I have utilized Katarra twice now as my home water birth midwife for the delivery of my 4th & 5th children. She was highly recommended by a friend and exceeded my expectations both times. She is very gentle, but firm when it’s needed. You can tell she definitely has lots of experience in this field with how she gives answers and explanations to any questions asked. She doesn’t push anything you don’t feel comfortable with such as invasive or unnecessary testing. I love she takes a more natural wholistic approach in general. She wants to work WITH your body not force anything. I also super appreciate her competitive pricing! I used a different home birth midwife office in the past and my overall experience with the other was fine, but the hardest part was their yearly increase in pricing. Katarra definitely has the most confidence in her well-rounded knowledge and experience of all the midwives I’ve worked with (which is a total of 6). Katarra really intentionally seeks to meet you where you’re at and and get to know you-even things that seem medically irrelevant, such as what your hobbies are. She obviously loves what she does and it’s empowering and contagious. She has a beautiful balance of being fun and energetic, but also practical, attentive, and gentle.
I don’t trust people easily and she was very easy to talk to at appointments and open to any questions or concerns.
My first time having her as my midwife was in 2020. Thankfully I didn’t have any hitches in my labor whatsoever besides the fact that I’d been early or on time with my first 3 and my #4 was 3 days late. I was a bit grumpy those 3 days for sure and determined to have this babe by the time Katarra and all my fam arrived. No fake-outs! My first 3 labors were also very quick. My first came in 5.5 hours and they got shorter from there so we did not know what to expect with my #4. I have a high pain tolerance and TONS of Braxton hicks contractions in the last trimester so identifying labor is always hard for me. My water never breaks either until the kid is coming out so I don’t have most of the tell-tale signs either besides the sucky contractions. My first 2 kiddos came unassisted by mistake because I was in denial it was actually active progressing labor. Active labor with my little #4 started around 4pm-ish. I’d had contractions on and off all day and he felt big so I was really hoping he’d make his appearance. I tried to stay busy all day to ignore the pain. My hubby and I finally decided to go home and get the birthing pool up and filled and ready around 5:30pm. I let Katarra and everyone know to head our direction. Everyone we wanted there arrived by 8pm. I reluctantly, but per Katarra’s request, took a walk around the block around 10:30 to take a break from the high-energy excitement and help my body relax into more active labor. I got in the pool around 1:00am and Katarra helped give suggestions for different positions to aid in moving any final lips of skin out of the way and in a sort of spider-man pose with one leg out in a sort of squat and with 3 pushes he made his grand entrance by 1:20am. He came later than I wanted but perfect and healthy with a 10/10 Apgar test! He was my biggest at 8 lbs 10 oz. I deliver my placentas myself as soon as I have another contraction. For his birth she had no assistants present.
My #5 was basically a dream pregnancy: I slept the best I had in years, my water intake was good, I worked out regularly, everything normal. Bloodwork all good. She was my only pregnancy where I ate 6 dates every day religiously to prep for the big day. I also drank raspberry leaf tea every day to bring on Braxton hicks contractions to “work out my uterus”. I had less people at her birth. So it was easier to relax for this introvert. With her labor it was similar where I had sporadic intense contractions all day. I started timing them but they were never consistent-not even up to pushing her out. I was much more relaxed over all. When an intense contraction would start instead of tensing up until it subsided I would relax into them and it actually reduced the pain some! I was amazed! I kept feeling like I needed to use the restroom and I did empty my bowels like 3-4 times before it was time. But Katarra after the 4th time said that could be me feeling the need to push the baby out. So I made my way back to the tub down the hall from the bathroom decided in my mind I was ready to push and then I had no contractions for a whole 3 minutes! I sat in a squat and waited. When the next contraction came I pushed 3 times and she was here! She also came 3 days passed her proposed date like her older brother and she weighed 8 lbs 4 oz.
I delivered my placenta myself as soon as I had another contraction and then got to sit back and watch Katarra and her assistants do their work. For #5 she had 2 assistants Jessica and Cat. They are both also excellent.
Thank you again for your excellent care!
Love, Kyrie & Caleb
I don’t trust people easily and she was very easy to talk to at appointments and open to any questions or concerns.
My first time having her as my midwife was in 2020. Thankfully I didn’t have any hitches in my labor whatsoever besides the fact that I’d been early or on time with my first 3 and my #4 was 3 days late. I was a bit grumpy those 3 days for sure and determined to have this babe by the time Katarra and all my fam arrived. No fake-outs! My first 3 labors were also very quick. My first came in 5.5 hours and they got shorter from there so we did not know what to expect with my #4. I have a high pain tolerance and TONS of Braxton hicks contractions in the last trimester so identifying labor is always hard for me. My water never breaks either until the kid is coming out so I don’t have most of the tell-tale signs either besides the sucky contractions. My first 2 kiddos came unassisted by mistake because I was in denial it was actually active progressing labor. Active labor with my little #4 started around 4pm-ish. I’d had contractions on and off all day and he felt big so I was really hoping he’d make his appearance. I tried to stay busy all day to ignore the pain. My hubby and I finally decided to go home and get the birthing pool up and filled and ready around 5:30pm. I let Katarra and everyone know to head our direction. Everyone we wanted there arrived by 8pm. I reluctantly, but per Katarra’s request, took a walk around the block around 10:30 to take a break from the high-energy excitement and help my body relax into more active labor. I got in the pool around 1:00am and Katarra helped give suggestions for different positions to aid in moving any final lips of skin out of the way and in a sort of spider-man pose with one leg out in a sort of squat and with 3 pushes he made his grand entrance by 1:20am. He came later than I wanted but perfect and healthy with a 10/10 Apgar test! He was my biggest at 8 lbs 10 oz. I deliver my placentas myself as soon as I have another contraction. For his birth she had no assistants present.
My #5 was basically a dream pregnancy: I slept the best I had in years, my water intake was good, I worked out regularly, everything normal. Bloodwork all good. She was my only pregnancy where I ate 6 dates every day religiously to prep for the big day. I also drank raspberry leaf tea every day to bring on Braxton hicks contractions to “work out my uterus”. I had less people at her birth. So it was easier to relax for this introvert. With her labor it was similar where I had sporadic intense contractions all day. I started timing them but they were never consistent-not even up to pushing her out. I was much more relaxed over all. When an intense contraction would start instead of tensing up until it subsided I would relax into them and it actually reduced the pain some! I was amazed! I kept feeling like I needed to use the restroom and I did empty my bowels like 3-4 times before it was time. But Katarra after the 4th time said that could be me feeling the need to push the baby out. So I made my way back to the tub down the hall from the bathroom decided in my mind I was ready to push and then I had no contractions for a whole 3 minutes! I sat in a squat and waited. When the next contraction came I pushed 3 times and she was here! She also came 3 days passed her proposed date like her older brother and she weighed 8 lbs 4 oz.
I delivered my placenta myself as soon as I had another contraction and then got to sit back and watch Katarra and her assistants do their work. For #5 she had 2 assistants Jessica and Cat. They are both also excellent.
Thank you again for your excellent care!
Love, Kyrie & Caleb
