Delores Hirschmann
South Dartmouth, MA

Why you chose a midwife ... 
1.  I chose a midwife because during my first pregnancy I went with a
traditional obstetrics practice and I did not feel I was receiving the
personalized service I needed to make me feel comfortable with the changes my
body was experiencing and the anxiety of having a baby.  I needed someone to
listen to my concerns and guide me through the process.  It was also very
important to me to know who would be supporting me at the time of labor and
depending on the "doctor on call" was not something I wanted for that special
moment in my life. 

What were your experiences are like in the office and / or hospital.
2.  I started seeing my midwife at about 30 weeks of pregnancy with my first
baby and from the first moment I knew I was in the right place.  Everything
about my midwife, the office and the hospital where I finally gave birth, 
spoke of an affirmant of loving, caring people waiting for a miracle to
happen and not being treated as if I were "sick" and needed medicine.

Why come back..... 
3.  Why not?  Everything about my son's birth was wonderful, even the pain as
it lead me to my little "very active" 2 year old.  And so I wanted to repeat
the experience with the same group of people when I was expecting my little
girl.

What made your experience different?
4.   Everyone's experience is unique, but I know that without my midwife's
help and instead of receiving caring support, encouragement and overall
patience through my labor, I would have received medication to "rush" things
and to be "pain free."  I would not have had such wonderful birthing
experiences as I did.  I remember those two moments in my life with deep
respect for the human body and nature and as the most wonderful and
miraculous moments in my life.

Anything else.....
5.  I just wished there were midwives (like Louise) for everything, General
practitioner, dentist, etc....;)

_____________________________________________________________

Deborah McDermott
Sagamore, MA

"What's not to love about Louise Bastarache and Certified Nurse-Midwifery
care?----Prenatal care in a warm and homey setting; unrushed appointments
with time to address all my questions, concerns, and even fears; the same
professional care and accurate testing found in an OB/GYN office; close to
where I live; and a hospital experience like no other.

Truthfully, I chose Wareham Nurse-Midwives from a flyer card I had received
in the mail, but what a blessed choice I made!  From the beginning, Louise
wanted to listen to everything I had to say and respected my birthing choices
without question.  She always returned my phone calls promptly and
personally, even giving me guidance and encouragement by phone while I was
laboring at home. 

In the hospital, I felt like a special guest under Louise's care.  I was
never "not allowed" to do anything in labor and delivery, and Louise was with
me, talking softly, encouraging me throughout both of my long labors (and
mercifully short deliveries).  She always made sure I was first priority.

I opted for completely natural birth with both of my daughters.  I knew the
pain would be intense and in our office visits Louise reassured me that I
could do it.  In the hospital she reassured and encouraged me the whole time!
 She provided warm compresses and oil for easier delivery of my babies' heads
- I had no medication and no tearing with either delivery, and with both of
my daughters I had fast, healthy "recoveries."

One need only mention Louise's name to anyone in the maternity ward or any of
her clients to discover how much she is loved, respected and admired by all
who surround her professionally.

Midwives trust the natural process of birth and want only the best for your
family and your new baby.  I trust Louise completely; my family and I love
her as a dear friend and midwife.  I have chosen to continue care with her
for all of my GYN needs, and would joyfully return for prenatal and birthing
care should we blessed with another pregnancy.  There is no doubt that care
under Louise Bastarache is the best care I can get, and midwifery care is the
respectful, nurturing care that my family and I deserve."

_____________________________________________________________

Laurie Kassabian
Mattapoisett, MA

"Pregnant with my second child, I chose Wareham Nurse Midwives after
moving back to this area from Boston.  I wasn't looking for a midwife over a
doctor; just a good practice, which is what I found.  Louise has helped me
deliver four of my five children.  Delivering babies and caring for mothers
is not just a job for Louise - it's a calling.  She is competent, caring,
encouraging and truly gifted at what she does.  She helped make the best
experiences of my life even better."

_____________________________________________________________

Audra Schiappa
Wareham, MA

When I was pregnant with my first child, a friend of mine recommended Louise
at the Wareham Nurse midwives.  At the time, I did not fully understand the
role of a Midwife.  During my first meeting with Louise, she told me that a
midwife was for "support."  I thought about that simple statement for a long
time.  It was so humbly stated.  Yet, the "support" that I received during
pregnancy, labor, & delivery was caring, personalized and sincere.  Louise
has a special way to make you feel like you are her only client.  Now, I have
two children and both experiences with Wareham Midwives were so natural.  I
loved going to my prenatal visits.  The staff at Wareham Midwives was
friendly and professional.  When I sat down in Louise's office, I felt like I
was getting ready to chat with my big sister.  I never felt like I was in a
medical setting.  Everything from my first prenatal visit, right to delivery
was a natural experience.  In my situation, there was no medical
interference.  I was truly in awe of what my body could do.  I did not use
any pain medication.  I am not trying to sound like a martyr, but giving
birth naturally really did not cause too much pain.  My husband and I are
planning to have a third child and we certainly will use The Wareham Nurse
Midwives again.  I would not want to give birth without Louise and her
support staff.

_____________________________________________________________

Polli Jo Moryll
Truro, MA

"As a philosophy I wanted my pregnancies to part of my natural, happy, healthy
life.  I didn't look at pregnancy as an illness or a problem.  Once I met
Louise I was convinced that a midwife's care was right for me.  Louise was
competent, confident and her advice was always based in common sense.  All of
that appealed to me. 

