What is an tradtional birth attendant?

I am a traditional birth attendant.

In states where midwifery is regulated by the state the use of the term midwife is reserved only for those licensed to practice in the state. I walk with and care for pregnant people and their families during pregnancy birth and beyond.

I was a Registered Nurse for 17 years. I surrendered my license when I decided to follow the sacred calling of being “with women”. While many Registered Nurses continue in their education to become Certified Nurse Midwives, that path did not align with the intentions I have for my practice. I choose autonomy.

As a community-based, independent birth attendant I answer only to the people I serve. I am and will remain intentionally unlicensed. This allows me to focus my energy and care where it belongs, on the woman.

Birth is not a medical event.

I serve people who want to birth at home, outside of the medical system.

As someone who worked with an autonomous “lay” midwife as my birth attendant in two of my six births, I deeply valued the connection and compassion that were integral to her care. I knew that if I were to pursue birthwork, this is the type of care I too would aim to provide. I provide partnership and care in your home where we not only evaluate your physical wellness together but your mental and emotional wellness as well.

Birth is fundamentally safe. It is not the work of a medical practitioner or attendant to make it so, it just is. The birthing person should choose an attendant that aligns with her values and makes her feel heard and held. I trust women with these choices.

Being with women in birth, regardless of the role, is a sacred calling. This work intertwines the physical and spiritual realms, connecting the ethereal with the tangible.

I honor the transformative experience that is ushering in life and recognize that the birthing process is a sacred dance between the divine and the earthly.

My goal as your partner in your pregnancy and birth is to help you cultivate a deep connection to your inner wisdom and the intuition within you.

my experience + training

  • 2003-2005 hospital-based staff doula working primarily with teen and underserved populations

  • 2005-2007 Student RN intern

  • 2007-2010 Registered Nurse Labor and Delivery

  • 2010 Registered Nurse Hospice

  • 2010+ occasional work as a private doula

  • 2012-2019 Editor in Chief at ravishly.com where I wrote and spoke about mental health, body image, parenting and birth, + much more

  • BLS (basic life support)+ advanced NRP (neonatal resuscitation) certified

  • Transformational Breathwork Certification

  • CAPPA-certified birth educator

  • Master Herbalist trained with Birth Arts International

  • Reiki Master in the Usui tradition

  • Kundalini 200YTT

  • Microbirth-approved educator, extensively educated in the infant microbiome

  • Breech Without Borders (training in breech birth)

  • Art of Birth 200-hour training with midwife Naoli Vinaver

  • Rebozo technique training with Naoli Vinaver

  • Born Free Method member and student, with Dr. Nathan RIley and Sara Rosser, CPM

  • Reclaiming Childbirth Collective with Rachel Reed

  • Orgasmic Birth Practitioner Training with Debra Pascali-Bonaro

  • 2023 birth doula and in-house birth and paretning educator at Austin Birth Company

  • 2023-2024 Formal Midwifery training with Indie Birth Midwifery School

  • 2023 Apprenticeship with Ellie Noble, CPM, LM owner of Bastrop Birthing Center

  • ongoing mentorship with community midwives around the country

I am a proud traditional midwife.