Markie’s Labor and Delivery Story
Rounding with Patients: Southeastern Indiana Mom Finds Support from Nurse Midwife
Like many moms, Markie devotes herself to caring for others at home and work. She doesn’t find it easy to ask for help, even when she needs it. But when it came time to deliver her baby at The Family Birth Place, that changed. Markie discovered how nice it is to receive extra special care without having to ask.
Watch Markie’s story and read how her nurse midwife, Amanda Parker, CNM, DNP, APRN, and others made Ariah’s arrival and first days of life memorable.
Q: What stands out about your labor and delivery experience?
Markie has one older child and didn’t have the childbirth jitters that a first-time mom might experience. One of her goals was to stay emotionally present throughout her delivery. The care team made that possible. “Everyone was so welcoming,” she says. “I could be vulnerable and not feel shy about anything. My whole experience was beautiful.”
Markie chose St. Elizabeth Healthcare because many of her friends and families have had babies here. “I’ve heard good things,” she says.
“My nurse midwife, Amanda, delivers babies there, so I knew I would have my baby at St. Elizabeth.”
Learn More
For more information about the services available through The Family Birth Place, please call (859) 301-2229 (BABY).
Q: Tell us about your connection to your nurse midwife.
Amanda came into the birthing room just as Markie was getting her epidural and delivered Ariah. Everything went well, and Ariah was born after six hours of labor, weighing 6 pounds and 15 ounces. “I tell everyone how much I love Amanda,” she says. “Ariah is my last child, but if I had any more kids, I would definitely want Amanda as my nurse midwife again.”
Amanda, also from Indiana, has delivered almost 900 babies in her career as a nurse midwife, and each one is special. A nurse midwife is a healthcare professional who specializes in supporting women through pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care, as well as providing general women’s health services.
“It’s a very profound thing to be in the room when a baby is born, even when you do it all the time,” says Amanda, who sees patients at Women’s Health – Lawrenceburg Elm Street. “I was so excited for Markie when her daughter was born. It was a wonderful day.”
Amanda acknowledges that it’s a team effort at The Family Birth Place. “I’m so thankful we have such a good labor and delivery team here — everyone is excellent and provides great support, including our nursing staff, support team and food workers. We all work together to make sure our patients are cared for every day.”
Q: What was the rest of your stay like at The Family Birth Place?
Markie felt at peace throughout her hospital stay. She never worried about how her baby was doing and what needed to happen next. She knew she was in good hands.
“The staff was amazing,” Markie says. “Someone was always checking on me and Ariah, making sure we had everything we needed. They provided for us.”
Amanda was happy to see Markie and Ariah again six weeks later for their first postpartum checkup. As she says, “When you share that life-changing moment of a baby’s birth with someone, you’re connected with them forever.”
