.640So they don't even like stay the night necessarily.
00:20:40.960 -->
00:20:41.279Wow.
00:20:41.599 -->
00:20:42.160That's interesting.
00:20:42.559 -->
00:20:44.880We go visit them the next day.
00:20:45.200 -->
00:20:45.519Oh.
00:20:46.319 -->
00:20:46.720Nice.
00:20:47.039 -->
00:20:49.839And just do a little more post-partum care as well.
00:20:50.079 -->
00:20:57.359So while they're out earlier than you would be in the hospital, we're also checking in on them more often and supporting in that way.
00:20:58.720 -->
00:21:00.640This probably sounds like a silly question.
00:21:01.039 -->
00:21:10.640But um then do you guys you um then you do the paperwork there to go to the state for a birth certificate and all of that?
00:21:10.799 -->
00:21:11.039Yeah.
00:21:11.200 -->
00:21:11.440Okay.
00:21:11.680 -->
00:21:13.279So we filed the birth certificate.
00:21:13.440 -->
00:21:22.640We also do like the newborn hearing screen, the newborn metabolic screen, where they do the hill poke and check for all the really rare um metabolic diseases.
00:21:22.799 -->
00:21:24.400So we take care of all of that.
00:21:24.640 -->
00:21:24.960Okay.
00:21:25.200 -->
00:21:29.839Work with the state department of health on that kind of stuff.
00:21:30.160 -->
00:21:33.759So, what happens if there is an emergency in the middle of all of it?
00:21:34.000 -->
00:21:34.079Yes.
00:21:35.839 -->
00:21:40.079I always say our number one defense is keeping women low risk and healthy.
00:21:40.319 -->
00:21:45.279So when we start at that point, 95% of the time, like everything's fine.
00:21:45.440 -->
00:21:47.119Go normal.
00:21:47.279 -->
00:22:04.240We're also then proactive, so we're still doing all those same checks on baby and mom during labor, so we're listening to heart rates intermittently during vitals when we So if we're seeing something, we're also not waiting.
00:22:04.319 -->
00:22:11.920So if baby's not looking great in distress, in distress, we're not like gonna have her keep laboring for six more hours and hope for the best.
00:22:12.079 -->
00:22:12.240Right.
00:22:12.400 -->
00:22:15.119So typically Which is probably what people think happens.
00:22:15.279 -->
00:22:15.440Yeah.
00:22:15.599 -->
00:22:18.640I'm sure they're like, oh gosh, yeah, then it goes too long and then it's too late.
00:22:18.799 -->
00:22:18.960Right.
00:22:19.119 -->
00:22:20.559Then you're like, we're not, yeah.
00:22:20.720 -->
00:22:21.039We do this.
00:22:21.359 -->
00:22:21.920You're not in the business.
00:22:22.079 -->
00:22:22.640We're not, yeah.
00:22:22.960 -->
00:22:23.680We know what we're doing.
00:22:23.839 -->
00:22:24.160Right.
00:22:24.640 -->
00:22:26.640We don't need an emergency on our hands.
00:22:26.799 -->
00:22:26.960Yeah.
00:22:27.039 -->
00:22:27.279Yeah.
00:22:27.440 -->
00:22:29.039And we don't need to prove anything.
00:22:29.119 -->
00:22:40.160And so again, we're we more often we'll practice out of an abundance of caution than like sure, odds are it'll be fine, but we're not gonna take that risk.
00:22:40.400 -->
00:22:40.640Sure.
00:22:40.880 -->
00:22:42.640You don't, I mean, you don't want to lose anybody.
00:22:42.960 -->
00:22:46.880No, and that's obviously the number one goal of everybody involved.
00:22:47.039 -->
00:22:53.279We just believe there's like that's like the bottom floor of what we should be giving to women.
00:22:53.519 -->
00:22:55.519So so we're watching out for that.
00:22:55.680 -->
00:23:02.960If we see a baby that's not doing great, we're gonna transfer if a mom spikes blood pressure or fever, something transferring.
00:23:03.359 -->
00:23:18.000Um, but the majority of transfers are non-emergent, so it might be like labor's just going really long where something's happening that we're not progressing appropriately, something like blood pressure comes up.
00:23:18.240 -->
00:23:25.680But we're also, you know, we carry all the same medications and equipment that typically are found in the hospital.
00:23:25.839 -->
00:23:33.599So anything from anti-hemorrhagic medications, we can do IVs, but we're not doing them um prophylactically.
