Describe what you do.

I see mothers, babies and families through the process of pregnancy, birth and postpartum safely. I give the same type of care that you’d get with a doctor — I order ultrasounds, I check vital signs, I rule out pre-term labor — but I spend a lot more time with women than doctors can. My clients and I talk about everything: emotions, work, relationships. When the time comes, I follow them through the whole delivery, whether it’s at a hospital, a birthing center or at the woman’s home.

How did you enter this career?

I’ve been interested in pregnancy ever since I was a child. I always thought I would be an obstetrician, but when I found out about midwifery during my senior year of college, I knew this was what I wanted to do. I became a doula (a person who is present during labor, providing emotional and physical support, but not medical care) and attended my first birth in New York. Just watching [the new mother] get through labor by her own strength and power was amazing. I later graduated from Seattle Midwifery School and became a licensed midwife in Washington.

Who are your clients?

They can be anyone — lawyers, venture capitalists, women from all walks of life. Most aren’t hippy earth mothers. These are people who find out about hospital births and don’t want to do it that way. They’re looking for more possibilities.

What’s your preferred birthing environment? 

When a woman gives birth at home, she’s in control of her environment. She can have anyone she wants at the birth. She can have a water birth or go outside. She can eat or drink or change positions. Everything is flexible. Some dads want to catch the baby or play the guitar during labor. Some women want candles or incense or their pets around.   

What are some of the challenges of your job?

Midwives juggle so many issues, from the emotional well-being of the mothers to any medical problems that may arise. As someone who is on-call 24/7, I am definitely a social hazard. I’ve had to leave or entirely miss dinners, dates, important events, holidays — the list goes on. And then there are the pager calls I have to answer while I’m out with friends. While we’re eating, I might be fielding questions about poopy diapers, rocket torpedo breasts and vaginal bleeding. Yum!

What are your hours?

When I am on-call, I am available by pager 24/7. Lately, I’ve been on-call continuously for the past several months. Sometimes, I work 100-hour weeks. In the past 10 days, I caught eight babies in addition to doing four clinic days a week.

What’s your work ethic?

My work ethic has been heavily influenced by my father. As a small business owner, he was always a stickler about being very detail-oriented and committed to high standards. I enjoy working hard and I like to see things through. Lately, my work ethic consists of getting enough time for myself so that I can continue to enjoy the work that I do.