Kalynn Monroe was searching for midwives in the Lawrence area to see during her first pregnancy. She had researched the pros and cons of having a midwife as her care provider versus a doctor and ultimately decided on going with the midwife route.

“I wanted someone who was a bit more natural and holistic,” Monroe said. “I wanted someone who would partner with me as a health professional to decide together what would be best for us as we walked through this process. I wanted to learn a lot during my pregnancy and have someone I trusted there with me along the way.”

She said she found exactly this with the midwives at LMH Health and began seeing Lara Rivera, a midwife with Lawrence OB-GYN Specialists.

“Lara provided so many incredible resources for me,” Monroe said. “She tailored them based on what I wanted to learn and how I wanted my ideal birth to go. All of the information was well rounded and she offered resources like books and videos to watch. Lara was always positive and encouraging throughout my pregnancy and beyond.”

One of the main things that stuck out to Monroe about her experience was how she felt supported along the way and very comfortable. She never felt like a “patient,” but rather like the midwives were partners who helped her meet her goals and walked her through this journey of pregnancy.

“All the things I wanted and looked for were met with the midwives at LMH Health,” she said. “When it came to the birthing process, I felt so prepared. The midwives were fabulous and they felt like family to me. They were encouraging, supportive, and truly I had so much fun. I know that may sound crazy when you think about giving birth, but it was honestly my favorite part because of the staff we had alongside us.”

Though Monroe had planned to have a natural birth, she did end up receiving an epidural, which she said the team did not pressure her through. She said they walked her through all the options and provided her with all the information she wanted. A lot of things stood out to Monroe, but she said above all was the positive support.

“The midwives made my experience so joyful and encouraging,” she said. “I remember my experience and my care team so vividly and they had such a positive influence on me. Before finding this team, I never really looked forward to going to appointments for just general health checkups. But with this team, the way they interact with you and coach you is amazing. I learned a lot more than I was expecting.”

Monroe said she would strongly recommended the midwives at LMH Health.

“If you are in Lawrence and looking for a midwife, I highly recommend going to Lara and her team,” she said. “The team is sweet, caring and this goes for everyone from the front office staff to the providers. I never felt alone and always felt cared for. They made sure my baby and I were always made a priority.”

— Jessica Thomas is the social media and digital communications specialist for LMH Health, which is a major sponsor of the Journal-World’s Health section.