00:23:34.319 -->
00:23:38.480Um we can suture, we can resuscitate a baby.
00:23:38.720 -->
00:23:44.400Typically, babies, you know, come out breathing, but sometimes they don't want to just transition.
00:23:45.039 -->
00:23:46.480They take a little extra time.
00:23:46.559 -->
00:23:47.039Yeah.
00:23:47.359 -->
00:23:49.519All those individual personalities as well.
00:23:50.000 -->
00:23:50.559Exactly.
00:23:51.599 -->
00:23:59.519So then um, so then I'm guessing like if you did have to make a transfer over to the hospital, you're giving all over all that data.
00:23:59.680 -->
00:24:07.759But then do you have like a uh specific relationship with an OB, or is it more like a relationship with the hospital and you make that transfer?
00:24:07.920 -->
00:24:08.960What does that look like?
00:24:09.200 -->
00:24:18.079Yeah, we're definitely um connected with the hospital staff because the whatever OB group is practicing and on call that time, it comes and goes.
00:24:18.160 -->
00:24:23.359So it's more like um working out with the hospital, what that looks like, how those transfers do.
00:24:23.519 -->
00:24:30.799We recently started doing like skills and drills with the hospital to kind of practice transfers or certain emergencies.
00:24:30.960 -->
00:24:36.480We do those routinely as a birth center anyway, but just it's been awesome to like start to collaborate.
00:24:36.720 -->
00:24:37.119Yes.
00:24:37.359 -->
00:24:40.799They've been in our space and learning what we do, and that's great.
00:24:41.440 -->
00:24:42.640Because it definitely needs to be both.
00:24:42.799 -->
00:24:43.920Yes, you need to have options.
00:24:44.000 -->
00:24:44.319Yes.
00:24:44.720 -->
00:24:45.359Yeah, yep, yep.
00:24:45.599 -->
00:24:51.279And it's been surprising too, like the education level of just starting to have those discussions.
00:24:51.359 -->
00:24:58.400And when we're like, well, here's all of our equipment and medications, and even doctors and nurses are sometimes surprised.
00:24:58.480 -->
00:25:03.039Like, like, whoa, okay, you know we didn't know that you knew that.
00:25:03.119 -->
00:25:07.839Then it's it's that perception of you're probably fighting a stigma a little bit.
00:25:07.920 -->
00:25:08.400Am I right?
00:25:08.559 -->
00:25:09.039Yeah, right.
00:25:09.279 -->
00:25:20.720Yeah, I could see that, but I um and I'm certain you're gonna have some women, the preference is to just go right to the hospital, and then there's gonna be some women that would love to come to the birthing center and do it as naturally as possible.
00:25:20.960 -->
00:25:30.559But at the end of the day, the two entities working together and understanding each other and kind of overcoming that stigma is probably, I mean, it in everybody's best interest.
00:25:30.880 -->
00:25:31.279Yeah, yeah.
00:25:31.519 -->
00:25:51.039And that's been one of our goals from the start of building this business is that to develop a really positive relationship with them and that we're impressing them by how we're acting and what we're doing and what we know instead of like us against them and we're to do it better because the second you do that, you're gonna get humbled really quickly.
00:25:51.839 -->
00:25:52.799We understand.
00:25:54.720 -->
00:25:55.599That's really great.
00:25:55.680 -->
00:26:04.640And I'm really, I'm really glad that they've come and they've been in your space as well to kind of understand and want to embrace women's choices, right?
00:26:04.799 -->
00:26:06.400That's really ultimately the goal.
00:26:06.960 -->
00:26:10.880So, where where how long have you been open and where is the birth center?
00:26:11.119 -->
00:26:17.920Yeah, our birth center is uh 1122 Logan Avenue, so it's kind of between Nation Way and Lincoln Way.
00:26:18.319 -->
00:26:21.519We've been in that space a little over two years.
00:26:21.839 -->
00:26:29.759We started in a little carriage house that I own down the street near the Capitol, which was just so great.
00:26:29.920 -->
00:26:32.319It ended up just being a really grassroots way.
00:26:32.400 -->
00:26:40.960Like, you know, you start a business and you start picturing the big, beautiful center that we're gonna build, and we just have to come up with a million dollars to do it.
00:26:41.200 -->
00:26:45.039But Lindy talks about this all the time when you start a business, you gotta start small small.
00:26:45.440 -->
00:26:53.119Yeah, work your way up and having to scale back and like, okay, how do we make this go forward each little step of the way?
