When a midwife gives birth to her first baby, she’ll know exactly what to expect, right?   This week we’re speaking with Leigha Fairchild, a midwife who serves mamas and families in the Kansas City area. She became a midwife while living in the Philippines and serving at a low resource birth center for two and half years. Yet her even greater role is that of wife to her husband Cody, and mother to her 3 beautiful children, with another one on the way.   Episode Roundup: Ask questions of your care provider up front.  Don’t get taken off guard when you realize there are issues at 40 weeks. If you feel like you don’t know what questions are important to ask, I believe that spending time listening to the stories of others can help you articulate what’s important to you.  Figure out what is important to you– this is critical. That way, when you are interviewing your midwife, you can assess whether or not the two of you are a good fit for one another.  I do have a questionnaire inside of my birth courses to help with this. Every birth is different.  Isn’t it incredible to realize just how individual each experience is?  Here’s Leigha, a midwife who has attended numerous births, and she is not immune to the fact that each labor is unknown before it happens.  To enter our birthing experience with open hands and an open mind is a beautiful approach, especially if we’ve prepared ourselves well beforehand. And finally, I loved how Leigha shared this: God gives you the strength you need when you need it.  At one point, Leigha wished she could just KNOW how things were going to unfold.  To know how much longer it would be before giving birth.  And while she didn’t get that, she did learn that The Lord is faithful to provide the strength you need when you need it.  Is that message for you this week?  I feel so strongly that there’s someone out there who needs to hear this.  I don’t know what season you’re in, it’s probably not birth related at all.  But something is going on in your life that feels insurmountable and you just want to know when it’s going to be done.  My friend, He loves you.  I pray you feel the Lord wrapping you up in the warmest, most comforting hug right now.  I pray you feel him imbuing His strength upon you right now. You are not alone.   Links: Samaritan Ministries | samaritanministries.org/happyhomebirth Happy Homebirth Academy | happyhomebirth.thrivecart.com/happy-homebirth-academy-checkout/ Interview Application | interviewwithkatelyn.my.canva.site/direct-to-landing-page Youtube Link | youtu.be/IqjAjKtUkGc