I’d like to introduce the “captain” of my birth team, the group of women that helped me prepare for the birth of my daughter, Zoë Uma Rose, my midwife, Lea Ritter.
Lea is a licensed homebirth midwife with 20 years of experience supporting birthing women, and over 600 births under her belt! 🤩
Thankfully, she was referred by a friend, and we didn’t even interview anyone else. She was obviously “the One” for us, and brought a sweet grace to our entire process.
Lea is a wise woman with a sense of humor and a heart of gold. I grew to really love her and I feel very loved by her too. 🥰
She herself was born at home, and tells the story that from an early age she viewed birth as a natural process “belonging to the family.” 💖
Each of our meetings was an hour long, which meant we could really get to know each other and build deep trust and familiarity. This is important because oxytocin is the most important hormone to cultivate in the birth process, and we don’t feel it around strangers.
Initially our meetings were once a month, then every 2 weeks, and then weekly as the birth approached. After the birth she offers postpartum visits and we have one more until we’re complete. I’ll be sad when the process ends! 🥺
During our sessions, Lea would ask me about my nutrition, stress levels, relationship, movement habits, emotions etc. She’d measure the baby’s length, and her heart rate, and take my blood pressure. Plus in between sessions, she was available by phone for any questions that arose. Lea provides service par excellence. 💎
She educated my husband and I about homebirth, and helped us feel prepared for what lay ahead. As the birth approached, she brought over a birth tub so we could have a water birth, a proven way to assist women to manage labor pain.
She had a lending library of relevant books and a thoughtful answer to every question. She connected me with so many resources including the belly cast that I molded on my body at 40 weeks of gestation and painted shortly after.
Though in the end I had labor complications that required a transfer to hospital, dashing my hopes for an orgasmic water birth at home, I’m convinced that my preparation and education with Lea contributed to the relative ease of my experience. ✨
I’m thrilled with my perfectly healthy baby girl, and I’m in my postpartum, I’m in a great state too. 👩👧
Lea is gifted at her work, extremely knowledgeable, devoted and brave. I had an absolutely wonderful time with her, and her services are priceless. 💝
If you know anyone desiring a homebirth in the SF Bay Area I can’t recommend Lea enough as the midwife you turn to.
You can read more about Lea at her website: www.learittermidwife.com
Also check out her podcast called Born Wild available on iTunes and Spotify.
Here’s to life and being born and reborn in wildness. 🔥
Much love,
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