Katie Witmer Hall, the mother of two babies born at Northside Hospital Cherokee, says she advises her fellow moms of young children to slow down and give themselves grace.
“I think my advice would be to just take time to enjoy the small things,” the Cartersville, Georgia, resident said recently.
Katie and Jeremy Hall are the parents of two children. Olivia Marie was born May 24, 2020, weighing 8 pounds, 13 ounces, and measuring 21 inches. Miles Hudson followed July 6, 2022, weighing in at 10 pounds, 1 ounce, and also measuring 21 inches.
Olivia was born about a week after the expected due date, but due to extra caution in the early days of the pandemic, Katie’s doctor advised waiting a little longer instead of inducing labor. Katie started having contractions about 5 a.m. and they got to Northside Cherokee within a couple of hours.
“I got an epidural about 2 and was progressing pretty well,” Katie recalled. “The doctor came in about 5:45 and said I was ready to push, and Olivia was born at 6:13. It only took a few pushes and boom!
“The whole process was amazing, and the nurses were great. As she was my first baby, I was very nervous about everything, but everything went so smooth, I didn’t feel a thing — not even the epidural!”
Miles’ delivery went well too. Katie said her water broke at about 11:30 at night and they rushed to Northside Cherokee, arriving at about midnight and immediately settling into a room in the Women’s Center. After an epidural, a check-in from Dr. Esther Dorzin and just a few pushes, Miles arrived at 12:13 p.m. — 10 days before he was expected.
The doctor and mom both marveled at his size, especially for coming early.
“They said for his size and my size that he did amazing for the labor and never seemed stressed at all,” Katie said.
“I had two very easy vaginal births. The doctors kept me laughing with Miles, saying how easy it was with him being so big. They kept saying I needed to keep having babies because both births were so easy!”
Katie was born at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, in 1990, but chose the Cherokee location when she delivered because it’s closer to home, and said she continues to recommend Northside to her friends.
“We had such a great experience both times,” she says. “The nurses and staff were so amazing and made sure we had everything we needed. They really cared and took wonderful care of my husband, me and the babies.”
Now, as she settles into life as a family of four and a busy Realtor, she encourages other moms to slow down and enjoy the ride.
“Get off your phones and just watch those sweet babies grow up,” she says. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’ll mess up, but you’ll do a lot more right.
“Give yourself some grace and just remember to roll with the punches.”
