03/02/2026
We couldn’t leave the annual midwife training symposium without revisiting the births that shaped us, the ones that remind us why preparation matters.
This was one of them.
She was a mama of four. Birth was expected to unfold quickly and smoothly, but this day had other plans.
She laboured all day at Maison de Naissance, steady, grounded, strong. When she began pushing, something felt off. Baby remained high. That’s not what we typically see with a body that has birthed before.
Eventually, baby began to crown. Relief filled the room, until it didn’t.
A significant shoulder dystocia.
In an instant, calm turned critical. Denise, one of the trainers at the symposium, and a midwife/former MFH student worked with precision and focus to free the baby.
He was born.
But there was no cry. No respiratory effort. Just silence.
Denise called for Jane, our executive director, because she couldn’t communicate quickly in Creole, and seconds mattered. Jane ran in and began neonatal resuscitation.
Time stretched.
And then, breath.
A gasp. A cry. Life flooding back into the room.
This is why we train.
This is why we practice.
This is why teamwork matters.
Birth is powerful. Sometimes unpredictable. Always deserving of skill, presence, and preparation.
A terrifying moment ending with a baby breathing in his mother’s arms.
