Andie Wyrick, DNM, CNM, and Kristen Bowers, LM, will tell us about Shire Midwifery Birthing Center and Home Birth Practice, who provide comprehensive midwifery services for families choosing an out-of-hospital birth. They partner from the very first prenatal consultation through labor support and into gentle postpartum care.
Andie Wyrick – A certified nurse midwife and doctor (yes, she’s that fancy), Andie has been a beloved part of the Houston birth community for over twenty years. Her journey has taken her through elementary school nursing, hospital L&D, birth center, and home birth. She has an unshakable belief in a woman’s ability to grow and birth her baby and sees midwifery as a true partnership, empowering families through trust, knowledge, and a good dose of laughter. Andie’s approach is tender, funny, lighthearted, and refreshingly hands-off—offering evidence-based care with a side of snark and sass when needed. She’s been joyfully dating her hottie husband of 24 years (since junior high, no less) and is the proud mother of six incredible humans.
Kristen Bowers – A licensed midwife—with a degree in forensic chemistry—Kristen has been walking alongside families on their birth journeys since 2015, after she first discovered the world of out-of-hospital birth during her own pregnancy. Much like an unexpected adventure, she was drawn in, finding beauty, wisdom, and a calling she couldn’t ignore. Kristen believes birth is both sacred and joyful—an experience meant to be embraced with knowledge, laughter, and a deep sense of peace. She encourages parents to step into this journey with confidence, knowing they are not alone but surrounded by love, wisdom, and the kind of support that turns even the hardest roads into something beautiful. She has three kiddos and has been married 15 years.
Jen Kamel is the CEO and Founder of VBAC Facts®. Since 2007, her focus has been to provide objective, accurate information about the data available on vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) and repeat cesarean to parents, professionals, policymakers, and the court so all decisions can be informed, ethical, and just.
As an internationally recognized maternal health advocate, she speaks at conferences across the world, presents Grand Rounds at hospitals, advises on midwifery laws and rules that limit VBAC access, educates legislators and policymakers, and serves as an expert witness and consultant in legal proceedings. She envisions a time when every pregnant person seeking VBAC has access to unbiased information, respectful providers, and community support so they can plan the birth of their choosing in the setting they desire.
Her next training will be for a program within the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health June 16 – 17, 2025. Go to vbacfacts.com/speaking to schedule a training for your program, unit, or community.
Suzanne Arms is an author of seven books on childbirth and child care. It is such an honor to interview this practical visionary for transformation. Her second book “Immaculate Deception: A New Look at Women and childbirth in America”, which came out in 1975 and was the New York Times Best Book of the Year by 1979, was an inspiration to me in my work.
Suzanne inspires practitioners toward holistic care and empowers parents to chose their birth place. Suzanne is “grandmother” of the US birthing movement. She runs Birthing the Future and is working on “Being Born” TV series. She blends ancient feminine wisdom, traditional practices, biological evidence and leading-edge science. She lives in Colorado, USA.
Pat, bienvenido a toda la madre. Sra. KPFT, Houston, 90,1 Galveston, 89,5
y Huntsville, 91,9
Soy tu anfitrión. Pat Jones, madre entera, es una voz en nuestra comunidad que nos educa e informa. Hay muchas decisiones que tomar como madre, padre, abuelo, tía, tío, vecino, parto, persona, amigo. Oh, la madre cree que siempre debemos tomar nuestras decisiones a partir del pensamiento racional, decisiones que se toman a través de la educación y la investigación, no por miedo, especialmente el miedo que imponen quienes se benefician de nuestras decisiones.
Se espera que la educación que recibas en este programa contribuya a cambiar la forma en que nacemos y la forma en que criamos a nuestros hijos.
Todos los humanos nacen buenos. He visto venir al mundo más de 3000 bebés y puedo decirles que no hay bebés malos. No hay humanos malos.
Todos los bebés nacen exactamente iguales en su bondad, su inocencia, su curiosidad, su brillantez, su capacidad de amar y de confiar. Todos nacen iguales y su deleite en el mundo, su felicidad no importa el color de piel que tengan, en qué país nazcan, qué idioma estén aprendiendo a hablar o cuánto dinero haya en su familia. Todos nacemos con la misma bondad. Todos venimos al mundo con el mismo potencial.
Si es cierto que todos los bebés nacen sin odio, juicio, vergüenza, celos, entonces ¿dónde aprendemos esas cualidades si no nacemos con ellas?
Toda la madre está aquí para ver nuestra crianza, que comienza en el primer momento del nacimiento y antes en el útero
El apego y la conexión con otro ser humano, particularmente con alguien a quien amas, es la esencia de nuestro propósito de vida como seres espirituales. Creo que aprendemos sobre la vida y tomamos decisiones sobre la vida desde el primer momento en que aparecemos o nacemos. Entonces, si eso es cierto, entonces las primeras horas, los primeros días, las primeras semanas, los primeros años, son importantes para decirles a nuestros hijos que sus necesidades serán satisfechas, que están cuidados y que son buenos.
