My Journey

 
 

Hey there! I'm Emily, happily married to David since 2016. Our vibrant family includes Cora (2015), Calvin (2017), and Charlie (2020), keeping life full and exciting in Cedar Falls, Iowa. My journey began in nursing, earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Iowa and practicing in various fields for 7 rewarding years until I embraced the beautiful chaos of motherhood with Cora's arrival. My fascination with childbirth sparked even before my own children, leading me to dive into birth work in March 2021. I underwent doula training with Childbirth International, swiftly transitioning to a birth assistant role alongside a home birth midwife. Eager to deepen my knowledge, I embarked on a traditional midwifery apprenticeship in fall 2021, completing it in December 2023. March 2024 marked a significant milestone as I passed the NARM CPM exam. Today, I'm honored to extend compassionate home birth midwifery care through both my own practice and Willow River Midwifery.

During my births I felt heard, supported and empowered and now I aspire to do that for you!

Certifications:

  • NARM Certified Professional Midwife, March 2024

  • NARM PEP and Traditional Apprenticeship, November 2021-December 2023

  • Basic Life Support for Providers, AHA, August 2023

  • Neonatal Resuscitation Program, AHA/AAP, December 2022

  • Certified Birth Doula, Childbirth International, August 2021

  • Certified Placenta Encapsulation Specialist, BEST, July 2021

  • Certified Lactation Counselor, ALPP, October 2021

Trainings:

  • Hands On Suturing for Midwives, March 2024

  • Breech Without Borders, April 2022

  • Karen Strange, Integrative Resuscitation of the Newborn, September 2021

  • Spinning Babies Workshop, April 2021

CEUs:

  • A Heappa HIPAA Help (CE for Nurses and Midwives), April 2024

  • Jaundice Friend or Foe, March 2024

  • Fetal Assessment in Labor, 3rd Edition, March 2024

  • Holistic Management and Prevention of Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy, March 2024

  • A Neurobiological Approach to Trauma Informed Care: Tools for calming ourselves and our clients, February 2024

  • Thyroid Disorders in the Perinatal Period, February 2024

  • Transfer Tools for Midwives, EMS, and Hospital Providers, January 2024

  • Anemia: Diagnosis, Implications and Management in Pregnancy and Postpartum, January 2024

  • Screening for cCHD using Pulse Oximetry, January 2024

  • Cultural Competency and Respectful Maternity Care, October 2023

Conferences:

  • A Celebration of Black Kin Conference, April 2021

What Iā€™m reading: Stop the Thyroid Madness by Janie A. Bowthorpe M.Ed