Birth is sacred—each journey unique, powerful, and deeply personal. Here, the families (some I’ve had the honor of walking alongside) share their own stories of welcoming new life. These moments are offered with love and permission in celebration of the strength, beauty, and transformation that birth brings. May their words inspire, comfort, and remind you that you, too, are capable of something extraordinary.
Hilary D.
For my first daughter's birth I would like to begin by saying it was my first home birth. After having 2 drug-free natural hospital births, moving to knoxville and being able to do a home birth was a dream come true. I first felt contractions during a family fun trivia night. My contractions started to pick up around 11:45pm two weeks early just like my others. My most previous birth lasted only 2 hours so needless to say as soon as my contractions started, I called Aly right away. She showed up shortly thereafter and was an immediate sense of comfort. I was nauseous just like my first two and she had a peppermint essential oil trick that really helped. She also had a tincture to help things move along because everything slowed down to a crawl. I was walking up and down the stairs as I felt comfortable enough but still my daughter was being shy. Aly had my husband stand behind me and instructed him to hold my belly bump while I did some squats. This seemed to get things moving a little bit faster as I felt my daughter moving down. Now it was about 5:00 in the morning and I was exhausted but Aly did not waver. Just knowing that she was here at my house with her expertise put me at ease. I knew I was able to labor in peace even though the birth was not going as I thought it would. She allowed me to focus on what I needed to do by trusting my body and also trusting her. We all pulled an all-nighter and sure enough I was able to give birth in the position that I wanted with Aly's hand right on my back comforting the pain. As soon as she did that I felt a release of pain and it's as if she knew what I was feeling without me having to say it. My daughter was born healthy and at home with Aly as the midwife, and a lifelong friendship was also born. I knew if I was blessed with another baby that Aly would be my first choice to be my midwife again.
My second daughters birth story began with uncertainty on my part. For my first two children I slept through the very early parts of labor but with her this did not happen. I started to feel cramping around 8:00 p.m. and I wasn't sure if they were contractions or if my stomach was upset from the spicy dinner I had that night. Once again, this was 2 weeks early. The contractions were very minimal and I would get one every half hour so I was able to rest and sleep for a little bit. Around 3:00 in the morning a contraction woke me up out of bed and I knew that the next part of my labor had begun and things were progressing. I wanted to make sure that I was far enough along before calling Aly in the middle of the night so I waited until the contractions got closer. I called when they were every 5 minutes and sure enough they began to pick up in intensity during the call. Aly showed up at my house, my husband made her a cup of coffee, and I was mid contraction on my knees hanging over a couch. She once again brought the peppermint oil to put in my pail where I could breathe it in and that was an immediate relief from the nausea. When Aly measured me I was already at 8 cm. I was so relieved to hear that and it helped me power through the final stages. When it was time to push Aly allowed me to get into my up right position on my knees. When I was in this position I felt my daughter moving down so quickly. Although the pain was intense I knew if I stayed in that position she would come faster. When my daughter's head came out I continued to push but she was not budging. I instinctively said help and immediately Aly knew what the issue was. My daughter had the umbilical cord around her chest like she was wearing a seatbelt. Aly calmly reached in moved the umbilical cord and told me to push. As soon as that happened my daughter came out more easily. It was her expertise, her peace, and an overwhelming sense of comfort that made me relax and know that I could do what I had to do because she was supporting me. There was a level of trust that was so deep I never wavered from the goal set before me. I'm so thankful to have had Aly share an experience that I will forever cherish!
Jessica O.
This was our third homebirth, but our first with Aly—and it was the most supported and peaceful experience we’ve had. From the beginning, I knew I wanted to give birth at home unless a true medical need brought us to the hospital. I wanted to labor in my own space, in my own clothes, eating nourishing food, with my husband and children nearby. I wanted a birth where we were truly heard, guided with holistic care, and able to welcome our baby into a calm environment. Aly gave us exactly that.
At 40 weeks, after a routine midwife appointment and a membrane sweep, I spent the day resting and encouraging my body to start labor. Light cramping came and went through the afternoon. By early evening, the contractions became timeable, gentle but consistent. I called Aly just to give her a heads-up; she trusted her instincts and came right over.
She checked on the baby, took my vitals, and helped my husband set up the birth tub—no small task, thanks to some rusty pipes in our new home. Once everything was ready, we settled in to wait. For a moment, my contractions completely stopped. Even so, it was clear the baby had dropped significantly, and a cervical check showed continued progression. Aly offered a tincture and encouraged us to rest.
