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 attends church in Vinton where she is a member of the worship team as well as the Adult Discipleship team. Bethany homeschools her children (Bethany was homeschooled as well!) and is active in politics, serving on local and state committees as well as serving as a member of the Vinton City Council. Bethany's hobbies include reading, running, and making trips to the Iowa State Capitol to talk to legislators about maternal health legislation. Bethany is 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, she 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, she 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. She 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. |