About

DONA Certified
Matrona Certified
Dancing For Birth Certified

Let me tell you a little bit about me. I am a Mother of 12 children. I've been married to my best friend, and love of my life for over 30 years.

I had four C-sections, two vertical incisions, to transverse. I went on to have five home births, then my last three were in the hospital, standing strong and doing what I wanted, and what I didn't want.

I had always wanted to be a midwife, however, with all my children, I wanted to be a stay at home Mom, so, I spent over 30 years raising and homeschooling my clan. I read Spiritual Midwifery before each of my last eight babies, getting to know and understand the physiological process of pregnancy and birth.

Now that my children are grown, I have a passion, and the time, to serve other Mom's on their Journey to Motherhood. From birth and beyond, my heart is to educate and serve you in this most profound transforming time of your life. Birth matters, how you birth matters for you and your baby. Let me help you to make it the most rewarding experience in assisting you to get the birth you desire.

Matrona Certified
Birth and Postpatum
Rebozo trained
Spinningbabies trained
Extensive personal experience
Over 35 years of Mothering experience

Here's the birthing story of our first hba4cs:

Josiah, our first hba4c was born on a fall day. I really didn't think that I could have a baby, after all that's all I had been told. My first 4 C-sections were very traumatic, having severe reactions to drugs that were given for nausea. When I found that we were expecting again, I initially wanted a mid-wife, however, my husband was not on board at the time, because with my last baby I was told by two doctors that there was an 80% chance I would rupture carrying the baby full term much less going into labor. One morning I was looking in the mirror, and there was a strong sense that if I did not go with what Glenn (my husband) wanted me to do, I could die giving birth. I called him crying that I had a strong feeling I should do what he wanted. He was so thankful and shared he had been concerned. He let me know that he would look for the best ob/gyn that would give me a trial of labor. After many calls, he finally found one. The doctor asked us to bring any records we had so that he could go over them with us. After looking at my records, he looked at us, gravely, and said that my previous doctors had basically butchered me. The vertical cut had been longer than usual, almost to the belly button. There was much more to it, that I'm not sure I'm at liberty to share here. We really liked him. He agreed to give me a trial of labor, and prayed with us at each visit. Three weeks before my due date he said he could no longer take me, that if it were his wife, he couldn't go through with it, and there was no hospital that would take me. We went back home very discouraged and no direction. We prayed together. The next day Glenn said, "Let's go talk to the midwives." We had a couple in mind. We met with them and shared what was going on and one of them asked if I had had any dreams. I thought that was strange because I actually did have one dream, of me squatting by my bed pushing my baby out. Now, I had never seen a woman giving birth, as at that time we lived very strict, conservative lifestyle, and those were private matters and I wouldn't have watched anything like that. So, the midwives went home, discussed it with their husbands. They got back to us in a couple of days and said they were on board. I was elated. We did what research we could. We were able to get a hold of a midwife in PA, almost 23 years ago that only did vbacs, and had done a LOT!! She told us, at that time, that my scar tissue was stronger than my skin tissue and that risks really weren't that much higher, that it was safer for a vbac than another C-section. There I was at 36 weeks pregnant, had never gone into labor and didn't know what to expect. During that time I exercised, ate good, drank my rrl tea and continue home schooling and taking care of my other four children. I remember worrying, "what if I can't go into labor", "what if my body doesn't do what its suppose too, it never had before. My midwives reassured me that baby would come out, telling me that they would even give me a full refund if it didn't! Sure enough the day finally came that my back began to hurt, and I was exhausted. After several hours and nothing consistent, we went ahead and called the mid-wives. They came out (there were two that worked together) and checked me and I was only at a 3. Well, honestly, that was pretty exciting because I had never gotten that far. They told me to stay active and went home. This had gone on for hours and they seemed to be getting harder, but, still not consistent, sometimes going 10 min. in between. I called my dearest friend to come out, who also encouraged me to have a home birth, and use to be a midwife, and check me. She did and I was at a 5cm. I wasn't so thrilled as I was so exhausted and thought for sure it was the real deal. I was making moaning noises during the contractions and moving around a lot, as I really felt I was in pain. She came back in a couple of hours later, I was in my bed. She sat down beside me and firmly said, "Lesa, you are not in active labor until you hit 6 cm. You are acting like your in so much pain. I need you to concentrate and settle down and really tell me what level of pain you are at. If you are having this much pain at 5 cm, I'm concerned that you may have failure to progress. So, breath through one, focus, and tell me on a scale from 1-10 what your pain level is." I looked at her and just though, wow, I guess I've got to get a grip on this. One contraction came and went and I told her, really, it was about a 4 or 5. She said that was good, and to just keep that up. It was late and she went to sleep on the couch. A few hours later, it was still dark, she came in to check on me. She said she had a dream that she checked me and something "popped" and I went from a 5 to 6 immediately. She did, and that's exactly what happened!! Her fingers had blood on them. I asked why I was bleeding and she told me that there was some scar tissue in there and she was able to feel it and push her fingers through it. Well, true labor really started. I continued to labor through the night. My friend would help me to breath and focus my concentration of thoughts going down to baby, opening up. She would tell me to vision myself melting into my bed. That helped tremendously We called the midwives the next morning and by the time they got there I was walking all over my back yard, and leaning on my husband through the strong contraction. Let me tell you, when I hit that 6 cm mark, I knew there was no turning back. This pain was clearly different!!!! I laughed and I danced through that labor, singing, letting that baby know that he could come out anytime, that I was ready. I had to keep very active to keep them coming though. At one time, towards the end I even had a 10 min. break, and laughed so hard I could hardly stand it. I was doing it, I was going to have my baby vaginally!!! When Josiah crowned his heart rate dropped dramatically. The mid-wives gave me oxygen and he seemed to do better while on my side. So, they would turn me from side to back. While I was on my back my best friend (who really was my doula), would put her hand on my scar and pray, back to my side for a rest for the both of us, then on my back again. Finally, they told me to push between contractions, which I did. I finally birthed my baby boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was so beautiful. I was elated, on my birth high!!! They put him to my breast right away. He was able to nurse for such a short bit. Well, time went on, the mid wives got everything taken care of and they left. My friend was still there, helping with family, cooking wonderful food for me. I was still in bed, holding my precious little one, not understanding why he wasn't nursing. I held him up gently and said eat baby, you need to eat. My friend heard me, came into my room, and said "Good, you fight for him". Josiah was born with Down Syndrome and a severe heart defect. Little did I know that one journey would end and another would begin.

