The Creation of Amirah Rayne
Brought into Existence through Love
The spark of my existence happened in late October, 2021. My mom and dad had been together almost 7 years. They had lost my older sibling to miscarriage at 5 weeks gestation just a few months prior, so they were very excited and anxious about my existence and our future together. My mom told my dad first, of course! He’s wanted to be a daddy for a long time. He will forever be mine.
Mom waited to tell my (maternal) Grandmother until I was 10 weeks into development, surprising her with the news on my mom’s 25th birthday. She was so happy! She would have a relationship with me and watch me grow, which she hasn’t been able to do with her grandsons — my two cousins in Michigan. Everyone in my family began imagining what I would look like and all the other beautiful things in childhood and a good life. I was wanted and loved.
My mom and I had a great pregnancy together. She was in excellent physical health — an outdoor enthusiast and dance instructor, she felt great except for when sciatica began, but physical therapy re-balanced her posture (she has scoliosis) and it went away. Mom and I received the nutrients of chemically and genetically clean, unprocessed food. An ultrasound was done at 20 weeks gestation and showed that my anatomy was developing normally. I was in a frank breech position, but nobody explained to my mom and dad what that was, or what it meant when it came time for my birth if I remained in this breech position.
My mom was receiving prenatal care from Rogue Birth Center (RBC) in Grants Pass, and a team of CPM-LDM midwives. CPM stands for Certified Professional Midwife and LDM stands for Licensed Direct-entry Midwife. There were also a couple student midwives in training at the facility.
The staff at RBC are owners Todd Ervin (manager) & Willa Woodard Ervin (CPM-LDM)
CPM-LDMs Amy Wessner (formerly Hendrickson), Megan Pratt & Jacqueline (Jae) Rowan
Mom went to our next prenatal appointment a couple weeks after having the ultrasound at Asante Maternal Fetal Medicine in Medford. Amy Wessner was the midwife that day and she told my parents that my ultrasound looked good, adding”baby’s just breech”, but without elaboration, information or any discussion of the indication for potential future concerns.
By the time of the next prenatal appointment, RBC midwives began telling my mom and dad that I was head down. Neither of my parents knew anything about breech babies and trusted medical providers to inform them of anything and everything they needed to know. They were the “experts” and the “professionals” after all. Six years in business, often bragging about all of their non-intervention successful births, and my mom and dad knew of other couples who had delivered their babies at RBC.
Mom’s health insurance, Oregon Health Plan (OHP), cover these Out-Of-Hospital (OOH) prenatal, labor and delivery services for low-risk pregnancies and deliveries. My mom and dad fully believed that we were in reputably reliable hands for medical care.