Since 1996 Nicole has been serving women and their families of  Bend and Central Oregon.  Nicole is a graduate of the National College of Midwifery, a Certified Professional Midwife, a Licensed Midwife in Oregon, and the proud mother of three beautiful children. Inspired by a positive hospital birth  experience during the 1994 birth of her daughter, Nicole became a Certified Childbirth Educator and Doula in 1996. After attending her first homebirth in January of 1997, Nicole felt a strong calling to become a midwife. She began training under a highly skilled midwife the very next month. Her passion led her to Casa de Nacimiento—a high-volume birth center in El Paso, Texas—where she was a midwife-intern in 1999 and 2002. The natural birth philosophy is an integral part of Nicole's own life; she had wonderful waterbirth's at home with her own sons in 2000 and 2003. In 2002 Nicole opened Motherwise Midwifery Service. In 2007 Nicole fulfilled her long-held dream to open Motherwise Community Birth Center, and care for the women and families in the community where she was born and raised. “My experience as a mother and midwife has only heightened my admiration of the birthing process and the strong women I am blessed to serve.”

 

A lifelong quest to unearth her authentic role in society brought Christyn to Motherwise. She is thrilled to be learning from, serving, and growing with the women of Central Oregon. Christyn entered college as pre-med to pursue a childhood dream of becoming an obstetrician, but soon realized the limitations of the western medical model. After graduating from the University of Vermont with a degree in wildlife biology, she spent several years teaching environmental education to children and traveling the world. Her passion for serving women through the childbearing year resurfaced upon discovering the existence of the more holistic path of midwifery. After studying and working as a doula, Christyn welcomed the opportunity to move to Bend in 2007 with her husband, Matt and begin her clinical training. After several years of working under supervision, Christyn received her CPM credential and Oregon License in August 2009.   In September 2009 she welcomed her first daughter into the world, Sage Cathryn, born in the water at home into the loving arms of her mom and dad.

For the past 15 years, Dana has chosen a holistic approach to life and health.  It was only natural for her in 2000 to choose a home birth and midwifery care with her first birth.  After a long and difficult labor her daughter was born unmedicated in the hospital but she feels that her midwives care played an important role in a healthy and positive pregnancy, labor and postpartum.  Four years later Dana began to pursue midwifery and labor assisting.  In 2004 Dana began an apprenticeship with Nicole Tucker and furthered her training by attending midwifery conferences, Doula training, study groups, becoming a childbirth educator and self study.  Dana is a student of the National College of Midwifery and works under supervision until February 2009 when Dana will become a Licensed Midwife in Oregon.   When not caring for pregnant women and her midwifery goal's, Dana spends her time with her family outside or just relaxing, belly dancing or trying to get to a yoga class.  Dana is happy and honored to serve the women in her community that she has lived in for 12 years.*Dana also makes pregnancy tea's, try some they are yummy!

Robin’s path to heal herself led to becoming a Massage Therapist; her role as a mother led her to become a doula, midwifery student and childbirth educator. A third-generation Central Oregonian, Robin first graduated from OSU with a Bachelor of Science in Communication. She then went onto East West College of the Healing Arts in 1992. With the application of ancient healing arts, Robin focuses on prenatal, labor delivery, postpartum massage and doula care. She eases the pain of labor through massage, eye contact, acupressure points (for pain management and labor stimulation), aromatherapy, and positioning. Teaching massage-for-childbirth classes with Nicole and Dana for the last nine years has inspired Robin to become an advocate for families, one person at a time. In her massage practice, she uses reflexology, stimulating energy meridian, and muscle relaxation and stretching.

 

 Katie Silva is the mother of two beautiful children. Her son was born at home with Midwives in 2004 and she gave birth to her daughter in a birth center with midwives in 1991. Her birth experiences have inspired her, given her strength and profoundly deepened her own sense of self. Her births are the most precious memories that she has and they are the reference point for all else that has happened in her life. She loves being a mother and a wife. Katie Silva has been working with families for the past 25 years as a wholistic preschool director and teacher and facilitator of the Love and Logic Parenting Techniques. Katie has a BA in Contemplative Early Childhood Education. She has been committed to and pursued an in depth study of natural health for that long as well.  Her love of natural health, healing and children lead her to study Maya Abdominal Massage, Prenatal Massage, Post partum massage, Labor Massage, Infant massage and Herbalism all of which she is now certified and experienced in. It was a natural progression for Katie to become a Doula. After catching two babies while serving as a doula, she realized that all of her passions found a home in one place, Midwifery. Katie completed a one year midwifery apprenticeship in Idaho with a CPM and a 9 month apprenticeship with a CPM, LM in Arizona. Katie is a student at National Midwifery Institute and she is delighted to continue her studies and joyful service to women and their families at Motherwise beginning March 2009! Katie Believes that birth is a sacred doorway, a precious and defining moment and that it should be protected as such. She loves holding supportive, compassionate space for women to discover their own way of birthing and becoming  mothers.