Bethany lives in Vinton with her husband, Judah, and their four daughters, Liana, Arianna, Talitha, and Gemma.  They have 5 angel babies.  You can read Bethany's birth stories here: Liana (hospital birth); Arianna (home birth); Talitha (home birth turned into unplanned unassisted birth); and Gemma (home birth).

Bethany and her family attend church in Vinton where Bethany is a member of the worship team as well as the MOPS steering team.  Judah and Bethany homeschool their children (Bethany was homeschooled as well!) and Bethany is active in politics, serving on local committees.  Bethany's hobbies include reading, cooking, baking, and running.

Bethany is a member of Fusion Birth, a collaborative of birth workers who believe that women should have access to evidence-based care, and should be offered the opportunity to be a part of shared decision making.  Bethany is also a member of the Iowa Midwives Association. 

Bethany first became interested in the birth field after her first home birth.  Seeing the difference between standard hospital care and the specialized care of home birth midwives, Bethany felt she wanted to make a difference and be a source of encouragement to women seeking a more natural experience. 
Bethany became a certified doula in 2011.  A year later, Bethany decided she wanted to head down the path of becoming a home birth midwife, and pursued an apprenticeship with Certified Professional Midwives.  Bethany completed her midwifery apprenticeship in spring 2017, sat for and passed the NARM CPM exam in March of 2017, and received her NARM certification in April 2017. 

Bethany believes that birth is a normal and natural physiological process, and that most of the time birth will work as designed.  Bethany believes that home birth is a safe and natural choice for low-risk pregnancies, but also recognizes that home birth isn't the right choice for everybody. 
Ultimately, each family will need to make the decision about what is the best option for them, and Bethany is a strong proponent of supporting women wherever they choose to give birth.

                                                               Certifications and Training:

• Certified Professional Midwife credential (2017)
  
• Midwifery Bridge Certificate, NARM (2020)
  
• Completion of NARM's Portfolio Evaluation Process (2017)
• 4.5 year traditional midwifery apprenticeship with three Certified Professional Midwives (June 2012-March 2017)
• Certified Doula, Childbirth International (2011)
• CPR Training and Certification (2012 to current)
• Neonatal Resuscitation Training and Certification (2011 to current)

                                                                    Continuing Education Classes and Workshops:

• Labor After Cesarean In The Community Setting (2020)
  
• Fetal Assessment in Labor (2020)
  
• Thyroid Disorders in the Perinatal Period (2019)
• Hyperemesis Gravidarum (2019)
• Suture Class: Introduction and Advanced Theory and Practice for Midwives (2019)
• Midwifery Care of the Mother and Newly Born/NRP course (2019)
• Decorah Breech Workshop (2018)
• Shared Decision Making (2018)
• Cultural Competent Nursing Care (2016)
• Perinatal Mood Disorders (2016)