Patty Bartlett Sessions, famous LDS Midwife
There was a time in LDS history when women were called and set apart as the ward midwife to serve their sisters. As the overarching American culture (the cultural context of the early LDS church) turned away from midwifery and homebirth and toward the hospital, this official calling fell by the wayside and faded out of use. However, woman-to-woman birth support is experiencing a resurgence as women around the world are realizing that the need has not faded for a birthing woman to feel supported and understood not only physically and mentally, but spiritually as well during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Many LDS women are discovering that the Spirit is leading them to birth work and pregnant and birthing LDS women have expressed interest in finding birth workers who share their religious beliefs.
With this in mind, we have created Birthing in Zion, a resource list of LDS midwives, doulas, obstetricians, gynecologists, childbirth educators, lactation specialists & consultants, and other birth workers. Our purpose is to provide a centralized venue where those wanting a care provider who understands their spiritual needs can come to find what they need.
If you would like to be added to the directory, please share the following information in the comments and it will be added to the directory. If you wish to send it by email, please send the following information to birthinginzion@gmail.com.
Name
What stake do you live in? Please include city, state and country.
What area do you serve? How far are you willing to travel?
Occupation (midwife, doula, OB, IBCLC, etc.–include applicable organizations (CAPPA, BAI, DONA, etc.) or state “volunteer peer support” if not licensed or certified)
Preferred method of contact (office, home, or cell phone, e-mail, Website (if applicable)
Short Bio (100-200 words) including description of services, experience, philosophy, rates, or anything else you want people to know about you and your work.
Certification is not required but please indicate that in “Occupation.” If you are not certified or licensed in your area, please state that you are “volunteer peer support” or working towards certification.
Please refer any LDS birth workers you know our site and share our information with them so we can get them listed here. The ideal we are working towards is being able to list LDS birth workers in each stake of the church.
If you would like to help maintain and compile the directory, we’re accepting volunteers. Please contact birthinginzion@gmail.com for more information.
To learn more about the history of Midwifery as a calling, enjoy this article over at The Gift of Giving Life.
If you are considering becoming a birth worker, whether midwife, doula, OB, breastfeeding counselor, massage therapist, etc., please visit our Facebook page and ask our community there for their recommendations for education, training and certification in your area.
Name: Jena Vincent
What stake do you live in? Please include city, state and country: Santa Rosa, CA, USA
What area do you serve? How far are you willing to travel? Sonoma, Mendocino, Napa, and Marin Counties. I’ll occasionally go up to 3 hours away if necessary, depending on where.
Occupation: Massage therapist, infant massage teacher, and volunteer peer support birth doula
Preferred method of contact (office, home, or cell phone, e-mail, Website (if applicable): Cell: (707) 849-2217 or e-mail: jena@abundancemassage.com
Short Bio (100-200 words) including description of services, experience, philosophy, rates, or anything else you want people to know about you and your work.
I’ve been a massage therapist since 2004 with a specific interest in pregnancy. I trained as a birth doula through DONA in 2008, though I eventually decided not to complete certification and concentrate primarily on my massage practice. I’ve also trained in and taught infant massage to new parents since the Spring of 2010.
Pregnancy massage: $90/90 minutes
Infant massage: $70/series of 4 private in-home lessons
Doula services: Negotiable
Name: Jenne Alderks
Location: Bothell Stake, Bothell Washington, USA
What area do you serve? How far are you willing to travel? North King and South Snohomish Counties (Edmonds to Monroe, Northeast Seattle to Marysville).
Occupation: Birth doula (working towards certification with DONA, Intl.), Baby Signing Time Instructor (certified with Signing Time Academy) , Parent Educator (certified with Family Wellness Associates) and Independent DoTerra Essential Oil Consultant.
Preferred method of contact (office, home, or cell phone, e-mail, Website (if applicable): Cell: (206) 229-3030, jennedoula@gmail.com, http://www.doulaville.com/jenne.html
Short Bio (100-200 words) including description of services, experience, philosophy, rates, or anything else you want people to know about you and your work.
I was recently trained as a birth doula at the Simkin Center for Allied Birth Vocations and I am working towards certification. My antepartum and postpartum services include parent and family life education classes through Family Wellness Associates (trained as an instructor in 2006). These classes are designed to help parents and couples work together with the problem solving and communication skills needed for happy families. I also offer Baby Signing Time classes as a form of postpartum support, giving new parents the opportunity to learn a valuable skill that will make their jobs as parents easier during the toddler years and connect new parents with other parents in their community. See http://www.doulaville.com/jenne.html for rates and specials.
I am a student midwife and working toward cert as a CBE; I am still a year or more out from providing services. I am not certain how to post information about me; I am working with a midwifery practice and I go to prenatals and births, but I’m not “on my own” at this point.
Also, I am glad a massage therapist posted first; I think that chiropractors, naturopaths, acupuncturists and others with training to work with pregnant women, as well as physical therapists in women’s health, and other specific specialists is ideal.
Hi Becky. You can copy and paste the information form and post it here in the comments. Or email service@ldswave.org. Are you interested in doing volunteer peer support for women in your ward/stake?
