Testimonials
(Click to Read & click on photos to enlarge.)
Making the choice to use Mama’s Cradle and Vicki Taylor was the best the decision my husband and I made for the birth of our first child. From the first prenatal appointment, I knew this was going to be the birth that I wanted. At each prenatal visit, Vicki treated me like a person, not just the next patient in line like many OB offices. She took great time to hear my concerns and discuss every nuance about pregnancy, medication, labs, and so forth. The appointments were always relaxed and never rushed.
When those first contractions started, I began having those “first-timer” fears. As soon as Vicki and her wonderful assistant, Nora, arrived my worries began to disappear. I had complete confidence in their skills and ability to take care of me through this experience. With their coaching, I knew I could do it. My husband was able to be completely involved, and I was also able to eat, drink, and move around as I pleased. I really felt like I could just “let go” and be relaxed in my own home. I could not imagine giving birth any other way. I felt like I was in complete control of my body and birth.
When my son was born, I reached down for him and held him to me. My husband and I were in awe. It was amazing. Vicki handled him like a mother would handle her own child when she was checking him over. One of the best parts about homebirth was that someone I did not know was not whisking my son away to be evaluated. He was safe in our home and always with us. My only regret is that we will not be able to use Vicki as our midwife for our future births. My husband is in the Marine Corps, and we received orders for Okinawa, Japan shortly before our son was born.
The professionalism and level of care from Mama’s cradle and Vicki Taylor made our birth truly exceptional, and we would use their services for every child that we bring into our family if we could.
Megan Hubbard
Vicki has been my midwife for three out of five babies. She by far surpasses any midwife or doctor I have come in contact with. Her intuition and experience make her a solid choice for any woman looking for a natural birth. She imparts not only confidence, but knowledge about the whole process. We are blessed to have had her a part of these crucial moments in our lives.
Lori and Alan Moore
We hired Vicki to attend the birth of our second baby. We were impressed with her skill, experience, and professionalism. She did all of the prenatal lab work I wanted done, took a thorough medical history, and always took the time to answer my questions. She gave me important information at each of my prenatal appointments. I knew that she would be available if I needed to call about any concerns during my pregnancy. Having had a previous home birth, I knew that I would probably give birth at home without complications, but I was glad to find that Vicki had an obstetrician she consulted with when necessary. We received excellent midwifery care from her and could rest at ease knowing that she would know what to do and who to call if a medical problem arose. She filled out the paper work for filing an insurance claim and getting a birth certificate, logistical things that are not fun to deal with as a new mom!
I called her when I was in early labor, and she told me when to call back, or to call back whenever I felt like I needed her to come. When I called back, she and her assistant arrived soon and came in quietly. Vicki watched as I did what I felt like doing, but when I started having difficulty, she encouraged position changes and a different way to push. She did exactly what I needed her to do, and my baby was born about an hour after she arrived at my house. I needed a few stitches, which she did skillfully. She made sure everything was going well postpartum before leaving, and came back for 1 or 2 postpartum appointments that first week (I can't remember now how many). Vicki is a wonderful midwife with many years of experience, and we will certainly hire her again if the military ever sends us back to Pensacola!
Michelle Stille
I am a mother of 4 and I can’t even begin to describe in words how wonderful it was to have my last 2 babies at home with Vicki compared to having my first two in the hospital. The first prenatal exam was the most thorough exam I’ve ever had. She assessed things that no OB/GYN ever had, including diet, stress, and demands of my job, just to name a few. I never felt rushed and was given plenty of time to discuss whatever may have been on my mind that particular day. I feel that my babies and I received the best care that anyone could possibly ask for plus more.
When I called Vicki to let her know I was ready for her to come over, she came over with her assistant promptly, got everything set up, and then just followed my lead. I didn’t really need anyone at my side during active labor, but I relied on them heavily during the transition phase of labor and they were fine with that. My wish was their command. You couldn’t ask for better support during labor/birth. I got to have waterbirths, which I love, with both of them and they were both born into their daddy’s hands, which he loved. When it was all over, I got to get in my own comfortable bed with my baby. We were never separated and that meant a lot to me. After my 3rd baby was born, I had to have some stitches which was no big deal. Vicki stayed with me for several hours after and even had breakfast with me, that my husband went and got for us. She came to our house and checked on us during the first several days after delivery so that we could rest as much as possible. I guarantee, as a labor/delivery nurse in the hospital, that you will never receive care of this quality from an OB/GYN. It’s not that they’re not good doctors--they are, but their surgeons, not midwives.
If you want to be empowered by the birth of your baby and are looking for a well-educated, experienced, midwife to give your family and your baby excellent care while you set out on this journey, you won’t be disappointed.
Kerry
The birth of my daughter Suvi was very unique…and by unique I mean long and complicated! She failed to turn into the proper birthing position and ended up being born in an OT (occiput transverse) presentation which is very rare. After her birth, we also discovered that her placenta had multiple malformations that the doctor I had seen earlier in my pregnancy missed during routine ultrasounds. The most serious placental malformation was a velamentous insertion which essentially means that the blood vessels that go from the placenta to the baby were not organized in a nice “cord-like” fashion, but rather they were unwound and running haphazardly through the amniotic sac. This type of malformation makes the use of standard medical interventions, such as breaking a woman’s water or using pitocin, very dangerous as the vessels are fragile and can rupture leading to hemorrhage for both mother and baby. Despite the circumstances surrounding Suvi’s birth, I felt completely at ease during the entire process. Vicki could not have anticipated the problems any more than any M.D., but she monitored me more closely than I would have been monitored at the hospital and allowed my body to labor in the only safe way possible (i.e. slowly with an irregular labor pattern). I was able to hear Suvi’s strong and healthy heartbeat through the entire labor and felt extremely safe with Vicki and her assistants. Vicki is the kind of midwife who will do everything in her power to give you the birth that you desire, but she knows when to intervene or seek outside medical attention if necessary. Her skill and ethics are unmatched in my opinion and I cannot recommend her highly enough.
We have used Vicki as our midwife for both of our children. After initially
speaking with her, I felt very confident that the birth we wanted and needed
for our child could actually happen. As a first time mom, I would ask many
questions and had many concerns of the upcoming birth. Vicki always took
her time with my husband and I, addressed every concern, and was very
knowledgeable. I feel that her experience and ethics far surpassed anything
I had expected.
Once labor finally hit, Vicki was always available for every phone call and
question. We lived an hour away from her birthing center, so we called
often, and it felt as if I had her sitting right next to me the entire time.
Once we made it to the birthing center, she was so helpful, but more
importantly, I felt so confident that we were in the best of hands. Vicki
trusts and knows birth, and her goal is a healthy baby and healthy mama. It
is very reassuring that you can have this confidence during labor, giving
all attention to the experience rather than fear. We felt very safe with
her. The experience we had with our second birth was just as awesome. This
time, we were in our own home, and having Vicki there was amazing and
encouraging. She knew exactly how to help and what to do. She is confident
in the capabilities of the body, but knows when to intervene if need be.
Her postpartum care and support match the same of the prenatal and birth.
She is there for any and all concerns, is skilled with healing, and is
always available. We also had a miscarriage between births, and the way she
handled it was with guidance, care, and professionalism. I could not have
asked for a better, more skilled, more ethical thinking midwife to help our
family in one of the most important experiences of our lives. If you are at
all wondering about a birth that you can enjoy, experience, and be empowered
from, please consider Vicki. She will surpass everything you are looking
for in a midwife or doctor. She has blessed our family and will continue to
do so for others...
The Lyons Family