The moment my husband and I got into bed, real labor began. Within minutes, contractions intensified and Aly returned to the bedroom. I labored standing at the end of the bed, swaying through each wave as she monitored the baby. After a while, I moved to the living room, where contractions became stronger and closer together. When I told my husband it was time for the tub, he helped me into the warm water, which eased the intensity just enough to help me focus.
About an hour later, my water broke, and I felt the unmistakable urge to push. As I shifted positions, our baby’s head emerged, but her chin briefly stuck. In that overwhelming moment, Aly calmly guided me to breathe and push with the next contraction, gently helping baby’s chin free. Moments later, with Aly’s encouragement, my husband caught our daughter—something he had dreamed of and something she made possible.
We held our baby skin-to-skin as we took our first breaths together. It was peaceful, powerful, and everything we hoped a homebirth could be.
Aly supported us with skill, compassion, and intuition from start to finish. Even through my toughest postpartum recovery, she made me feel safe, respected, and cared for every step of the way. We are forever grateful for the beautiful birth experience she helped create.
Bicvjg Ideas, Real Impact.
Every event we host is designed with intention, from the atmosphere we create to the way each session flows.Going into my first birth, I was terrified. Terrified of the unknown, of the intensity, even — I’ll admit it — of needles. I wasn’t brave. What carried me through was having a midwife who knew every single one of my fears and never once left my side. This is the story of how my son came into the world at home, and why I’ll send every expecting mama I know to Aly. 🤍
It started on a Saturday afternoon with light, inconsistent contractions — enough to notice, not enough to panic. I texted Aly to keep her in the loop, and from the very first message she was calm, warm, and completely available to me. I didn’t sleep much that night; the contractions woke me on and off. But by Sunday morning they had found their rhythm — stronger, steadier, impossible to ignore. I was making breakfast when I had to lean over the kitchen counter just to breathe through one, and I knew it was time.
Aly offered to come right over. She already knew my heart going into this — that I was a nervous first-time mom, and that my fear of needles was one of the biggest reasons I’d chosen to birth at home. When she checked me, I was around three or four centimeters, and she told me she’d be glad to simply stay. That was Aly through and through: never rushing anything, just being fully present with me.
My husband ran out to bring back lunch for me to eat while our chiropractor came to adjust me, and the moment she finished, my contractions picked up — it all started to feel real. By early evening, Aly gently suggested a tincture to help things along. The idea of inviting more intensity felt scary, but Aly had a way of helping me trust the process, reminding me that my baby boy was waiting on the other side. So we took it, and soon the waves were strong enough that I couldn’t stay quiet. My husband called our two dear friends serving as our doulas, and they came right away.
When Aly checked me again, I’d progressed to around six or seven, and she began filling the birth pool. Seeing it fill made everything feel real, and a wave of anxiety hit me — the thought of pushing terrified me. So I held on. I held on so tightly that I couldn’t surrender and let my baby come. We labored through the entire night. I was nauseous and couldn’t eat, exhausted and scared — and through all of it, Aly stayed. No sleep, no breaks, just steady by my side, believing in me when I couldn’t believe in myself.
By Monday morning I felt like I’d hit a wall. But Aly never wavered. With her encouragement, I finally found my turning point: I realized I had to stop bracing and let my baby come. It might feel scary, but I knew God was with me — that He would never leave me nor forsake me, that He calls us not to fear the future but to smile at it. I chose to surrender.
When my water broke, there was meconium, which meant my baby needed to arrive soon — and this is where Aly’s experience shone. She calmly began monitoring his heart rate, called in her birth assistant, and guided me through exactly what to do. When his heart rate dipped as I pushed on my back, she immediately had me move to my hands and knees. I cried out and pushed with everything in me — and at 2:09, my baby boy was born, happy, healthy, and finally in my arms. Aly had brought him safely earthside.
I had torn, and here’s something I’ll never forget: even in that moment, Aly was already looking out for me. She knew how deeply afraid of needles I was, and she knew this kind of tear deserved to be repaired in a hospital, under anesthesia, where it could be tended to gently and heal beautifully. Rather than have me push through something that wasn’t truly best for me, she advocated for my comfort and my healing and helped me get exactly the care I needed. Even that decision was Aly loving me well.
It only deepened my gratitude. Aly had given me the calm, unhurried, deeply personal birth I had dreamed of — in my own home, on my body’s timeline, surrounded by people who loved me. She went without food and without sleep to bring my son safely into the world, and she held space for every fear I carried along the way.
Home birth was the most empowering experience of my life, and Aly was the reason it felt safe. If you’re an expecting mama — especially a nervous, first-time one like I was — wondering whether Aly is the right midwife for you, let me put it plainly: she is the most incredible midwife I have ever known, and I wouldn’t have walked through it with anyone else. 🤍
