Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions About Midwifery Care

What is the difference between a midwife and an OB/GYN?

Midwives are more holistic and have a natural stance on pregnancy & childbirth and were the original “doctors” before obstetrics became a thing in the 18th century. Obstetricians go to medical school and spend approximately 12 years total learning how to medically manage a pregnancy & birth.

What types of certifications or licenses do you hold?

I have a CPM [Certified Professional Midwife] certification that I received after spending 5 years in a hands-on apprenticeship and passing the NARM [North American Registry of Midwives] exam, and I have the LM [Licensed Midwife] credential issued by the state of Texas. Prior to becoming a midwife I attended a doula workshop in 2015.

How long have you been practicing as a midwife?

I began my education portion of midwifery with Mercy In Action in early 2015, and started my apprenticeship in August of 2017 when my youngest son turned 1. I passed my exam in February of 2022 and received my license and certifications as a midwife.

What kinds of births do you attend?

I have attended them all! Home, hospital, birthing center, VBAC, twins–and even some RV births! For breech births--I have not yet completed a breech training, but have attended a breech birth, so I would have a midwife assistant with more experience attend that birth with me.

How many births have you attended?

188 total, 38 as licensed. [Birth numbers last updated 10/29/2025]
Do you work independently or with a team? I work independently for prenatal/postpartum care, but at births I always have a second licensed midwife or trained birth assistant to assist me. I became a preceptor in May of 2025, which means I’m a teaching midwife–and may one day have a student midwife join me. Permissions must be granted for them to participate in your care, and you may limit or revoke those permissions at any time.

What hospitals or birth centers are you affiliated with?

I don’t have affiliation with any hospitals, but for transfers, my personal favorite hospital is Baylor Dallas. In the event of an emergency, we would transport to UT Athens, or another hospital with labor & delivery–if closer.

Prenatal Care Questions

What does a typical prenatal visit look like with you?

A typical prenatal visit is about an hour long. The initial visit lasts approximately 1.5-2 hours where we will go over all of the ‘paperwork’ and sign documents, then I will collect blood & urine for the necessary labs (if not already performed). Before you leave I will give you a client folder with a handful of helpful documents for pregnancy that I recommend bringing with you every visit, since it has a place where you can write down any non-urgent questions and monthly diet logs.
How often will I see you during my pregnancy? You can start care at any gestation, but I will typically schedule you every 4 weeks up until 32 weeks, bi-weekly until 36 weeks, then weekly until birth. If you are planning a home birth, your 37 week appointment will be a home visit.

Do you offer ultrasounds or lab work?

For ultrasounds I use Moody Diagnostics. Jeff is a traveling sonographer that goes to all the birthing centers in Tyler and DFW areas. He will visit the suite once per month on Thursday afternoons, if I have enough mamas to fill his schedule. For lab work, I often complete the typical first trimester pregnancy labs such as an OB panel which includes a complete blood count, blood type and Rh factor, rubella antibody screen, syphilis screen, hepatitis B, HIV and an antibody screen, urine is collected at this visit as well for a routine urine culture and tests for gonorrhea & chlamydia.

What is your approach to nutrition, supplements, and prenatal health?

I believe that a healthy diet is the number one top priority in pregnancy. It influences the development of the placenta, it’s function and the ability to transport nutrients to the baby. I auto-send emails periodically throughout pregnancy to help with education on this topic. I have an amazon list that can be found on my website of my recommendations. I only recommend high quality supplements! I definitely encourage exercise all throughout pregnancy as well.

Can you help with creating a birth plan?

I have a birth plan template that you will receive around 37 weeks. I like to have it brought back to your next appointment so that we can discuss it, and I would upload it to your chart so that my assistant can review it as well.

Labor & Delivery Questions

When should I call you if I think I’m in labor?

For first time mamas, I like a heads up that you think labor has started. If it’s in the middle of the night, I want a phone call (not a text) when your contractions are coming every 4-5 minutes, lasting over a minute for at least an hour. For mamas who have given birth vaginally before–I like to ask for a 5-6 minute apart heads up. 7-10 minutes if you have a history of precipitous births.

What comfort measures do you use during labor?

Water birth is the most commonly used pain relief tool. I do not have a tens unit, but you may use one if you own one. If this is your first baby, I highly recommend hiring a doula because the average labor for a first baby is approximately 24 hours! They are trained in labor massages and positions to try and can come to your home early in labor to help you during contractions. I encourage the use of different positions and if you have a birth partner/husband/spouse I can show them how to perform hip squeezes so that they can feel included in the birth process. For pain relief, I do not provide epidurals or nitrous oxide.

What equipment or supplies do you bring to a home birth?

I bring everything that we may or may not need! I will bring a box of supplies and the birth pool to your home visit at 37 weeks, then I bring my own home birth supplies, and an oxygen tank.

Do you support VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean)?

I do! I provide education on VBAC also, so you are well informed of all of the risks and signs of uterine rupture.

Hospital Transfer Questions

What is your hospital transfer rate?

