As Weymouth resident Esther Nganga sat holding her beautiful 11-week old son, Jabari, she laughed recalling her initial skepticism of having a midwife birthing experience. “Growing up in Kenya, I always heard tales of midwives—tales of women laboring and giving birth without the option for pain intervention,” Esther said.

Reverend Barbara Dingwall Mills set the ambitious goal for herself at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, she's nearly reached it.