"When Julie and I decided to start a family, we chose to leave our Worcester home for Greenfield. Shortly after, Julie, my college sweetheart, learned we were pregnant. We wanted to raise our family in a small-town environment. We knew The Birthplace at Baystate Franklin Medical Center had a great reputation, and was family-centered with less focus on medicine and more focus on the experience. That was important to us.

Friends suggested we contact Pioneer Women's Health for a prenatal consultation with a nurse-midwife, so we did. Liza Ramlow, CNM, our primary nurse-midwife at Pioneer Women's Health, was very down-to-earth. She spent her time explaining all aspects of the tests we were taking, listening to our expectations and talking about how we wanted to birth, not foreseeing any complications. The entire obstetrical staff staff at Pioneer Women's made me feel very involved in the pregnancy. I was treated like it was our pregnancy.

I have friends who felt like their wife was having the baby, not them as a couple. It was very disheartening to them. I was rewarded by not having that type of experience. Five days before their baby's due date, Julie went into labor. After she pushed for about an hour, it was determined that Julie would require a Cesarean section. An obstetrician at Pioneer Women's Health, was called to perform the C-section. Hugh Roberts, MD, a pediatrician, assisted with the birth.

The Baystate Franklin Medical Center staff helped us feel comfortable and relaxed. There was one-on-one nurse to patient participation. Though the floor was very busy, there wasn't a time when a nurse was not in our room. Even the anesthesiologist was superb. When Julie needed an epidural, he came to the floor promptly, explained the procedure, and provided Julie with instant relief.

My daughter's birth was the most profound, scary, confusing and joyous event of my life. I usually have an abundance of words, but this was one time when I was speechless. I was ecstatic, yet I couldn't express anything. When the obstetrician motioned for me to cut the umbilical cord, I felt very much a part of the moment."