I guess you could say I have always wanted to be a midwife. I attended a Catholic grade school here in Phoenix. When I was in the fourth grade, as we were coming in from recess, my teacher and principal asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I had no name for what I wanted to do, so I simply said I wanted to help babies be born. After telling them that I did not want to be a doctor or a nurse, my teacher (a nun from Ireland) described what a Midwife was. When I said that that was what I wanted to be, they told me I would have to live in Ireland because there were no Midwives here.

 

My second job at the age of 16 was as a nursing assistant in a nursing home. I enjoyed that job despite the hard physical work and emotional challenges.

 

After the birth of my oldest son I began working as a nursing assistant in an OB/GYN office eventually working up to the office manager. This was the first time I began to question the way we in the United States give birth.

 

When I became pregnant with our second child, I quit working to stay home with our children. It was after his birth that I became a member of La Leche League. This is also where I learned that there were indeed Midwives here in the United States.

 

After the birth of my third child at home with a local Licensed Midwife, I became a La Leche League Leader. I also began teaching childbirth classes for several of the Midwives. I continued to teach classes and remained a La Leche League Leader after the birth of my fourth child at home.

 

When my fourth child was 16 months old, I attended my first home birth as an assistant. That was “it”, I could no longer wait. I signed up with the State as an Apprentice Midwife and began apprenticing with a Licensed Midwife. I continued teaching childbirth classes, retired from La Leche League and began attending births as a Doula. After 3 ½ years as an apprentice, I took the exams and was licensed by the state as a Licensed Midwife.

 

I have been licensed and actively practicing since April of 1999. I believe that God has called me to be a Midwife and am deeply honored to assist each and every woman.