00:26:53.519 -->
00:26:53.759Yeah.
00:26:54.000 -->
00:26:56.319So we've been, yeah, we've been in our center.
00:26:56.400 -->
00:26:58.000It's little, but we love it.
00:26:58.240 -->
00:27:03.039Um is it just one birth at a time?
00:27:03.359 -->
00:27:06.240Have you had multiple people in there at once?
00:27:06.880 -->
00:27:08.559I'm thinking of the Friends episode.
00:27:08.640 -->
00:27:09.119I'm sorry.
00:27:09.279 -->
00:27:11.759I think in in sitcoms and movies, apparently.
00:27:11.920 -->
00:27:12.319Yeah, right.
00:27:12.480 -->
00:27:16.720I'm thinking of the one with Janice and uh Italy.
00:27:17.119 -->
00:27:20.880Yeah, and they're having the baby, they're having to shut the curtains, but you can still hear everything.
00:27:21.119 -->
00:27:21.279Yeah.
00:27:21.440 -->
00:27:30.880Anyway, just my birth center has two prenatal exam rooms, one main birth suite supply area, and then kind of an extra room.
00:27:30.960 -->
00:27:32.960So it's like a midwife sleep room.
00:27:33.359 -->
00:27:36.319I can see probably how you're saying you're not there for a super long time.
00:27:36.400 -->
00:27:37.839You probably don't have a whole lot of overlap.
00:27:38.160 -->
00:27:38.880It's pretty rare.
00:27:39.039 -->
00:27:39.279Yeah.
00:27:39.519 -->
00:27:42.319We are equipped to do two if we have to.
00:27:42.720 -->
00:27:47.680Um that gets into as we're progressing and getting our state license.
00:27:47.839 -->
00:27:58.160It's an interesting dichotomy where without more if we have one birth suite, we don't need a state license, but we need two or more to have a state license.
00:27:58.400 -->
00:28:07.680And so trying to like have the space before we're like we can't use it as a birth suite, but we're set up just in case.
00:28:07.839 -->
00:28:13.680So but there's been a couple times when we're like, I think we might have two, but it's actually hasn't happened yet.
00:28:13.759 -->
00:28:16.160So but you are working on a state license.
00:28:16.319 -->
00:28:22.960Yes, it sounds like what is what's the um time uh invested?
00:28:23.119 -->
00:28:25.119Like what how long does that take to make house?
00:28:25.519 -->
00:28:27.279It's taking a lot longer than we predicted.
00:28:27.440 -->
00:28:38.400So we're actually a year ago, we got nationally accredited through an organization called CABC, which is the national level of birth center accreditation.
00:28:39.119 -->
00:28:43.200And so that's been super helpful to be nationally accredited.
00:28:43.279 -->
00:28:57.440It's helped us kind of form systems and policies and procedures, and um the state license is a little bit more dependent on like building code and the sure building and what you need in every room to be.
00:28:57.920 -->
00:29:09.519Yeah, so we're hitting like all the operational points of the state licensing because it's the same as national accreditation, but it's more of like which FGI guidelines are we following?
00:29:09.680 -->
00:29:27.599And since we're the only the first freestanding birth center in the state, we're also trying to navigate what the state thinks that is and what we think that is, and what other states think that is, and what FGI guidelines, who's using what, and how they've changed over time.
00:29:27.759 -->
00:29:34.799And so that's just been probably honestly throughout this journey, there's been so many hurdles that we've overcome.
00:29:34.880 -->
00:29:50.000Like we figured out how to get nationally accredited and what med medical malpractice looks like, and what do we need, and you know, hiring employees and all this stuff, and now it's it's been just like a state licensing, building code.
00:29:50.640 -->
00:29:52.319Well, you're forging a new path.
00:29:52.559 -->
00:29:56.880So whenever you're forging a new path, um it's just gonna take longer.
00:29:57.039 -->
00:29:57.200Yeah.
00:29:57.359 -->
00:29:57.599Right?
00:29:57.680 -->
00:29:58.720You're you're talking about that.
00:29:59.200 -->
00:30:00.160The state probably hasn't done it.
00:30:00.319 -->
00:30:00.799Right, right.
00:30:00.960 -->
00:30:02.640Right, you're working with them and they're also doing it.
00:30:02.960 -->
00:30:04.079Like what are we doing right now?
00:30:04.319 -->
00:30:05.839Yeah, telling you what to do.
00:30:06.160 -->
00:30:06.480Yes.
