Why I Became A Midwife

When I was pregnant with my first baby, I felt that a whole new world was opening up for me and I felt so lost at the same time. When I would go to my OB appointments I felt dissatisfied and frustrated that my provider never had enough time to sit with me and answer all my questions or give me the calm reassurance and guidance that I so desperately needed. Then, during my second trimester, I was talking with my mom about my feelings on my prenatal care (or lack there of) and my worries about how supported I would be in my birth and postpartum period. She mentioned that she had loved having a midwife when she was pregnant with my youngest sibling and that birthing at home had been a great choice for her at that time. She urged me to see if there were midwives practicing in town and to interview some of them to see if that type of care might fit my needs better. 

My mother and my first baby changed the course of my life in the most beautiful and profound ways. My first consultation with midwives, a team of two knowledgeable and compassionate women, was not only FREE, but also a full hour-long visit. Sipping tea in a cozy chair in their homey office and offering plenty of time and space to answer all my burning questions. They encouraged me to read a few books on midwifery care and homebirth so that I understood what I was “signing up for” and to let them know within the week if this style of care was for me. As I devoured the midwifery books I realized that people have been receiving care, guidance, and connection with midwives for thousands of years. That midwives hold the childbearing year and birth as a sacred and transformative time in life and that the whole family is supported and recognized as important. I knew throughout my prenatal care and during my birth (which took some unexpected turns), that becoming a midwife was my soul calling and that I needed to support and honor women during this sensitive time in their lives. I knew that by doing so they would become more empowered to rise in their strength, their authentic softness, and trust their ability to listen and follow their own inner guidance in parenting their children with love and patience. Hopefully this shift would help them extend that same generosity towards themselves as well. 

I have witnessed that as we heal, that calm inner peace will ripple out to our families and our communities. My vision was to gain all the knowledge and experience that I could about pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, and then be able to sit with clients during their childbearing year, providing guidance, holding space for their full expression, listening to their stories, and helping them to feel seen, loved, and cherished as a sacred parent. One who knows how to trust their own instincts and voice their needs without the fear of rejection or need to protect and build walls. It is my goal to create a space where clients feel that they can show up as their authentic selves so that they can move through the childbearing year with ease and trust that all will unfold as it naturally will, without the need to control or micromanage a process that is ancient and sacred.

After my first son was born, I became a birth doula and later on went through 5 years of midwifery school and over 3,000 hours of apprenticeship with four different preceptors in Washington State. I have spent the majority of my life dedicated to being with families as they navigate what pregnancy, birth, loss, postpartum, and where the ebbs and flows of their personal journeys will take them. To walk such an intricate and beautifully unfolding path with each client brings me such joy and a deeper understanding and connection to why we all need midwives and how blessed I am to be called to this sacred work. I’m excited to draw in and inspire the clients who align with this vision and are ready to embark on this journey of pregnancy and beyond with me by their side. It’s time to reclaim this sacred time in your life and co-create the type of care and medical autonomy you deserve.