I live and work in Oklahoma, USA. I've been with my partner since 2005 and we are raising three children together. Ever since the birth of my first son in 2006, I have been passionate about all things pregnancy, birth, and parenting. I quickly became aware of the deeply rooted, harmful problems that exist in maternity care in America and wanted to be a part of the solution.

From 2008 through 2018 I had the honor of supporting families in my community with breast and chest feeding as an accredited volunteer with La Leche League. I also worked as a birth doula and placenta encapsulation provider for six years. I've recently begun offering placenta encapsulation again as a way to supplement my income as a student, you can learn more here: Placenta Encapsulation Services. 

I am currently a sophomore at Midwives College Utah, pursuing a Bachelor of Science of Midwifery. I am grateful to be a birth assistant and student midwife on staff at Tulsa Birth Center and have many amazing teachers. My preceptors include Sarah Foster, MA-MCHS, LM, CPM, who served as the president of the Midwives Alliance of North America and Heather Forrest,  LM, CPM  who serves as the president of the Midwives Society of Oklahoma. 

In addition to supporting families in the childbearing year, I also have worked with the nonprofits Your Whole Baby and The Bloodstained Men and Their Friends, advocating for the bodily autonomy of all babies regardless of their sex assigned at birth. I'm passionate about human rights and working to make the world a better more welcoming place for everyone. I think it's important to protect future generations from trauma by avoiding non-therapeutic genital cutting and implementing non-violent discipline. 

I am an ally of the TSLGBTQ+ community and work to be anti-racist in my personal and professional life. I recognize that racial inequity, systemic racism, and unequal access to resources have created a maternal health crisis in our country that unequally affects minority families. I am committed to the dismantling of my own implicit biases and systemic racism through ongoing internal reflection and community engagement. Midwives College Utah is also committed to this change and it's a huge part of the reason I chose to enroll there. 

I believe that growing a family can be a very rewarding journey that looks different for everyone. I love that the midwifery model of care is holistic and customizable, placing the birthing person, their needs, wants, and family at the center of the care. I am committed to working within this model to improve maternal health in my community. 

I'll conclude my "about me" page with one of my favorite things my preceptor often says:

"The number one rule of midwifery 

is that it's not about you." 

-traditional midwifery saying

Thanks for stopping by and reading.

-Tori


Written in March 2022. Updated August 2023.
All photos © Tori Caswell, unless otherwise noted.