My overall transfer rate as a licensed midwife is 13%. Common reasons I've transferred for is retained placenta, post dates, and deep perineal lacerations.

What circumstances would require a transfer to a hospital?

I have a Birth Emergencies Plan that we go over at the first visit that goes into detail on all the possible causes for hospital transport but the most common causes are maternal exhaustion, postpartum hemorrhage unresponsive to medication, retained placenta & 3rd degree tearing.

Will you stay with me if I need to transfer?

Yes–I will absolutely go with you if you’d like me to! If it’s prior to the baby arriving, I will switch to a doula or photographer role at the hospital because I will no longer have provider privileges.

How do you coordinate care with hospital staff during a transfer?

I call ahead and speak to the charge nurse and send over pertinent medical records.

Postpartum Care Questions

How long do you stay after the birth?

I stay with you for a minimum of two hours after delivery of the placenta. As long as mama and baby are both stable, you are free to be discharged. Sometimes it may take as long as 3-4 hours, depending on if sutures are needed, or if there was excessive blood loss and we decide it’s a good idea to do an IV prior to discharge. You will be required to eat a protein filled meal and urinate prior to discharge.

What does postpartum care look like?

Your first postpartum visit will be a home visit within the first 48 hours after birth (unless I’m called to a birth at the time we have it scheduled–then it would be my next available time). First time mamas are then scheduled for office visits at 1 week, and then all have 2 week, 4 week & 6 week visits. At your 6 week visit you may choose to have a pap smear if you’d like or need one. I am able to prescribe a low hormone birth control, Micronor if needed at your 6 week visit. Micronor contains progestin only (no estrogen) so it’s safe for use while nursing and is often referred to as the ‘mini-pill’. If taken as directed, it has a 99% effective rate in preventing pregnancy.

Do you assist with breastfeeding?

Yes! I do assist with nursing. If I identify tongue or lip ties that seem to be affecting the baby's latch, or we have less than optimal weight loss with the baby, I may schedule more frequent postpartum visits to keep an eye on the baby and may refer to a lactation consultant. Heather at Lactation Consultants of East Texas will do home visits, or meet you at the suite and is wonderfully skilled and detailed in all of her assessments. She faxes me the report after each visit.

What signs of postpartum depression or complications should I watch for?
There are three different definitions to touch on here. The baby blues is a temporary period of crying, mood swings, trouble sleeping, feeling overwhelmed or anxious, feeling like a failure and/or irritability. This is normal, as your hormones are all over the place and working to get back to your baseline. Postpartum depression is the next level up–where you may feel constant sadness, depression, lack of appetite, having a hard time sleeping or concentrating, or even thoughts of hurting yourself or the baby. There is no judgement if this happens to you, as it is normal, but it indicates that you need some extra support and I encourage you to reach out to me immediately. Postpartum psychosis is the extreme level that does require immediate medical attention. Signs would be hallucinations, delusions, extreme confusion, paranoia, insomnia, rapid speech, periods of hyperactivity and severe agitation. There are generally increased thoughts of harming oneself or the baby.

Logistics and Payment

Do you accept insurance or Medicaid?

I am out of network with all insurances. I do offer a Medicaid discount for the mamas that qualify. With insurance, you are welcome to submit a claim after the baby is born to try and seek some reimbursement. I have a biller that will assist you in the process, but doesn’t file on your behalf. She is knowledgeable and can answer all billing questions.

What are your fees and what’s included?

I do offer pricing tiers, and it would be a customized quote based on your personal situation, so please ask me for a quote! I do accept credit cards (with a 3.5% processing fee added) and offer a 5% discount if paid in full at your first visit. I prefer payments via cash, personal check, CashApp, Venmo or PayPal. Unfortunately Zelle doesn’t collaborate with my business bank account.

Do you offer payment plans or sliding scale fees?

Yes! The non-refundable deposit is $500 to start care and secure your spot for the month you are due. I only accept 4 due dates per month. We set up a custom payment plan where you choose the frequency of payments (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly) and your last payment will be $500 paid directly to the assisting midwife at your birth.

Personalized Care & Philosophy

What is your philosophy on birth?

Pregnancy and birth are normal, natural events that have taken place since creation. I minimize interventions and educate the new parents to make informed decisions for their family.

How do you support informed decision-making?

I provide evidence based birth research articles and encourage you to research specific topics like Vitamin K, erythromycin, vaccines & circumcision.

Do you support family involvement during labor and birth?

Absolutely! Older children are welcome to attend the birth if you’d like. I just ask that you have someone else besides you or dad to help with child care for younger ones. I like to ask daddy if he would like to catch the baby or cut the cord.

How do you handle emergency situations?

I am rather calm in emergent situations, and often you may not realize there is anything wrong. I will always inform you of what’s happening, and give explanations on why I’m making the decisions I do. I always ask your consent before performing any procedures.

Please let me know if you have any other additional questions that I might not have covered–I’m happy to answer and add to my FAQ!