Within a year of that first birth, I was back in school, apprenticing with a local midwife, beginning doula certification and working toward the goal of becoming a Certified Professional Midwife in St. Louis. In 2010, a short year after CPMs became legal in the State, I became a CPM. I built a solo practice in the city – River City Birth! - where I was busy helping families across the region give birth safely at home. In 2014 I joined my dear friend Susan Mickley to work in partnership (and we renamed the business Confluence Midwifery, always a river theme!), and together we turned our little 100 year old office building in to a small birth center. I loved this model of care – we were centered in the intimacy of home birth midwifery, with the support of a small team and a birth suite in the city for people who wanted that option. This model continues to appeal to me most – small, intimate, simple and safe.

We moved to Richmond in 2017 to be closer to family. I missed my St. Louis clients and colleagues, but was thrilled to get to know the community through my job as a staff midwife at Embrace Birth in Bon Air.

I am grateful every day that the universe brought Adrianna and I together in this birth center in Lakeside, Virginia. I love the adventure of building a practice with her, even during the ultimate test of a medical business and partnership - a pandemic!

My favorite thing to do as a midwife is to deeply listen to my clients, I want to understand where you are coming from and how I can support you. I never tire of this deep listening. I believe that the Art of midwifery care is that simple act of listening, woven through with skill and science. At River City Midwifery, we are committed to the art and science of quality, individualized care. I am an experienced out of hospital midwife - I have attended births for 15 years, have been a midwife for 12 and have attended around 500 births. Every day I learn something new, and I love that this work is never boring.

When I am not midwife-ing, I spend time with my partner and our big, wild family - we have 4 kiddos, chickens, a dog and two cats.  I am an avid gardener, I love to walk, hike and just be outside.  I travel as much as I can!