How a Midwife Helped This First-Time Mom Deliver a Healthy Baby Boy

When Holly Fronk, 35, of Kunkletown, learned she was expecting her first child with her husband, Nate, in June 2021, she started her search for personalized comprehensive OB care close to home. 

“I knew right away that Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Pocono was the best choice,” says Fronk. 

The offices were 25 minutes or less from her house, making weekly appointments easy to get to. And after years of working in health care, she also knew she wanted a midwife (a certified nurse-midwife or CNM), who would be by her side to provide her pre- and postnatal care, as well as support during labor, and more.

“They work hand in hand with the doctors to help you with your birth plan and expectations, delivering complementary care,” Fronk says. “It means you get more monitoring, more personal interaction and a different human touch throughout your journey to becoming a mother.”

She felt confident in LVH–Pocono, which has had an established midwifery program for over 10 years.

“If you want someone who has studied women in childbirth as a nurse at the level of a nurse practitioner and is truly a professional at delivering babies, a midwife is right for you,” Fronk says. “They take their time with you. I knew a lot about midwives in advance, and I had complete peace of mind about it.”

During her first appointments, Fronk was introduced to different midwives, so she could get to know each one, including Shannon Wilson, CNM, and Heather Gosch, CNM.

Fronk was considered a high-risk pregnancy due to her age. And during her third trimester, she also contracted COVID-19. Having her team of midwives supporting her through it all by giving expert clinical recommendations and options to consider was comforting.

“The close monitoring and appointment follow-ups were reassuring and came with a superb care for detail, all centered around follow-ups with my midwives,” says Fronk. “Due to my medical circumstances, I had options for an induction and other procedures. Making decisions for myself and the baby came so easy with their knowledge and experience.”

Fronk went into labor on Feb. 20, 2022, and her labor and delivery team, including midwife Shannon Wilson, was by her side the entire way. This included guidance with decisions about medications, breaking her water and anesthesiology. 

“Shannon was there for any big clinical steps,” says Fronk. “She was emotionally and physically supportive and was an amazing clinician throughout the entire process. The continuity was incredible.”

After pushing for two hours, Fronk gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Weston Robert Fronk, at 5:28 p.m. on Feb. 21. He weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces, and measured 21.25 inches.

“Seeing my baby for the first time was incredible,” says Fronk. “I was able to give skin-to-skin contact, and I was able to nurse him right after.” 

She credits her team of midwives for helping her achieve a smooth labor and delivery.

“They gave me confidence throughout the whole labor experience,” says Fronk. “Not only were they comforting, but they were always around exactly when they needed to be. I knew I had a trusted advocate.”