"All children used to be born at home," Kathi Mulder says, "and now more and more women are choosing this option." As a Certified Professional Midwife for 18 years, Kathi has helped deliver over 600 babies at home. She might travel a hundred miles-and stay 15 to 20 hours with a mom during labor and delivery. "I'm available 24/7," she says. Not to mention 365.
Fortunately, she loves her work. "I had a midwife for the birth of my three daughters," Kathi says, "I wanted to help other women have this experience." During the pre-natal months, Kathi conducts physical check-ups for the moms-and talks with couples about becoming parents. "I do a lot of listening and educating," she says.
During the home birth, Kathi offers emotional as well as medical support. "I call it what it is-pain-and tell the mom that right now, there are other women doing what she's doing, that we'll get through this." Kathi acknowledges that "Sometimes it isn't beautiful. If we need to move to the hospital, we're grateful for those skills."
"What keeps me going," she says, "is witnessing women going through the process, how fierce they are as mothers, how they blossom."
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