Lauren Garcia

My name is Lauren Garcia, and I have wanted to be a midwife since I was 7 years old. My desire to become a midwife started when I witnessed my mother give birth to my two youngest sisters at home with a midwife. As soon as I was old enough, I started to research as much as I could about how to become a midwife. I attended my cousin’s birth as a support person when I was 17 and that only made me want to work more toward the goal.

After graduating from high school, I had a plan to attend ISU, become an RN, and then train to become a Nurse Midwife. During that first semester, I decided that I did not want to become a Nurse Midwife. I went back to researching other paths to becoming a midwife. In 2013 and 2014, I attended Stevens-Henager College. I graduated in 2014 with a 3.98 GPA, and received an Associate’s degree in Medical Specialties. I now have a certification as a Medical Assistant and Phlebotomist. In February of 2014, I began attending births with Kathy LeBaron, Licensed Midwife. I chose to become a midwife through a program known as the PEP – Portfolio Evaluation Process. This program is an experience based training. For the academic portion of Midwifery training, I chose to enroll in Mercy In Action’s Distance Academics Program.In July of 2018, I became a Certified Professional Midwife, and a Licensed Midwife in the State of Idaho. I have attended over 250 women in childbirth, since my training began in 2014. Becoming a midwife has been the most exhausting, but also the most rewarding experience of my life. I am certified in CPR and Neonatal Resuscitation, as well as retaining my certifications for phlebotomy and Medical Assisting.