Midwifery is my calling

My Why

My journey to midwifery began almost 13 years ago when I saw my daughter in a dream.

When my husband and I first started talking about having a baby, we were living in Austin, TX and really didn’t know where to start. I didn’t know what I wanted for my pregnancy or birth but I knew what I didn’t want. I knew I didn’t want to feel overlooked, overwhelmed, unsafe or unprepared. After years of poor experiences with doctors, I knew I didn’t want one to help me with my pregnancy, so I started researching midwifery care.

A couple years later, we had moved to Fort Worth, TX and decided the time was right. On the first try, I fell pregnant. I still remember the first time I heard her heartbeat. It was the most magical sound. It felt like I was floating the rest of the day. The remainder of my pregnancy was filled with hour long prenatal appointments where we talked about on nutrition, what to expect during labor, HypnoBabies course and a whole lot of walking.

Contractions started around 10:30pm. We labored at home all night and arrived at the birth center at 6:20 the next morning. Forty minutes later, we were holding our daughter and something inside of me, woke up. It was more than I could every imagine. It pulled and pushed and twisted me in ways I didn’t know were possible. The tugging at my heart was relentless. I couldn’t shake it and no matter how much I tried to rationalize why it just wouldn’t work I couldn’t deny it, I was called.

My birth experience helped me to understand that pregnancy isn’t just about making a baby. It’s about making families, parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. It’s about creating community. It’s about bodily autonomy and restoring what was lost. It’s about fulfilling promises and answering prayers. It’s about second chances and redemption. This is about more than just birth. This is how I honor those who came before me. This is how I give back to my community. This is how I worship. This is generational. 

This is my calling.

My how

I believe that the primary decision maker has always been and will always be the pregnant woman and midwives serve to empower them to make decisions based on their needs, preferences, values, and cultural beliefs. My birth philosophy is based on the integration of three elements: the Care provider, Family and Community. I believe that each element directly influences and contributes to the pregnancy, birth and beyond, by affecting the physical, social, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of the ParentBaby unit.

Family

I believe pregnancy and birth are family events involving all members. I welcome and encourage partners, siblings and extended family members to be involved as much as possible.

This element includes:

  • Partner/Spouse

  • Parents/GrandParents

  • Siblings/Cousins

  • Extended family

  • And close family friends


Care Provider

I believe that when providers work collaboratively and cooperatively, each pregnant person receives the highest quality of care while improving birth outcomes.

This element includes:

  • Midwife

  • Pediatrician/FNP

  • OB/GYN

  • Chiropractor

  • Sonographer

  • Audiologist

  • Pelvic Floor Therapist

  • Counselors

  • And other licensed professionals


Community

I believe that community support is vital to a thriving pregnancy, postpartum and parenthood. A strong social network greatly contributes to maintaining positive parent-child relationships, improving family well-being and increasing parental confidence and ability to cope with stressful situations.

This element includes:

  • Doulas

  • IBCLC/CLC

  • Childbirth educator

  • Community clinics

  • Neighbors

  • Peer groups

  • Religious institutions

  • And social service organizations

When all three elements are working together each family receives the personalized care needed to thrive resulting in a stronger society.

There’s no feeling like the first time you see your baby