Savanna was with me through my labor and delivery and after. She knew my birth plan but also knew big decisions and adjustments were going to need to be made for us to have a safe delivery. I went in wanting a low-intervention delivery, but due to my slow progression and other risks, I needed an induction and, ultimately, a c-section. She tried to allow me to progress according to plan and give me options to speed up my labor naturally. I just had other factors that led to needing more intervention. She was always clear about what my options were, including the risks and benefits of each.

When I said I felt like I had no choice in going through with an intervention, she stopped and made sure that I knew that I had a choice and felt like I had a choice and laid out what my choices were. She and several other members of the team made sure even after we decided on an intervention (epidural and c-section, for example) that, before the procedure was done, we hadn’t changed our minds and gave us the option not to proceed if we had changed our minds. We ultimately decided on the c-section. She comforted me by reaching out for my hand when I felt afraid in the operating room and talked to me to help keep me calm. She also took pictures for us when our baby arrived.

Afterward, in my two-week check, she took time to make sure she answered any questions I had about what happened during labor and delivery, which helped me process what happened. She also reassured us of the decisions we made. My birth did not go as planned, but it was not traumatic like it could have been because of the approach Savanna took in my care.