Monica Walters-Wolfe had planned to give birth at a midwife birthing center in Meridian early Tuesday morning. However, when she arrived at The Baby Place, she found it empty and was forced to deliver her baby alone in the driveway. With quick thinking, she used her coat to keep the newborn warm and sought help from a nearby house, ultimately calling 911.
Fortunately, both mother and baby are now safe and being cared for at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. Despite the positive outcome, Wolfe is still processing the miscommunication that occurred less than two days ago.
The mix-up happened when Wolfe contacted her midwife, who mistakenly thought she was a different patient coming from Twin Falls. This error caused confusion and led to the unfortunate situation. The midwife, Coleen Goodwin, owner of The Baby Place, acknowledges the tragic mistake and believes that no one should have to give birth in such circumstances.
Goodwin, with almost 25 years of experience and 700 successful deliveries, has never encountered a situation like this before. She is determined to prevent it from happening to anyone else in the future. On the other hand, Wolfe’s mother is determined to hold the midwife accountable and shut down her business to ensure the safety of others.
Wolfe, however, sees a different solution. Instead of extreme measures, she urges expectant mothers considering alternative care providers to thoroughly research them. Currently, there are no regulations for midwives in Idaho, but Wolfe’s mother intends to share their story with state legislators in hopes of bringing about change.
Fortunately, both mother and baby are expected to be discharged from the hospital on Thursday.