I did go on to have seven healthy children after our Josiah.

So, stay calm and hire a doula!!!

Samuel Peter Williams was born after five hours of labor, with the cord around his neck twice. Healthy baby boy!

Abigail Rose Williams finally came after 36 hours of labor, with the cord tightly around her neck. She was beautiful and healthy!

Luke took longer to push, but finally made his entrance, 18 hours later.

Took a 30 hour train trip to TX to have this one, as I couldn't find a midwife that would take me. Ten days later, and 15 hours of labor Andrew Glenn was born!

Joel was a hospital birth, after five home births. All went well! Joel Micah

Benjamin and Patrick were born two years apart, in the same hospital as Joel. Wonderful births as well, no IV, no nothing!!!

Birth is natural, birth is primal. It is not a medical condition, as our culture would have you believe. You have all Mother's that have gone before you, animal and human, to prove that our bodies were created to carry and birth naturally! Take responsibility over your body and mind. There is a place and time for medical intervention, however, if you have taken good care of yourself, eat right, exercise regularly, it is rare that you would need it. We need to take back ownership of our own body. Be of strong mind in this. There is less risk in letting nature take it's course, waiting for labor naturally, than having interventions to do so. Interventions lead to higher risk of c-section. We are strong ladies! Believe in yourself, believe in your body. Your birth matters both to you and your baby, and will be a story you will talk about, and remember for as long as you live. Make it a great one!