FROM GALE LOUISE AUCOTT
1974
As a young mother of twenty three, I stood at the crossroad with my heart in my hand. Going one direction was the liberal arts education and the new computer software career. Cutting straight across was the mystery, pain and joy of birthing my new baby daughter. When my eyes opened to this amazing and earth shaking event,
Read moreI saw clearly that I would not give birth again anywhere that my healthy newborn could be taken out of my arms and whisked away to a separate nursery. I also wished that I would one day have a role in bringing human values back to birth care.
1976
Off to Chicago to become a Certified Childbirth Educator with the Association for Childbirth at Home, International. Teach parents, I thought, and they won’t put up with shenanigans in the labor room and the delivery room.
1977
My first home birth, a baby girl, and it was like angels were there. Then when my baby was 10 weeks old, I had my first “catch,” down in West Philly, with my mentor Betsy by my side.
1978-1984
Back to the land in Northern PA with my precious family, a new baby boy in 1980 and nursing school 1981-1983. Still teaching childbirth classes, and witness to another 60 or so births.
1986
Applied to midwifery school, but Oh MY! another baby girl to bless us! Guess I’ll start next year.
1988
A newly minted CNM, working at Familyborn, the free-standing birth center in Princeton, and the big prize: I worked for the first time with Pam! We knew right away. AND our hospital instituted its first “No Separation Policy,” for the first time keeping babies with their mothers, part of my dream coming true.
1991
Pam and I attended our first Midwifery Care Associates home birth in January. Again, it was like angels were there.
Fast Forward 15 years: 2006
Home birth of my first grandchild. Pam was the midwife (but I was allowed to be there) as our student Nicole deftly assisted my son in law in the catch. My old friend and mentor Betsy, who caught this same daughter, sitting behind her, crooning support and wiping her brow.
The beautiful baby girl, with generations rolling forward one notch.
But best of all was the realization that as heady an experience as it was, and as personal as it was, we really hadn’t done anything special in caring for my daughter than we would not have done for you, or any of the other precious mothers under our care.
It turned out to be true, that we do care for you like we would our own family. And, in fact, we did.
And now:
The years have come and gone. Home birth is a safe, legal and available option in my home community and beyond. Women are listened to, women are respected, their feelings honored. Babies stay right with the mothers.
Love,
Louise
My desire to become a midwife began during my second pregnancy when I chose to have my baby with midwives in an out of hospital setting. The difference between the care I received with midwives and the care I had received in my first pregnancy and birth with a doctor in a hospital was dramatic and changed my life. After 12 years of nursing in
Read moreintensive care units, I made the huge change and began working as a nurse in a birth center with midwives. For 6 years I worked in out of hospital birth, attending women at home with Louise Aucott, CNM in 1991 when she first opened Midwifery Care Associates, and in the birth center. During this time I realized the next step for me was to attend midwifery school. But prior to this I felt it was important to see the hospital side of birth and worked for 2 years in a high-risk hospital setting as well as continuing to attend out of hospital births.
In 1993, I graduated from the University of Medicine and Dentistry School of Health Related Professions as a Certified Nurse Midwife. I worked for three years as a CNM in a variety of settings both hospital and birth center gaining experience. Then in 1997 I happily joined Louise Aucott, CNM at Midwifery Care Associates.
Nicole Myers came to us first as a birth assistant and student and then a client. Elizabeth Clarkson came as a client and then as a birth assistant and student.
Louise and I immediately saw they had the passion and heart of true midwives and were hopeful that someday they would join our practice as it grew. Our wishes came true and now that Louise and I have retired, Elizabeth and Nicole continue to carry the torch offering a full scope midwifery service that includes home and hospital birth in addition to gynecologic care for women of all ages.
MCA’s support of midwifery extends to incorporate participation as clinical preceptor and guest lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania Nurse Midwifery Program and Rutgers Nurse Midwifery DNP Program, and as clinical preceptors for numerous educational programs.
I live in Pennsylvania with my dear mid-husband Kip. I have two wonderful grown sons, Zevan and Cody. I still show up around the office to do some administrative tasks and get to cuddle all the babies.
