Melanie Dossey, RN, CNM, founder of Nativiti Women’s Health and Birth Center, and Brielle Epstein LM, CPM, chapter leader of ICAN, Austin, join Pat for a conversation.

Melanie Dossey, Certified Nurse-Midwife founder of  Nativiti Women’s Health & Birth Center, a free-standing birth center in The Woodlands, Texas in 1995.  The center was established as a safe, home-like setting in which to support the women seeking options for their birth experience. Ms. Dossey mentors students from several Nurse practitioner programs each year.

At the state level, she has served on the ad-hoc committee to revise the Texas Birth Center Regulations.  She is an active member of the Consortium of Texas Certified Nurse-Midwives, American College of Nurse-Midwives and the American Association of Birth Centers.  She serves on the Board of Directors of The Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers to encourage the growth of quality birth centers nationally. Currently, Melanie actively serves as the Chair of the Coalition of Nurses in Advanced Practice to achieve independent practice for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in Texas

Brielle Epstein, Licensed Midwife and Certified Professional Midwife, has been attending births as a doula and midwife since 2003. She currently has a small home birth practice in Austin, TX where she also homeschools her two children and spends as much time outdoors as possible. Brielle is the Chapter Leader of ICAN of Austin, a chapter of the International Cesarean Awareness Network, the Legislative Chair of the Association of Texas Midwives, and a Midwife Adviser and formers Board Member of Texans for Midwifery. She is also the former Director of Federal Advocacy for the Big Push for Midwives. After several years of research and policy work on environmental, health, and urban planning issues, she was inspired to become a midwife after the empowering birth of her first child.