Midwifery mingle at event

Wayne County — Baby Willow snoozed comfortably on her mom’s shoulder, a little hand tucked beneath her cheek. 

Babies of all ages filled the David Katz Conference Room at Wayne Memorial Hospital Wednesday as their parents attended the Midwifery Mingle and High Tea hosted by Certified Nurse Midwives Pat Konzman and Sheela Porter-Smith from the Women’s Health Care Center.

“This is National Midwifery week,” said Julie Pacheco, public relations specialist with Wayne Memorial Hospital. “Our thoughts were to gather some women together of all ages so that they could celebrate just the miracle of life, whether they be grandmothers, or women ...who have no children, pregnant women, or women who recently delivered ...Our thought was to gather, enjoy one another’s company, share some tea (and) learn a few things about women’s health.”

As many as 100 people were in attendance.
“I think it’s very important to understand what midwifery is and to know that midwives are not just for pregnant women. They can assist women with their women’s health issues, from puberty all the way to senior citizen ages. They can provide well-woman care, regular exams ...checkups, and of course, pregnancy is a big part of midwifery as well,” Pacheco said.

Willow’s mom, Micki Lazar, 35, of Honesdale, couldn’t say enough about natural child birth.
“I wanted to maintain control of my birth experience,” said the first-time mom. “I wanted her to be born into the comfort of home.

Her birthing experience, midwife at her side, went well. “Her father caught her. I wanted the first voices she heard and the first people to touch her to be her parents. That was really important to me,” Lazar said. Shannon Thol of Honesdale was all smiles as she cuddled 11-week-old Ivan on her lap. Shannon was born July 23 at Wayne Memorial Hospital through the help of Porter-Smith.

“We wanted the option of being able to labor in the birth pool,” Thol said. “We were also able to benefit from the help of Dr. (Pedro) Mencia afterwards. So we felt like we had a really good experience because we had the care of the midwife and also the expertise of the doctor,” Thol added.

Crystal and Zachary Ketterhagen of Honesdale were recognized at Wednesday’s gathering as the first couple to give birth underwater at Wayne Memorial Hospital. Dr. Mencia said he hoped there’d be more.

Cuddling their son, Dante, the Ketterhagen’s said the service was phenomenal. “They gave us the space to labor with the people we wanted in the room. But they were there to monitor us and keep us safe,” said Mr. Ketterhagen.

Content to be held by his parents, seven-pound Dante slept through the festivities. “He looks like daddy, maybe mommy’s eyes,” Mrs. Ketterhagen said with a glowing smile. “I was attracted to a home birth, but I really did feel like in the end I got the service and the care that I wanted from a home birth at Wayne Memorial,” she said. “I’d recommend it. And I’d do it again.” Laura Schack, a nurse on the maternity floor, also went the natural childbirth route. “I didn’t want an epideral or anything,” she said.

Schack had high praises for her midwife, Konzman. “I call Pat my guardian angel. She’s soft spoken, caring. She’s all those things that make the laboring experience wonderful.” Schack said she wouldn’t have missed Wednesday’s high tea. “Working with Pat and Sheela and watching what they do with our patients, it’s amazing. And anything to celebrate them or their success, I’m in,” she said.