Marlene Waechter, DEM , is a pioneer Catholic midwife who has served in southern Ohio since the 1970s. She is the mother of seven grown children, including five home-born—one of whom was born in water. She is also grandmother to 18 grandchildren, including four VBACs. Besides being a long-time contributor to Midwifery Today, Marlene co-authored the book The Joyful Mysteries of Childbirth, a practical and spiritual guide for Christian families.
Photos provided by author
At 5 am the phone rings; a man with a hint of an accent says, “Hi, this is Amos, Lydia thought I should call to tell you we might be needing you to come by later today.”
Photo by Randy Fath
This short story of a breech birth will have you on the edge of your seat.
Photo by Lisa Cope
I never thought much about childbirth until I became pregnant in 1970. I naively expected to have a normal, natural birth. I never quite understood why I was expected to see a doctor and go to the hospital. I believed God designed our bodies to give birth, and I trusted in that design. I was not sick; I was pregnant.
Read more…. The Birth of a Midwife (with a long latent phase)
Photo by Jimmy Conover
All my homebirth clients find me by word-of-mouth, but I was amazed when word had spread as far as Romania!
