My journey to midwifery began after Nursing School in New York. In 1980, became pregnant with our first child and sadly I realized I would have few choices in the way I gave birth if I chose standard OB care! That led me to a wonderful midwife. What supportive prenatal care I received. Many months later, I gave birth to my first daughter, Heather. It was amazing! I had done it, using my own birthing power! It was without intervention, and no medications. I was consumed with JOY! I needed everyone to know that home birth was safe and a viable option for low risk women.
Since the early 1980s, I have attended births in many capacities,in the hospital as a nurse, as assistant to a midwife and then as a LM in underground birth movement, many years of helping woman was off the radar as it was not legal in NY.Then after moving to VA in 1993, I again was needed to help woman who did not have access to home birth midwifery care. Then eventually, in 2005 licensure happened in VA for midwives, in 2006, I finished up my years of training under another wonderful midwife. I received my C.P.M. and license to practice Midwifery in Virginia in 2008. I have taken many years off serving birthing women to assist in raising and home schooling my family.
I have gone on to have the rest of my children born with midwives into the loving arms of family and friends. I am the proud mother of 7 daughters and 1 son, ages 30 years old to 8 years old!
My oldest daughter has 2 sweet little girls Noel and Felicity, whom I have had the priviledge catching.Our second oldest daughter Molly is due to have her first baby at home in Warrenton, VA in April of 2012.
The Birth Story Of Marshall Midwifery
I have always had the dream of a Birth Center, where women would have more options on places to birth their baby.Home birth is not right for all woman and Hospital birth is rarely best for healthy pregnant women.I feel very strongly that God created women to birth their babies, and it is my heartfelt desire to return BIRTH back to women by trusting and listening to them. I truly believe in a woman's innate ability to birth, but today in our society she may need to more guidance to undo some powerful thoughts that can affect the outcome of her birth.
So, in the late summer of 2009, I found a house in Marshall, Virginia. Three miles from my home.
It is small and quaint and not at all a center, but truly a home away from home "Birth House"
Long story short, my husband and I purchased the little brick house and our dreams were becoming reality. We closed on the house in early November of 2009 and did a fast face lift and got zoning to approve us... In January of 2010, we had our very first Marshall Midwifery and Birth Center birth.
I have been married to my husband, Brad for 34 years. We are originally from Upstate New York. We have 8 great kids and we are the proud grandparents of two beautiful granddaughters, ages 7 yrs and 3, both born out of the hospital, with midwives. We are Christians and we have been active members of Grace Bible Church in Marshall, VA for the past 17 years.