What is a Licensed Midwife?

From the Medical Board of California Website:

A "licensed midwife" is an individual who has been issued a license to practice midwifery by the Medical Board of California. The practice of midwifery authorizes the licensee to attend cases of normal pregnancy and childbirth, and to provide prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care, including family-planning care, for the mother, and immediate care (first 6 weeks) for the newborn. The practice of midwifery constitutes the furthering or undertaking by any licensed midwife to assist a woman in childbirth as long as progress meets criteria accepted as normal.

As a Licensed Midwife, I can offer so much more than what this legal definition encompasses. I offer love and support for you, your baby, your older children, your husband/partner, your family members. I truly see midwifery as a calling ,and that it is my duty to guide families through the incredible journey of pregnancy, birth, postpartum and newborn care with grace and confidence.

I offer a safe and legitimate alternative to hospital based care where all the same testing and care options are available that are offered to healthy, low-risk families. It is also part of my job to screen for issues and to get you to the appropriate care provider if thats needed, while still providing the support you need to understand anything that might be going on. You and your baby’s safety and well-bing is always at the center of everything I do, and I know that healthy-low risk pregnancies tend to stay that way. So I always start with the most natural and least invasive solution to any problem that arises and then if that doesn’t solve the issue, we move on to the next thing that might be needed. It is a safe and sane way to approach care that doesn’t automatically jump to drastic interventions unless they are truly medically necessary.

“Pregnancy is a natural event that sometimes needs medical intervention, not a medical event that sometimes happens naturally.”

Your care is offered from the heart, with the understanding that you and your family love this baby more than anyone else in the world, and that you are perfectly capable of making good healthcare decisions for yourself and your baby, as long as you are provided with the information needed to make an informed choice. I am here to offer that information, support and guidance if needed.

I believe that all women should have access to a midwife to provide such support.