"All women have the right to sacred, fantastic, profound and loving birth expereiences. All women have the right to give birth wherever and with whomever they choose, and to know the safety statistics of any individuals and/or institutions they choose to give birth with/in."
A Declaration of the Rights of Childbearing Women Leilah McCracken
As a traditional midwife, I subscribe to the Midwives Model of Care which is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life processes. Midwifery is both art and science, a delicate balance between knowing when to step in and when to step out. Midwifery is an ancient tradition that is based upon trust.
The Midwives Model of Care includes:
- gentle, nurturing care that respects you, your family and your beliefs
- respect for your informed decisions
- respect for the birth process as it unfolds uniquely each time
- support for your birth plan
- appropriate monitoring, referring out to obstetrical care when indicated
- education about pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and newborn care
The making of a midwife
Although I have always been fascinated by babies and bellies, my interest certainly piqued when a friend in college handed me a copy of "Spiritual Midwifery". This led to a heartfelt restructuring of my pre-med major- finally resulting in a Bachelor's degree in early childhood development and music) which reflected both of my passions in music and midwifery. I also hold an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts, and have completed one year of a Masters in Education program.
I first became a doula in 1987, when asked to join the local hospital's doula program following the birth of my own first child. After moving to Stavanger, Norway in 1988, I continued to provide doula care and childbirth education classes for the English-speaking community and study and apprenticing midwifery while giving birth to two more children. Five years later, in 1993, after living in England for a year we returned home to New England the summer of 1994 for a year of graduate school in music education. During my six years spent abroad, I feel extremely blessed to have had so many opportunities to explore, enjoy and share both musical and midwifery passions. Highlights include a short internship thru the Royal College of Midwives (clinical rotations in 4 different hospitals, office and home visits).
Several years later, after welcoming three more children by re-marrying and having one more new baby, I resumed doula work in 2005 and entered the WomanCraft two-year midwifery program in August, 2006. I have attended and assisted at hospital, birth center and home births; while also pursuing further study of holistic modalities including homeopathy, herbs, flower essences, and bio-energetic assessment (EAV and Applied Kinesiology). As a Certified Professional Midwife, I work in partnership with women of all ages, empowering them to take responsibility for their health and wellness. I enjoy working with other midwives and doulas and collaborating care with other healthcare practitioners. I love my work, and feel honored to serve all ages of women and their birthing families!
Certified Professional Midwife (North American Registry of Midwives)
Certified Birth Doula (Birth Arts International)
BLS/CPR & Neonatal Rescucitation certified
Reiki Master and EAV certified
Member of the Massachusetts Midwives Alliance, Massachusetts Friends of Midwifery, Citizens for Midwifery, Birth Arts International, ALACE/ToLabor, Childbirth International and Organic Birth, The Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath & Death
