I came to Midwifery when I was newly pregnant as a young woman in the small rural community of the  Kootenay Mountains of British Columbia. I was anxious about the steep learning curve of pregnancy,  childbirth and motherhood, and skeptical of medicalized birth.  An introduction to a third generation midwife radically transformed my perceptions of birth and the journey before me.

 
My prenatal care with her, opened the door to many time honored themes around birth and  transitioning to motherhood. She trusted my process, and encouraged me to tend my body, mind and soul  as I moved through the trimesters of pregnancy in preparation for motherhood and birth at home. As  many women experience, those that influence us during these momentous and pivotal transitions in life  make an enduring impact. She introduced me to the traditional art of community based supportive care,  which included continuity of care and informed decision making. 

I began to be asked by my community to attend their births as a support person. These first few years of  attending births taught me so much about the unique and deeply personal journey each person and  family makes welcoming their children into the world.  

The spark of midwifery had been lit, and like many midwives, I responded to the calling and continued to  study everything I could about assisting and supporting people through the childbirth cycle. This led to  study of nutrition, herbal medicine, homeopathy, yoga, meditation, and holistic medicine. I attended the  Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine in Asheville, North Carolina, and studied through correspondence with Jeannine Parvati Baker, a traditional midwife.  

During my studies I became acutely aware of the tremendous gaps in modern health care for the  emotional, spiritual, and physical support for pregnant people. I understood that the midwifery model of  care, with its inclusion of care continuity throughout the arc of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum was not always an option.

 

I continued my studies through an apprenticeship as a holistic doula  with Diane Bartlett (Whappio) and began to bridge hospital-based care with the complimentary role of doula.  

​

I attended many births over the years with families in home and hospital environments. I attribute much of  my understanding of the childbearing cycle to witnessing women in their primal power when they felt safe  and supported. I also witnessed the requests and convictions within families help shift the birth and child  culture within the community over time. 

​

I studied steadily as I raised my own four sons, each born at home with the nurturing care of midwives.  My children are indeed some of my greatest teachers.