00:30:07.200 -->
00:30:09.279Birthing center, how well what do we do with that?
00:30:09.440 -->
00:30:09.599Yeah.
00:30:10.000 -->
00:30:26.640So we've had to start looking at different states and top having these discussions and something that looks pretty cut and dried on their end, you know, pushing back on of like, well, that's actually changed over time and getting the national level involved.
00:30:26.799 -->
00:30:28.720We've also had to write bills.
00:30:28.960 -->
00:30:35.279We just had one passed for Medicaid to start covering facility fees for birth centers in the state.
00:30:35.519 -->
00:30:36.720Umgratul.
00:30:37.039 -->
00:30:37.359Thank you.
00:30:37.519 -->
00:30:38.480Yeah, that's a big one.
00:30:38.640 -->
00:30:47.359But even that is like so it's been 15 to 20 years since there's been regulations surrounding birth centers.
00:30:48.160 -->
00:30:55.519But the um taxonomy code for facility fee of a birth center isn't in the Medicaid drop-down menu.
00:30:55.920 -->
00:31:05.920And so we have to legislate that being added, even though it's required by law that Medicaid needs to cover facilities, but it's been another hurdle.
00:31:06.160 -->
00:31:09.279Hurdle to add on, wait for that to pass.
00:31:09.599 -->
00:31:12.720Um, so it's just been a lot long.
00:31:13.039 -->
00:31:16.240Everything's just taking a lot longer than you envision.
00:31:16.400 -->
00:31:17.920And we'll keep on keeping on.
00:31:18.079 -->
00:31:24.799I mean, we love to see, you know, like I said, you're forging a new path and somebody has to do it.
00:31:24.960 -->
00:31:25.119Right.
00:31:25.279 -->
00:31:25.440Right?
00:31:25.680 -->
00:31:26.400Might as well be you.
00:31:26.480 -->
00:31:33.200You're already in it, you're already doing it, you might as well just keep on trucking because it's I do think we're kind of in a phase.
00:31:33.279 -->
00:31:51.279The our our country is kind of in a phase right now where we're there's a lot more rights and choices being given back to the people instead of you know kind of being held at a governmental level, like education, for example, kind of being back in the hands of parents, deciding where you want your kids to go to school, that sort of thing.
00:31:51.599 -->
00:31:56.079We do seem to kind of be kind of rolling into this era of back to the basics.
00:31:56.319 -->
00:31:58.880And so it makes sense that this is what you're doing.
00:31:58.960 -->
00:32:05.680And I'm guessing once you get all the hard work accomplished, others will start to pop up in the state, would be my guess.
00:32:10.400 -->
00:32:32.079And unfortunately, each state kind of has to figure this out because state regs are always different, and so it's a lot of birth centers, a lot of women across the US all reinventing the wheel all the time and trying to collaborate with each other, but also like what it looks like in Wyoming looks much different in Minnesota or Iowa.
00:32:32.559 -->
00:32:33.039Sure.
00:32:34.400 -->
00:32:38.640Do you how many babies have you have you helped people?
00:32:39.119 -->
00:32:41.359Well, this year we're at 24 already.
00:32:41.920 -->
00:32:45.119So we've already surpassed what we did last year.
00:32:45.279 -->
00:32:47.039So we're pretty excited.
00:32:47.200 -->
00:32:52.240We'll be at um double to three times our volume this year.
00:32:52.720 -->
00:32:54.720Do you have anyone outside of Cheyenne?
00:32:55.200 -->
00:32:56.240Every a lot of people.
00:32:56.960 -->
00:32:57.599That's what I'm wondering.
00:32:57.680 -->
00:33:02.000Like these surrounding towns and we have women driving from Casper.
00:33:02.319 -->
00:33:02.559Yeah.
00:33:03.200 -->
00:33:04.720Which is like also it's a big deal.
00:33:04.799 -->
00:33:07.200But yeah, you're like, Laramie, Nebraska's huge.
00:33:07.359 -->
00:33:12.720So Nebraska, um, legally you can't have a baby outside of a hospital.
00:33:12.960 -->
00:33:17.440Or conversely, like you can, but midwives are not allowed to practice outside of a hospital.
00:33:17.680 -->
00:33:22.079So a lot of women in Nebraska have a lot fewer choices than even we do.
00:33:22.799 -->
00:33:28.720Um, so yeah, we get people, Torrington, Wheatland, driving, yeah.
00:33:29.039 -->
00:33:29.759All the way here.
