Birth stories have been a part of me since I was young. I grew up hearing my mother and other women close to me talk about their experiences in birth. My mother always highlighted the kind of care she received both from a midwife and a hospital-based family care physician. I, now, have given both given birth and have been employed in both locations. Though my perspective on these experiences has changed over time, what endures are the images and expressions of quality care available in both settings.
My time spent around women and their powerful birth stories attracted me to the medical field. In 2004, I received my Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Bellin College of Nursing in Green Bay, WI. During nursing school, I found I was drawn toward topics involving family health, community and public health, and women’s studies.
It was during a Maternal Child Health course I first learned the word “doula.” This word, and all that it entails, felt like a match for the kind of family advocacy and personalized care I imagined. I completed doula training with Doulas of North America (DONA) in 2006 and was able to balance a small doula practice while working in a rural hospital setting as a labor and delivery nurse.
In 2009, I joined In the Beginning Midwifery practice with a formal preceptorship pursuing the Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) credential through the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM). In 2012, I completed the national standards set by NARM for the CPM credential. As a Licensed Midwife (LM), I strive to provide all families with a commitment to and act as an advocate for personalized and quality care.
I remain actively involved in the wider midwifery professional community as a member of the Wisconsin chapter of the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (WI-NACPM) and co-president of the Wisconsin Guild of Midwives (WGOM). I am also the midwifery representative on the Board of Directors for the Center for Special Children. The initiatives set by these organizations are working to promote quality in midwifery care, promote access to care and maintain a clear quality that then spreads into stronger support and care for the women and families we serve.