My journey began on July 12th, 1993 when I had a baby and fell in love with birth. I was convinced that this new feeling was just a part of being a new mom and would soon come to pass. Well, it has been almost 15 years and that passion and love for birth has only grown. With the help and support of my husband, I began my training as a doula and attended my first birth 7 months later. I was in my element and knew I had uncovered my passion. After becoming a doula, there was a natural progression for me to become a childbirth educator. I taught expecting families about: their changing bodies, what they might expect during labor, delivery, and postpartum and the adjustment to parenthood. I was helping them to discover different ways that they progress through labor and encouraging them to find their own path in the process of becoming parents. I not only taught for birth and parenting educators but also worked with Providence Hospital.

My own family was growing and in 1997 I became pregnant with our second child. I wound up with a c-section after many hours of labor because my son was in a face presentation. It never occurred to me that I would have a c-section for my second birth since my first was an un-medicated vaginal delivery. At that time I could not have predicted that within a few years many hospitals would have outright bans on vaginal deliveries after cesareans. In 1999 my husband was moved out of the company he was working for and was hired by General Motors. The company relocated us to Maryland and I continued to do doula work, but in my heart I knew I wanted to be a midwife. I called on a midwife in Pennsylvania that worked closely with the Amish and Mennonite community, and asked her if she was taking on any new apprentices. She invited me to come to her office and meet with her on a clinic day. As I sat in the office and watched the Amish and Mennonite come in; my heart leaped for joy. I had such a strong desire to work in this population but thought maybe later in life when my children were grown and gone, but here I was on my way to serving them. Working with this busy rural clinic was a great experience. The clinic saw approximately a hundred births a year. I learned a great deal from my senior midwife and the women that we were privileged to provide care for.

In 2002 our family was relocated to Tennessee. We were there only twenty months, but this is where I took my North American Registry of Midwives exams to become a Certified Professional Midwife. I also gave birth to our third son at home in a lovely water birth with my husband catching him and my older sons present. After that I moved back home to Michigan in 2005. (So if you are counting, yes that is three moves in 5 years) I now live in Hartland Township with my husband, three boys and two fish tanks. I set up my own Midwifery practice and have been happily serving growing families. I have a great working relationship with other Midwives in the area and I am on the board of directors for the Michigan Midwives Association. Some of my other interests include gardening, canning, swimming, and embroidery.

Well that just about sums up my journey, but the most important thing I want to relay is my heart. I have a love for new life and coming along side women and truly caring for them as they walk through their journey into motherhood for the first time or the twentieth time. I desire to make each one of my clients feel supported, well informed and most of all empowered to do the work that their bodies were created to do. This is my passion and purpose and I am truly grateful to know what I have been called to do.

Kate Mazzara