00:33:29.920 -->
00:33:30.559Yeah.
00:33:31.039 -->
00:33:36.559Um, do you have a um what's a success story that you'd want to share?
00:33:36.640 -->
00:33:43.519That of course not revealing uh names or information, but what is there something that sits on your heart that you're really there's so many.
00:33:43.680 -->
00:33:52.799We've just recently had two repeat clients already, so that's been exciting to have women who were with us from the start and already coming back.
00:33:53.039 -->
00:33:59.839Um, but we've had women have their fifth or sixth baby, and this was their first positive birth experience.
00:34:00.720 -->
00:34:10.480And it just gives me goosebumps to like how excited they were about those experiences to the point they're like, I thought I was done, but maybe I'm not.
00:34:10.559 -->
00:34:12.000It was so amazing.
00:34:12.400 -->
00:34:13.679I can do it again.
00:34:13.920 -->
00:34:20.079And we often have women saying that before they even leave the center, like hours after birth.
00:34:20.239 -->
00:34:32.159And and typically that's you know from what I've gathered in the US, most people have a fairly neutral or negative birth experience.
00:34:32.639 -->
00:34:33.119Sure.
00:34:34.000 -->
00:34:34.559Sure.
00:34:35.599 -->
00:34:52.159Um, I guess I wouldn't even um I didn't think of my birth experiences as bad, but I was high risk because um I developed, you know, I was at risk for pre-eclinepsia and developed high blood pressure with both of mine.
00:34:52.239 -->
00:34:52.320Okay.
00:34:52.559 -->
00:34:55.679And so it just was, you know, it is what it is.
00:34:55.840 -->
00:35:05.519But I will say one of the things as you were talking, we were discussing about, you know, just giving birth, laying in a bed.
00:35:05.840 -->
00:35:15.599And one of the things that happened with my first pregnancy is that um there came a moment where I stopped dilating.
00:35:15.840 -->
00:35:22.960And my son, I think we think was kind of for lack of a better way of saying, sort of stuck in the birth canal.
00:35:23.039 -->
00:35:27.440He was face up and we were, I just wasn't dilating.
00:35:27.599 -->
00:35:32.960And my doctor, like I sat that way for several hours, just laying in the bed like that, right?
00:35:33.039 -->
00:35:34.639As they were trying to decide what to do.
00:35:34.800 -->
00:35:37.440And the doctor said, I'm gonna go home and eat dinner.
00:35:37.760 -->
00:35:39.360And he said, and I'm gonna come back.
00:35:39.440 -->
00:35:42.239And if you haven't given birth, we're gonna do a C-section.
00:35:42.480 -->
00:35:45.119Like it, oh, it was getting to the point where they were gonna do a C-section.
00:35:45.440 -->
00:35:52.079Now, my nurse, who had been doing it for decades at this point, she's like, We're not doing a C-section.
00:35:52.639 -->
00:35:57.440And she dropped the bottom of my bed and slipped me on my hands and knees.
00:35:57.920 -->
00:36:02.079So changing my position and very painful, I'm not gonna lie.
00:36:02.159 -->
00:36:05.199It was a fairly painful experience to go through that.
00:36:05.360 -->
00:36:09.920But I went from four to a 10 in about 10 minutes um dilating.
00:36:10.079 -->
00:36:12.400So my doctor didn't make it home for dinner.
00:36:12.880 -->
00:36:14.239He had to come right back.
00:36:14.400 -->
00:36:18.159But I was thinking about that as you were talking about the different positions.
00:36:18.320 -->
00:36:37.440I think if you go into it knowing that you're gonna be in different positions and you're gonna walk around and you're gonna maybe be in water and that sort of thing, um, it probably is going to be an easier experience than when you're laying in the bed for several hours and then change, then change your um position.
00:36:37.679 -->
00:36:40.400Because for me it was fairly painful to go through that.
00:36:40.480 -->
00:36:44.400But I part of it I think is just because I wasn't moving right a whole lot.
00:36:44.639 -->
00:36:47.760Yeah, basically, well, you can't you got like you're hooked up.
00:36:48.079 -->
00:36:49.119You're hooked up to everything.
00:36:49.360 -->
00:36:50.320And heart monitors.
00:36:50.559 -->
00:36:53.199Or those monitors that if you move at all, it falls off.
00:36:53.840 -->
00:36:54.800Like, no, the heart stop.
00:36:55.119 -->
00:36:56.320And you're like, Yes.