Name Andrea Lythgoe
What stake do you live in? Please include city, state and country. Sandy, Utah (East Stake)
What area do you serve? How far are you willing to travel? Salt Lake and Summit Counties
Occupation: doula: CD(DONA) childbirth educator: Lamaze certified. Also birth photography
Contact info is on my web sites: http://www.pamperedbirth.com or http://www.maternalfocus.com
Short Bio: Childbirth educator since 1997, doula since 1999. I offer doula services, private childbirth education and birth photography. I love what I do!
Name: Dianna Hampton
What stake do you live in? Antelope Stake, Antelope , Ca
What area do you serve? How far are you willing to travel? Greater Saramento Area, including Sacramento, Yolo, Eldorado and Placer Counties
Occupation: Volunteer support Doula- During Pregancy, at Birth and postpartum
Preferred method of contact (office, home, or cell phone, e-mail, Website (if applicable):, Home, 916-515-8345 Cell: (916-880-8452 or e-mail: sanadabri@gmail.com
Short Bio (100-200 words) including description of services, experience, philosophy, rates, or anything else you want people to know about you and your work.
I’ve volunteered as a Doula for a local hospital for two years. I also have helped many of my family and friends while pregnant and after giving birth. I find that there is not a much family support as their used to be. I would like to give that sisterly support that is vital to the well being of the mother and father. I am working towards doula certification an would like to pursue becoming a lactation consultant as well.
Doula services: Negotiable
Name: Valerie Hall
Stake: Ammon Idaho Stake
Area served: Southeast Idaho from Island Park to Soda Springs and west to American Falls. I have submitted an application to the Wyoming Board of Midwifery and if licensed will soon be serving parts of Wyoming including the Star Valley and Jackson areas.
Occupation: Certified Professional Midwife, Certified Childbirth Educator
Contact: Agape’ Birth Service and Birth Center (208)745-7571
Bio: I recently graduated from Midwives College of Utah with an Associates Degree in Midwifery and obtained my Certified Professional Midwife credential from North American Registry of Midwives. I am licensed to practice in Idaho. As one of three midwives with Agape’ Birth Services in Rigby, Idaho I provide full prenatal, birth and postpartum care. I have worked with Agape’ as an apprentice for 3 years while pursuing the CPM credential, and have attended about 150 births. Before that I worked as a doula for hospital births. My husband of 34 years, Steve, teaches Bradley Method childbirth preparation classes with me in our home in Ammon. We have 6 children and so far 6 grandchildren.
Name: Jenny Barlow
What stake do you live in? Cherry Hill Stake, Orem, UT
What area do you serve? I primarily serve Utah county but am willing to work as far away as Weber county and anywhere in between.
Occupation Doula – In training with DONA ( 2/3 done)
Preferred method of contact : Cell phone 801.6607098 doulabirthing@gmail.com
Short Bio (100-200 words)I am a new doula in training, as such my rates are very low, and I am willing to do trades if needed. I believe that every woman who wants a doula should have one regardless of finances. I feel truly honored to be able to provide support during such beautiful moments.
This is a great idea and had potential to be an amazing resource! Where can we find the directory?
Its in the works as we speak. So far, what you see in the comments is what has been made public. A new site to host it all is coming soon.
What stake do you live in? Ogden West Stake, UT USA
What area do you serve? How far are you willing to travel? I serve Northern Utah and SLC
Occupation: Birth Doula trained and certified with DONA, Hypnobabies Instructor, and Certified Hypno-Doula
Preferred method of contact 801-644-2864, hypnobabiesutah@yahoo.com, http://www.peacefulbirthing.com
I am a wife to an incredible man and mother to 4 beautiful children. These children are why I have become a childbirth educator and birth doula.
My goal to is help empower and educate mothers and fathers on their options in childbirth. I provide doula services and Hypnobabies classes and love every minute of it!
I am not a birthing professional, but I didn’t see my wonderful friend Jennifer Gallardo listed here. She is an LDS midwife and runs a birthing center in Oregon. Here’s her website: http://www.waterbirth.net/midwives/jennifer/. She also recently opened a birthing center in Haiti to care for underprivileged women and their families. You can see my writeup on her and the project here: http://casteluzzo.com/2011/05/27/an-angel-in-haiti/
Cara Dahlquist
Pleasant Grove, Utah
Utah county
Certified HypnoBirthing instructor.
caradahl@gmail.com
801-427-7245
hypnobirthingyourway.blogspot.com
My name is Cara Dahlquist. I have had two beautiful babies using the HypnoBirthing methods.
Each time was an incredible, rewarding experience. My first was in a hospital and my second was in a
birthing center. HypnoBirthing teaches you how to have a gentle, safer, more comfortable birth.
HypnoBirthing® – The Mongan Method – is a unique method of relaxed, natural childbirth education, enhanced by self-hypnosis techniques. HypnoBirthing® provides the missing link that allows women to use their natural instincts to bring about a safer, easier, more comfortable birthing. Emphasis is placed on pregnancy and childbirth, as well as on pre-birth parenting and the consciousness of the pre-born baby. As a birthing method, HypnoBirthing® is as new as tomorrow and as old as ancient times. It is presented in a series of five, 2 1/2-hour classes.