Testimonial for Cynthia Barger, CPM, CLD

(Continued from above) Perhaps the most significant assistance she gave came in the form of instruction and assistance with my back labor. When I say I was in transition for hours, I mean half a day. The labor and delivery nurse said she had never seen a patient take so long to fully dilate. I had no problem getting to transition, but getting past it seems endless. The first thing Cynthia taught me was how to breathe through contractions. I had practiced this, but she stayed with me through multiple hard, hard contractions and helped me understand how to breathe naturally and deeply through them. I have never liked breathing for relaxation and have been instructed to do this for other medical issues in the past. With her instruction, however, it became natural and my greatest source of endurance through labor. I had very strong back labor and used the tools she taught me to breathe as I felt the contraction coming on which allowed me to stay on top of each contraction. I did this about three times with each contraction, taking each one at a time, and I could not believe I was making it through transition without an epidural! As labor progressed, Cynthia took the initiative to take notes of what I was doing during labor and what was happening each hour. She also took the initiative to for my camera and took pictures (based on what I wanted or didn't want on film). I had no idea how precious these pictures and notes would be to me. They capture the story of our daughter's birth in such a beautiful and honest way. All in all, I look forward to telling our daughter about her birth and about the people who were part of getting her here safely, though through much work. Cynthia will always be a part of that experience and our daughter's uniquely wonderful birth story!

-Damaris McClain

January 31, 2013