00:36:56.559 -->
00:36:57.840Oh, the monitor just fell off.
00:36:58.159 -->
00:36:59.599Sorry, the alarm started going off.
00:36:59.679 -->
00:37:01.199I mean, yeah, it's a lot of things.
00:37:01.519 -->
00:37:03.840And it's I think it's good for women to have a choice.
00:37:03.920 -->
00:37:05.599And yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:37:05.920 -->
00:37:18.480And thinking of how your experience might have been different had that nurse not had his physiologic knowledge of birth, like, oh, if baby's that way, turn her this way, the baby will move.
00:37:18.880 -->
00:37:20.239Yeah, concept.
00:37:20.480 -->
00:37:32.239Yeah, typically when we fail to progress, it's because the baby's in their funky, and and then you start thinking about it, like, okay, if we can move mom or shift something, then the baby can have a chance to shift.
00:37:32.320 -->
00:37:35.920And and had she not done that, your birth experience would have been.
00:37:36.079 -->
00:37:37.440It would have been extreme.
00:37:37.840 -->
00:37:39.199Yeah, it would have been extreme.
00:37:39.280 -->
00:37:39.920Yeah, yeah.
00:37:40.159 -->
00:37:46.400So how I definitely believe in that emotions coming up, or yeah, I have one eye just watering.
00:37:46.800 -->
00:37:49.519I promise I'm not crying, but so too.
00:37:49.599 -->
00:37:50.960You did look like you were tearing up a little bit.
00:37:52.239 -->
00:37:56.159Yeah, and this one eye will not know how to make it quit.
00:37:56.480 -->
00:37:56.960Yeah.
00:37:57.440 -->
00:38:02.880But I do think, but my sister just had a baby, so it's sort of emotional because I think about even that.
00:38:03.039 -->
00:38:04.239She just had a baby last week.
00:38:04.400 -->
00:38:04.719Okay.
00:38:04.880 -->
00:38:07.920But um, yeah, it's a it's a lot.
00:38:08.079 -->
00:38:14.159I think that would be cool to be empowered and do it on do it with a little more say in what you're doing.
00:38:14.559 -->
00:38:20.320Yeah, because I do think as women, right, we do want to make sure that our that we're safe and that our babies are safe.
00:38:20.400 -->
00:38:20.559Yeah.
00:38:20.719 -->
00:38:20.880Right.
00:38:21.039 -->
00:38:24.159So there is an element of what if something goes wrong?
00:38:24.320 -->
00:38:30.880You know, I want to know that I have got access to be taken care of and for my baby to be taken care of if something goes wrong.
00:38:31.039 -->
00:38:35.039So I really love what you're saying that as long as it's low risk and you're progressing along.
00:38:35.679 -->
00:38:42.400My sister healthy, like she'd probably be the perfect, she would have been the perfect candidate for just a little weightlifting.
00:38:42.719 -->
00:38:43.519Yep, she's just tough.
00:38:43.599 -->
00:38:47.360She just doesn't have to push and a baby comes right out.
00:38:47.519 -->
00:38:47.679Yeah.
00:38:47.920 -->
00:38:49.039Both my sisters, yeah.
00:38:49.199 -->
00:39:01.039So absolutely, like health and wellness of everybody is the main thing, but it doesn't have to be the only thing, or it doesn't have to be like, okay, you can either have a great experience and have it be risky, or you can go to safety.
00:39:01.119 -->
00:39:03.280It's like, why can't we have both things?
00:39:04.320 -->
00:39:11.679And um just yeah, then people being taken care of and and feeling safe.
00:39:11.840 -->
00:39:13.360I think that's what everyone wants.
00:39:13.679 -->
00:39:13.840Wants.
00:39:14.800 -->
00:39:15.440Yeah.
00:39:15.840 -->
00:39:16.719I love it.
00:39:16.960 -->
00:39:30.880Well, I'm um, it's very exciting to hear, and we hope you come back in another year or two and tell us all about getting licensed and um the increase of those babies that you are delivering and providing more choices to women.
00:39:31.039 -->
00:39:31.920I think that's really great.
00:39:32.239 -->
00:39:32.480Thanks.
00:39:32.559 -->
00:39:33.199Thanks for having me.
00:39:33.519 -->
00:39:36.159Of course, is there anything you wanted to mention that we haven't covered?
00:39:36.480 -->
00:39:45.440Um, just that we one of the big shifts that we made in the past year is that we are now in network with most insurance companies, and that's been fine.
