Penngrove, California
Magdalena Eschenberg
I discovered my passion for birth early in life. I grew up hearing the story of my own birth often. I was a planned home birth, but after four long days of labor my mom transferred to the hospital for some much-needed rest. I was born vaginally, and she still described the experience as beautiful, despite the long and difficult labor we went through together. My brother was born just before my third birthday. I don’t remember much from that day other than my mom being loud, the house being full of people, and the heat of a July afternoon. My mom, however, remembers a moment during her labor when I brought her a cool glass of water, which was exactly what she needed at that time. Some might say that I became a doula that day! When I was six, my mom had my sister. By then, I was completely captivated by pregnancy and birth. I remember attending midwife visits with her just down the road from our house, and being enamored with this kind, knowledgeable woman who welcomed my curiosity. My sister was born in early January. My mom labored next to our wood-burning stove all day, then lay down on our couch and gave birth right there. I sat near the end of the couch, watching it all unfold, and at that moment I knew I would become a midwife. My youngest sibling was born when I was ten, this time in a hospital after another long labor (yes, that can happen even with your fourth baby!). My mom made sure my other two siblings and I were there, and I think it was just as important to her as it was to me that I witnessed it. Once again, I was awed by the moment a baby emerges into the world. I even got to cut my sister’s umbilical cord and be the first to hold her after my mom. For a few years, I set my dreams of midwifery aside. I came back to birthwork when I began college with the intention of becoming a nurse and working in labor and delivery. As I completed my nursing prerequisites, I started to lose some inspiration and decided to take a doula training. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what doulas did — I just knew I wanted to be in the room where birth was happening. From my very first training, I fell in love with the work and began seeking opportunities to support births right away. It has been everything I dreamed of and more, reigniting my passion for midwifery. I plan to begin nursing school in the fall of 2026 and later attend graduate school to earn my master’s in nursing science and become a Certified Nurse Midwife.
Working with Maggie was the best decision I made for this pregnancy and wish I would have found her for my first pregnancy! She is calm, patient and intuitive. In what can be a chaotic time, she can sense when to take the lead or step back and support in the periphery. She is a wonderful listener and will work with you on creating a birth plan that is catered towards your goals without judgement. Even as this was my second birth, I learned so much more about the process due to her guidance along the way. She is connected with many of the hospitals in the area and has worked with much of the staff. I was consistently impressed with how Maggie communicates proactively, reaching out often either to check in, answer any questions or to follow up with open items. She is punctual and very reliable. Maggie truly loves her work and it is reflected in her constant pursuit of more knowledge and in her very nature. I would recommend her to anyone I know who is pregnant and would love to work with her again.
- Jessica M.