I felt watched over and cared for a skillful woman who had experience,
knowledge and a warm heart and ear."

_____________________________________________________________

Leanne Dineen
Mario, MA

"I first became Louise's patient while pregnant with my third child.  I was
new to the area and had delivered my first two children with an ob/gyn.  I
wasn't necessarily looking for a nurse-midwife, but my friends couldn't say
enough about Louise, so I went with their recommendation. I couldn't be
happier with my decision.

Louise had a way of making me feel as if I were her only patient.  When
visiting her office, she took the time to listen to concerns, answer
questions and offer support and encouragement.  If felt comfortable asking
her anything, and not once did I feel she was in a hurry to see her next
patient.  By encouraging my husband and I to devise a birthing plan, it was
clear that Louise wanted us to take ownership of our baby's birth to envision
what would make this a very special experience, and help put our ideas into
action.

While I was laboring in the hospital, Louise was by my side the whole time
offering words of encouragement, helping me to focus and providing a calming
presence. It was a 180 degree difference from the ob/gyns who were present
only for the few moments before I delivered, with the nurses (who were
complete strangers) doing all the previous work.  It was comforting to be
with someone I'd developed a relationship with over time while in this very
vulnerable and intimate moment.

During the pushing stage, Louise could tell that my baby was stuck on my
pelvic bone and I began to feel a bit panicked.  But Louise knew exactly what
to do.  She simply and calmly urged me to lay on my side and push in this new
position.  Only minutes later she told me to reach down and help pull my baby
out.  Words cannot describe what an amazing experience it was!

Since the birth of my child, Louise has provided ongoing support.  She was an
incredible resource when I experienced breast feeding difficulties and
postpartum "blues."  And I know she's only a phone call away should I need
her expertise again.  I truly feel blessed and privileged that Louise was
part of my pregnancy and child's birth."

_____________________________________________________________

Nannie Clough
Marion, MA

"Pregnant with my first child, I had a lot of questions.  We were living in
Maine at the time, and I had chosen a female OB/GYN for prenatal care.  But
my visits rarely extended beyond ten minutes.  There was never the time to
answer my questions fully or address any worries.  I felt rushed, ill
informed and stressed.  When we decided to move to this area during my sixth
month, I knew I wanted a different relationship.

I asked for a lot of recommendations. Again and again, Louise's name was
brought up.  I didn't know a lot about midwifery, but was eager to learn more
and scheduled an appointment.  Louise made me instantly comfortable.  Our
initial meeting was over forty-five minutes and I had the leisure to ask
about all my concerns and questions.  In her quiet, self assured way, she
helped me to envision a childbirth of my own design, encouraging me to take
ownership not only of the pregnancy but of the birth and hospital stay. 
While I had every confidence that medically I was receiving excellent care,
Louise made me feel empowered and prepared, both physically and mentally.

When I did finally go into labor, both my husband and had a lot of questions.
 Was all this shaking normal?  Were these painful contractions transition or
just an introduction to what was to come?  We labored at home for a while,
but two hours before dawn, we headed to the hospital.  Louise met us, and for
the next seventeen hours, ushered us through the process with grace and quiet
assurance, knowing just when to offer counter pressure on my aching back, or
walk another lap with us and coach me through a contraction.  When my son was
crowning, I felt panicked and actually tried to get up and leave, but in her
easy way, she assured me I could do this.  With her guidance, I refocused and
before I knew it, I was cradling Elias in my arms.

But her attention didn't end with the birth.  In designing our birth plan, we
had decided on rooming in, and wanted as much time as possible with the baby
before he was taken to be weighed and bathed.  She made sure the nurses
adhered to our wishes, and it was clear they enjoyed a close rapport.  Again
and again, nurses mentioned to us how lucky we were to have had our baby with
Louise.  Later, she checked to make sure Elias as latching on correctly and
that nursing was going well, before finally taking a break.

Seven and half years have passed since the birth of our first son.  Two more
children have followed and we are proud and privileged to have had Louise
deliver all three.  I feel blessed to have had her as my midwife and
caregiver.  She made me feel strong and capable at my most vulnerable time
and I am forever grateful.  I cannot say enough about the experience and
recommend Louise highly."

_____________________________________________________________

Rachel VanVoorhis

I am a big fan of Louise Bastaraches! I delivered my first two children with doctors in a large urban hospital. When I was looking for something more personal for my third and fourth, Louise and Tobey Hospital seemed like a great choice. What a difference! As opposed to the doctors who basically just showed up to “catch the baby”, Louise was with me throughout the deliveries. I really felt cared for and that she was “on my team”. She was incredibly kind, nurturing and patient throughout the deliveries, and was a calming influence when I started to “freak out” a bit. Largely because of Louise, my third and fourth deliveries were much more positive experiences than my first two.

While the fact that Louise is medically knowledgeable is important to me, I keep coming back to Louise because she feels like a friend. I am comfortable sharing just about any problems or concerns with her. The fact that she’s a woman who has delivered five children of her own is a real plus in my eyes.

Recently, I received a form letter indicating a possible abnormality in the mammogram I had just had it was a Saturday morning and I couldn’t contact the breast evaluation place until Monday. I was shaken by this letter and put in a call to Louise’s answering service. Louise called me back in less than 2 minutes and talked me through the whole thing. After ordering and reviewing a fax of my report from the breast center on Monday, she called me with further reassurances. What a great friend and professional to have on my side!