00:39:46.159 -->
00:39:46.960Yeah, that was in question.
00:39:47.199 -->
00:39:47.440Yeah.
00:39:47.679 -->
00:39:53.519So for the first couple years, we really wanted to avoid insurance companies.
00:39:53.679 -->
00:39:53.920Yeah.
00:39:54.000 -->
00:39:59.360Um, because it is a big crazy learning curve and difficult at the same time.
00:39:59.599 -->
00:40:18.000But just our demographics, like people need to use their insurance, and so that also led to a lot of even educating insurance companies on what midwives are licensed to do, and that according to the American Care Act, that if a state licenses a provider, they should be reimbursed.
00:40:18.639 -->
00:40:30.639And so working through that has really helped um forge the way for all women to be able to have this affordable option, including we do take Medicaid too.
00:40:30.960 -->
00:40:32.239So that's huge.
00:40:32.400 -->
00:40:44.000But even if women decide like this isn't for them, but they're still interested in learning more or being supported, we teach childbirth classes to the community, we do breastfeeding support.
00:40:44.320 -->
00:40:55.760Um, we've also done co-care where someone's like, I know I can't give birth out of hospital, but I want to be seen by midwives just to feel like this matters, and we've done that too.
00:40:56.079 -->
00:40:57.119That's pretty cool.
00:40:57.360 -->
00:41:03.039And the breastfeeding um support is huge as well.
00:41:03.360 -->
00:41:05.519That in itself is a learning curve.
00:41:05.840 -->
00:41:06.960It is, definitely.
00:41:07.199 -->
00:41:08.239Um awesome.
00:41:08.400 -->
00:41:11.440Okay, so where can people find you if they want to learn more information?
00:41:11.760 -->
00:41:24.159Um, we're really active on Facebook, and our website is earthsidebirthwy.com, so they can go on there, learn about our providers, learn about the care, um, what's considered low risk.
00:41:24.400 -->
00:41:28.559We have a virtual tour, but people then can also sign on for a free consult.
00:41:28.639 -->
00:41:33.199So we we're still doing private tours and consults with anyone interested.
00:41:33.280 -->
00:41:37.920So they book that, they come in, we talk about our care, show them around.
00:41:38.079 -->
00:41:46.400They usually get to meet one of the midwives and decide if you know we can run their insurance and if if we're a good fit for each other.
00:41:46.800 -->
00:41:54.559I love that because uh again, the the idea being you don't necessarily have to make a decision right away, you can go explore all your options.
00:41:54.800 -->
00:41:58.719Well, yeah, she just told us she switched to 38 weeks on her whole birth plan.
00:41:59.280 -->
00:41:59.920Yes.
00:42:00.239 -->
00:42:03.360Yeah, that's that worked out, worked out for this.
00:42:03.679 -->
00:42:07.280Yeah, but taking the leap and vice versa.
00:42:07.440 -->
00:42:17.280Like if you're trying to have a community birth and toward the end you're just nervous, like we totally support like wherever you feel safest is the safest place for you to give birth.
00:42:17.840 -->
00:42:24.400Um, I recently did our free consult for someone not even pregnant yet, but already exploring options, and I love that.
00:42:24.960 -->
00:42:25.199Yeah.
00:42:25.440 -->
00:42:28.880Because it can be overwhelming to switch care.
00:42:29.039 -->
00:42:31.760You know, you're pregnant, that's a lot of work, there's the motion.
00:42:32.159 -->
00:42:35.440You're thinking that, yeah, maybe do it before so you can do it before.
00:42:35.519 -->
00:42:43.760But we have, I would say, you know, half of the clients call us the second they pee on the stick and find out they're pregnant.
00:42:44.000 -->
00:42:50.960And we have a lot of people though that are transferring midway through of like, this isn't quite the care I was hoping to get.
00:42:51.280 -->
00:42:55.119I'm looking for different options and gotcha supporting that.
00:42:55.440 -->
00:42:56.320Wonderful.
00:42:56.800 -->
00:43:01.280Okay, so to wrap up the question, uh Lindy and I have a question that we like to ask our guests.
00:43:01.440 -->
00:43:09.199And mine is um, what do you think is the number one leadership trait that's important for a person to have?
00:43:09.360 -->
00:43:11.039Oh, or that you aspire to have.
00:43:11.360 -->
00:43:21.440That I aspire to have that is an area I'm really growing in because it's one thing to start an idea and then become the owner, leader, manager of people.
00:43:21.840 -->
00:43:25.840You're like, oh um Oh, I just wanted to do the baby thing.
