About Us

Elizabeth studied architecture at the University of lllinois and is a very successful architect and developer. Her current projects are in Squaw Valley, California. Elizabeth is passionate about working for environmental causes, maintaining natural habitats and supporting social justice. Her hobbies take her cycling (a 300 mile cruise is not uncommon), hiking, skiing, reading and traveling. The following is what she wrote about her planned home birth.

"I delivered my first two children at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz and was somewhat satisfied with the experience. It was a very progressive hospital and we were allowed to actively participate in the delivery. My husband stayed in the room with me the night of the delivery. The children were delivered without incident. With both of my children I went from 7cm to transition very fast and I believe that the nurses did not recognize when I was in transition. They wanted me to refrain from pushing when the time came because the doctor was not yet there. But I couldn't and the baby arrived before the doctor. With the second child I insisted they call the doctor sooner than they thought necessary and the doctor made it in time.

"By the time I was pregnant with my third child (5 years later), we had moved to Marin County. I interviewed MD's and visited Marin General Hospital. I was not happy with the hospital environment. I found it to be much too westernized and impersonal and decided to have a home birth. I had always wanted a home birth, but worried about complications. I found a midwife group who assured me that if there were complications we would go to a hospital so I felt secure enough to have the birth at home. Once I felt safe and confident in the midwives, I found this experience to be much more relaxed and natural than going to doctor's offices and hospitals. The midwives attended to my medical and emotional needs, since pregnancy is a time of varying emotions and hormones. I was more relaxed and looking forward to the delivery at home rather than dreading the process of delivering a baby at a hospital. When I went into labor, my children were very excited that the birth would be at home and they could participate. My daughter who was only 5 could not stay up until midnight when I delivered, but my son, who was 7 stayed up. I was worried that the blood and watching me deliver might be too much for him, but it was so natural and normal that he never winced. He cut the umbilical cord, and gave his sister her first bath. To this day they have always had a deep bond and I believe that it started at this moment. He was very, very proud that he helped deliver his sister. The whole process seemed like the most loving, natural event that could ever take place. We were all elated and shared this moment of joy together with the midwives, who were very noninvasive and let us proceed at our own pace. This birth was also without incident but was much more intimate than those we experienced outside our home. My friends were able to come over early the next morning and share in our joy. It was truly a perfect moment."