Now offering care as a montrice and nighttime postpartum doula. Setup a 1:1 consultation to see how we can support your maternity journey!
I’m a nurse and primary midwife student offering birth doula, monitrice care, and postpartum doula support.
I bring 14 years of clinical expertise, with specialized experience in labor and delivery, postpartum care, and parent-newborn couplet care. My clinical background allows me to offer knowledgeable, attentive support while honoring your individual preferences and vision for your birth.
Book a consultation to learn how I can support you throughout your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journey.
Hello, I'm Holly—a proud mother of three vibrant boys named Earl, Ean, and Kai, and my youngest, a baby girl named Kira. My loving and supportive husband, Earl, completes our beautiful family. We call the northern Philadelphia suburbs home, sharing it with two adorable Pomeranians, Millie and Mitzy, and a playfully mischievous cat appropriately named Shredder.
In addition to my role as a devoted wife and mother, I embarked on a fulfilling (tiresome) journey as a midwifery student at the Midwives College of Utah in the fall of 2023. Currently, I'm finishing up the last phase of my midwifery program, where I am the primary midwife, supported by a second midwife. I'm thrilled to be almost done with this challenging chapter, balancing life-- family, working full-time as a nurse, and midwifery school. Thank you for all the families that have allowed me to be part of their pregnancy journey and birth story! I cherish these memories, and it is what gets me through the hard moments when I feel like giving up. I have been blessed to work and learn from some wonderful, experienced home birth midwife preceptors, including a CNM, a CPM, and a few apprentice-trained traditional midwives. I encourage you to ask me about my qualifications and training. You deserve to feel reassured that you are in safe and capable hands.
My journey into midwifery is enriched by extensive healthcare experience—I started my nursing career in 2014, and spent five years working as a labor and delivery and postpartum nurse, and I now specialize in critical care. I have experience working as a birth assistant to a home birth midwife and providing doula and lactation support. With 8 years experience in maternal-newborn health and I have supported several hundred births as a the primary nurse and student midwife.
My inspiration to become a midwife began in my childhood when, at the age of eleven, I witnessed the natural birth of my sister. The midwife inspired me to learn about pregnancy and birth. She embraced the midwifery model of care, which was gentle and kind. She valued every person involved in the pregnancy. Long after this encounter, birth continued to fascinate me, and the pull towards midwifery lingered. Despite initially thinking that becoming a labor and delivery nurse would be my stepping stone to midwifery, I felt a disconnection in the hospital setting. The rigid protocols often overshadowed birth unfolding naturally, making it feel cold, systematic, and rushed. I gave up my dream, believing that becoming a midwife in the hospital would be no different than the challenges I encountered as a nurse. (Kind of true. Ha!)
Everything changed with the birth of my third son, my sweet, redhead Kai. I was empowered to birth at home with the support of my midwife and husband. My birth was—Beautiful. Intimate. Undisturbed. Uninhibited. Peaceful. Invigorating. Surrounded by people who believe in and trust birth, rather than fear it as I once had. The experience of birthing at home with a midwife resonated with me so profoundly; I knew that was the kind of midwife I had always aspired to become. Although my journey has been filled with twists and turns, perhaps it has all prepared me for this moment—the moment I was ready to step into my calling--to become a midwife.
My mission is rooted in supporting the natural, instinctive process of pregnancy and childbirth, embracing holistic care that envelops the whole person in my care. I believe pregnancy and birth are inherently safe physiological processes the body is designed to undergo, requiring gentle guidance and support rather than rigid management. Pregnancy functions optimally when supported to progress through the milestones it was designed to reach, without unnecessary interference or meddling. When a person is allowed to intuitively listen to their body, they work in harmony with their body's rhythms and processes rather than fighting them. When your body or your baby shows signs of needing a gentle nudge or more support --we listen and adjust accordingly. That is the essence of midwifery care--being "with woman"
Natural childbirth contributes to faster recovery times, enhanced maternal-fetal bonding, fewer interventions, a holistic-centered birth, and reports higher satisfaction with their prenatal care and birth --all proven by worldwide research on midwifery care outcomes. By fostering an environment of trust, empowerment, evidence-based care, and informed decision-making, birth becomes a transformative experience in which we protect your intrinsic need to feel safe and secure. I believe physiologic birth is best accomplished outside the hospital setting, which is why I have chosen to become a midwife to support births in people’s homes.
Regardless of where you choose to birth, I will honor and support your values and preferences during one of the most precious moments of your life. I embrace families of all backgrounds and cultures. I am committed to providing personalized care that respects the autonomy of each individual, guided by shared-decision making. I fiercely believe women and families know their own bodies best and have the wisdom and authority to make decisions for themselves and their babies. Every family deserves to be supported through their unique and beautiful journey of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum as they navigate the next chapter of life with a new little one.
My first encounter with birth as a natural, physiological process is my anchor. It provides my lens of childbirth. That is what guides my care. Next, my background as a nurse, specializing in labor and delivery and critical care, gives me the experience and skill to act quickly when necessary. I draw from my knowledge and intuition to delicately balance a hands-off, holistic approach with the wisdom to know when to intervene. When care is provided in the hospital, my nursing background provides me with an in-depth understanding of why recommendations are being made and what is required in an emergency. Not to interfere, but to offer insight and support your informed and autonomous decisions.
Care is relationship-based, built on a foundation of trust. It is individualized to each person and guided by your values, preferences, cultural and pregnancy needs. Every person deserves to be heard, understood, and validated in their experiences. I will hold space for the sacred birth you envision. If your birth veers off course and looks nothing like the birth you envisioned, I will hold your hand as we navigate it together. You and your baby will be held and supported through this transformative journey.