Pamela was born and raised here in Arizona. She married her high school sweetheart, Derrek, in 1987 and together they have raised their four children. Her children have blessed her with 11 Grandchildren.
When she is not busy sharing the joy and excitement of childbirth, she enjoys spending time with her family, scrapbooking, tole painting, camping, and music.
I guess you could say I have always wanted to be a midwife. I attended a Catholic grade school here in Phoenix. When I was in the fourth grade, as we were coming in from recess, my teacher and principal asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I had no name for what I wanted to do, so I simply said I wanted to help babies be born.
After telling them that I did not want to be a doctor or a nurse, my teacher (a nun from Ireland) described what a Midwife was. When I said that that was what I wanted to be, they told me I would have to live in Ireland because there were no Midwives here.
My second job at the age of 16 was as a nursing assistant in a nursing home. I enjoyed that job despite the hard physical work and emotional challenges.
After the birth of my oldest son I began working as a nursing assistant in an OB/GYN office eventually working up to the office manager. This was the first time I began to question the way we in the United States give birth.
When I became pregnant with our second child, I quit working to stay home with our children. It was after his birth that I became a member of La Leche League. This is also where I learned that there were indeed Midwives here in the United States.
After the birth of my third child at home with a local Licensed Midwife, I became a La Leche League Leader. I also began teaching childbirth classes f or several of the Midwives. I continued to teach classes and remained a La Leche League Leader after the birth of my fourth child at home.
When my fourth child was 16 months old, I attended my first home birth as an assistant. That was "it", I could no longer wait. I signed up with the State as an Apprentice Midwife and began apprenticing with a Licensed Midwife. I continued teaching childbirth classes, retired from La Leche League and began attending births as a Doula. After 3 1⁄2 years as an apprentice, I took the exams and was licensed by the state as a Licensed Midwife.
I have been licensed and actively practicing since April of 1999. For the first 16 years of my practice I provided homebirth. In 2015 I realised my dream of opening a birth center and opened The Birth Nest at Catlin Court. I have continued to provided homebirth as well as birth center births. I believe that God has called me to be a Midwife and am deeply honored to assist each and every woman.
I believe that...
Pregnancy, labor, and birth are very normal physiological processes.
Family and friends are integral and should be included to the degree each mother is comfortable with.
Pregnancy, labor and birth progress best when mothers are supported and empowered.
That when mothers are healthy and feel safe, labor and birth will progress safely with rarely a need for medical intervention.
There are important things a woman can do to facilitate a healthy pregnancy, labor and birth such as: