Welcome To Mamacita Midwifery Birth & Lactation

I began my midwifery journey at age 15. After observing a neighbor’s home birth and reading “Spiritual Midwifery” by Ina Gaskin, I knew home births and midwifery were for me.

I graduated from The Maternity Center with Shari Daniels in 1985 with my New Mexico State license and El Paso City license. It was a very exciting time; I worked in three birth centers, attended over 300 births on the border in El Paso (most of the births were in Spanish), which included lots of moms, babies, twins, breeches, and singletons! 

I moved to California in 1986 and met my midwifery partner Sue O’Connor, whom I would work with for the next 10 years. We attended hundreds of births up and down the coast, from Greenfield to Lompoc long before there was licensing for midwives in the state of California (there were far fewer midwives in those days in SLO county).  

I met my husband at a Bible study, got married (1987-yep, still married), attended RN school at Cuesta and had a baby a month after I graduated from nursing school in 1989. We had three more children in the next six years while I continued to attend home births. This meant taking my own kids in carriers along for the adventure! These adventures included being chased by bulls in a field to get to a house to do a home visit, births under trees, in teepees and even buses. Regular houses and birth centers are my personal preference nowadays!

After ten years of active practice, I stayed home to homeschool our four children, taking care of repeat clients. In 2006 I went back into part-time nursing, was at Twin Cities Community Hospital for 6 years as an IBCLC (Lactation Consultant) and Labor and Delivery RN. I completed my California Midwife License, and I am blessed to once again attend births and babies in home birth and community settings.  I worked 3 years at Santa Lucia Birth Center as a Licensed Midwife before embarking on my current private practice again.

I am honored to serve San Luis Obispo and Southern Monterey Counties as a Licensed Home Birth Midwife, with over 30 years of experience, and as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant IBCLC for the last 10 years.  I love interacting with all the delightful families in our community and I have a passion for teaching and training future midwives and working with students as an active proctor and a preceptor- we make a great team.  I work with Lisa Boyd, a midwifery student, who is also a full time IBCLC, and sees many of our clients for private lactation services.

When I’m not at a birth, I enjoy my home life with my ever-growing family. What a joy it was to recently attend our 6th grandchild’s birth and be the one to catch him! I live in Atascadero, on property with my son’s family which includes three of our grandkids. When I'm not attending births in San Luis Obispo County, I live at my primary residence with my husband by Shaver Lake. I have an active faith life, I love gardening, horseback riding, the great outdoors, staying active, and eating healthy. 

Se Habla Español. 

I am licensed by the Medical Board of California and am a member of CALM (California Association of Licensed Midwives), I am also a licensed RN of 31 years, and an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant).  CPM, and  NARM Preceptor for Midwifery Students, current Proctor for NMI & NCM schools.

I’m a Fresno native and have been married to my incredible husband for 11 years. We have three children who are nine, seven, and two- and my youngest two were born at home! We homeschool our kids and love all things fermented- I currently make our own sourdough, kombucha, and milk kefir.

I felt the call to birth work after I had my first child in 2015. I had a (mostly) uncomplicated hospital birth with him, but I knew that there was more to experience from birth and I wanted to learn how to support women through the process. When he was six months old, I trained and got certified as a birth and postpartum doula while we were living in San Francisco; and I joined the amazing doulas of Fresno Birth and Baby for 7 years after we returned to the Central Valley.

Over my 9 years as a doula, I had the privilege of supporting over 80 families on their birth journeys, and about 30 postpartum families as they transitioned to parenthood.

My call to birth work was deepened when I started a midwifery program at Mercy in Action College of Midwifery. Since graduating in 2024, I have been taking clients and gaining wisdom from the other great midwives in the area.

I love to walk along families as they grow and change. Supporting women through some of the toughest moments of their lives is an honor and a privilege, and I feel blessed every day to be able to do the work that I do.

 Licensed Midwife (LM)   Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)