is growing!
Empress Birth Services
Melanie Hexen, CPM
608.622.0312
Serving the Quad Cities, Iowa City, Muscatine, Tipton, and surrounding area
Dawn Crist, CPM, LM, BA
319-330-2539
Serving Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Waterloo, DBQ and the surrounding areas.
I’m a Certified Professional Midwife, Wisconsin Licensed Midwife, hold a Bridge Certificate and am a preceptor for the North American Registry of Midwives. I began attending births in 2012. I also hold a BA in Speech and Hearing Science from the University of Iowa.
I spent 10 years as a breast-feeding counselor/LLL leader prior to midwifery. Midwifery is a calling for me and I love to see families grow in homebirth.
Call, email or visit me at Birthmoon Midwifery on Facebook to connect with me if you are interested in a homebirth consultation.
Kristin Ward
(309)507-2420
Serving families in Clinton, Fulton, and 60 miles worth of surrounding areas.
I am an apprentice trained Traditional Midwife. I began my apprenticeship in 2018 and completed in 2022. I am in the process of studying and sitting for my NARM exam. I hold current certification in Basic Life Support and Neonatal Resuscitation.
I am a placenta encapsulation specialist. I enjoy encapsulating, making placenta prints, and cord art.
I believe that birth is a normal, natural, physiological event. It is a transformative time in a woman/birthing persons life and I feel that every family deserves a birth experience that leaves them feeling empowered. I serve low risk pregnancies and recognize that homebirth is not appropriate for everyone. I strive to educate and support each client with knowledgeable, compassionate, family- centered care.
I am a Certified Professional Midwife (2000) and Qualified Examiner (2006) with the North American Registry of Midwives. I am an ALACE certified doula, childbirth educator (1990), certified Dancing for Birth instructor and Reiki Master.
I am a nationally certified EMT. I am certified in Healthcare Provider CPR and Neonatal Resuscitation.
My midwife inspiration is Jeannine Parvati Baker. I was trained through traditional homebirth apprenticeship by Pearl Breitbach (1992). I did an internship on The Farm in Tennessee with Ina May Gaskin (2006). I have published several articles in publications including "Midwifery Today" and "the Compleat Mother". I also produced the movie "Waterborn".
I have given birth to 7 children, the first born by cesarean, the rest born at home (VBAC). Three were born in water, and my youngest was an unassisted outdoor waterbirth. My powerful birth experiences led me to believe that all women deserve to give birth with knowledge, power, dignity and joy.