00:43:26.639 -->
00:43:27.440Like, what do you mean?
00:43:30.000 -->
00:43:37.440I just had an idea and I'm you know, all these things helping all the my team through their emotions and things.
00:43:37.519 -->
00:43:45.119And so I think just being willing to put yourself, well, not put yourself out there, let me think.
00:43:45.440 -->
00:43:48.480Um in other people's shoes.
00:43:48.719 -->
00:44:02.960In other people's shoes, I think for leadership, I'm learning to trust myself more of you know, I have grown this business, I do know what I'm talking about, and I have a vision.
00:44:03.280 -->
00:44:06.159I tended to kind of like, oh, what does everybody think?
00:44:06.559 -->
00:44:27.840And that helped at the start of a team of like this is kind of a collaborative thing, and now learning to step into like being open, having the line of like listening to everyone's ideas, respecting everyone's ideas on the team, um, but having the confidence, but having the confidence to call something, whether people like it or not.
00:44:28.239 -->
00:44:28.719Good for you.
00:44:29.119 -->
00:44:32.000Yeah, it's funny how you get there rather quickly, actually.
00:44:33.039 -->
00:44:33.760Yeah, yeah.
00:44:33.840 -->
00:44:34.639That's a good one.
00:44:34.800 -->
00:44:35.280Yeah.
00:44:35.599 -->
00:44:39.360Okay, so we're real estate agents, so I have kind of real estate questions.
00:44:39.440 -->
00:44:39.599Okay.
00:44:39.840 -->
00:44:44.559Um, the first one is at this stage in your life, what does home mean to you?
00:44:44.800 -->
00:44:51.280And the second one is in your home right now that you live in, what attracted you to that home?
00:44:51.519 -->
00:44:55.840Oh, I'm always attracted to historic homes.
00:44:56.079 -->
00:45:01.519So my newest home I've ever owned is like from the 1950s.
00:45:01.679 -->
00:45:04.320But my current home started in 1860.
00:45:04.480 -->
00:45:04.880Oh my god.
00:45:05.519 -->
00:45:05.840Yeah.
00:45:06.079 -->
00:45:11.599So I love unique historic built-to-last homes.
00:45:11.840 -->
00:45:15.440So I have owned three homes in Cheyenne.
00:45:15.760 -->
00:45:20.559I have a 1928, I had a 1905 and the 1860.
00:45:20.719 -->
00:45:22.320So that's like my jam.
00:45:22.400 -->
00:45:24.079I can't do the new build.
00:45:24.239 -->
00:45:24.639I love it.
00:45:24.880 -->
00:45:24.960Yeah.
00:45:25.199 -->
00:45:26.159I don't I don't disagree.
00:45:28.559 -->
00:45:35.199Um, and I don't know, just the uniqueness of homes and what home is.
00:45:35.840 -->
00:45:38.639I think obviously just where my family is.
00:45:39.760 -->
00:45:40.239Yeah.
00:45:40.400 -->
00:45:41.679Yeah, we get.
00:45:42.159 -->
00:45:42.559Love it.
00:45:42.719 -->
00:45:45.280Well, we are so thrilled to have you here today.
00:45:45.440 -->
00:45:46.159So thank you.
00:45:46.320 -->
00:45:57.519And you've shed a lot of light for me on the whole process, and hopefully we can um shed the light for other women as well so they at least come and talk to you and learn more about what their options are.
00:45:57.920 -->
00:45:58.639Yeah, absolutely.
00:45:58.880 -->
00:46:04.639Well, you guys are always welcome to come and tour the spot and show you around and how you meet the team.
00:46:04.880 -->
00:46:05.519That'd be wonderful.
00:46:05.679 -->
00:46:06.079That'd be awesome.
00:46:06.559 -->
00:46:06.719Awesome.
00:46:06.960 -->
00:46:07.920Well, thank you so much.
00:46:08.239 -->
00:46:12.239And for all of our listeners, as you know, Lindy and I are realtors here at Peak Properties.
00:46:12.320 -->
00:46:14.559So if you're looking to buy or sell, we'd love to help you with that.
00:46:14.639 -->
00:46:23.760You can find us at sellcheyen.com as well as all of our social media channels and beyond the front door podcast on YouTube as well as your favorite podcast platform.
00:46:23.920 -->
00:46:25.440Be sure to hit the subscribe button.
00:46:25.679 -->
00:46:27.760We hope you have a really great day.