Recuerde que KPFT está patrocinado por los oyentes y usted es los oyentes. Eso significa que le brindamos educación informativa que no está financiada ni patrocinada por nadie más que usted, y necesitamos su ayuda para permanecer en el aire. Así que por favor vaya a kpft.org
o llame al 713-526-5738,
Quiero agradecer a algunos de nuestros donantes, Tom Tompkins, Kim Wallace, Jackie Griggs, Carrie pastrano, muchas gracias por todo lo que han hecho para ayudar a mantener el programa al aire.
Me siento muy honrado
y emocionado por mi invitado de hoy. La conozco desde hace mucho tiempo. Ella ha sido una gran parte de mi proceso de convertirme en quien me convertí y en lo que aporté. Es un honor para mí presentarles a Suzanne Arms. Ella es una visionaria práctica para la transformación
a través de siete libros innovadores, incluido Inmaculate Deception, una nueva mirada a las mujeres en el parto y el próximo Inmaculate Deception en Myth, Magic and Birth, y su video de gran alcance, Dando a luz desafíos y opciones. Ella inspira a los profesionales hacia la holística
Patty Wipfler was born, raised and educated in California, and is the mother of two sons. The focus of her work since 1974 has been teaching basic listening and parenting skills to parents and early childhood educators, and supporting parents’ leadership in their families and communities.
In 1989, she founded the non-profit parent-led organization that has evolved into Hand in Hand Parenting. She has written booklets, produced videotapes and audiotapes, and has written over 100 articles on the principles and benefits of listening parent-to-parent and parent-to-child. Her book and booklets. Her booklets have been translated into 11 languages, and her book: Listen: Five Simple Tools to Meet Your Everyday Parenting Challenges, written with Tosha Schore, is in print in six languages, Hand in Hand Parenting is currently taught by about 90 active Instructors on six continents, and online for parents from anywhere in the world.
Patty lives in Palo Alto, California. More information about her and the Hand in Hand Parenting approach can be found online at HandinHandParenting.org.
Jami Hain has been a Certified Nurse Midwife for 13 years and owner of Nativiti Family Birth Center since 2014. She has supported women in her role as doula and a Nativiti birth assistant since 2003 and has been present to welcome well over a thousand babies earthside in one role or the other. She is committed to providing a safe space for women and their families to seek prenatal and women’s health care and is driven by her passion for empowering women to be advocates for their own health and wellness. She became a CNM at the age of 51 and loves being able to encourage other women to their pursue their dreams despite being “more mature” … it is never too late to do what you love!!
She has two adult sons, a beautiful daughter in law to be and the most wonderful, supportive husband of 43 years. When she’s not catching babies, she loves to spend time with family, play board games, craft and crochet (when she can find the time) and have coffee with friends.
Mary Larson is a proud mother of four and a passionate advocate for respectful, empowered birth. Her journey with Nativiti Family Birth Center began over 25 years ago when she gave birth to her first three children there. This experience left a lasting impression on how she views motherhood and holistic care.
Now, decades later, Mary has come full circle in this journey. For the past three years she has worked at Nativiti supporting other families as they navigate their own birth journeys. With a deep understanding of both the client and staff perspectives, she brings compassion, wisdom and a true belief in the power of community-centered care.
Her story is one of trusting and honoring the process of birth across generations. She feels privileged to share her experience and celebrate the legacy of Nativiti … a place that helped shape her family and now allows her to give back in meaningful ways.
Sally Head recently retired after 35 years as a very successful private-practice monitrice/doula in the greater Houston area, attending over 1800 births. She was an early birth activist, having co-founded the Houston Chapter of The Cesarean Prevention Movement, now “ICAN,” in 1983. She was empowered to begin assisting other women in birth after her own VBAC at a birth center.
She also worked at Nativiti for 25 years in several roles: As a birth assistant, practice consultant, mentor, trainer, and even as an office staff member, when needed! Assisting at 789 of the first 2316 Nativiti births, her gifted skills caring for birthing women, and her steadfast, loyal presence on the staff, are frequently credited for being a key reason for Nativit’s success and continued existence for the past 30 years! She is only person who has been there from the first year and throughout Nativiti’s history. Supporting Nativiti’s two owners, as well as the ten other staff midwives, and helping train numerous student midwives and birth assistants, Sally has remained the constant force behind the Nativiti dream.
Sally has two grown children, and two teenage granddaughters, both born at home; one of whom she caught! She lives with her husband of over 47 years in The Woodlands, Texas.
Sherri Urban is a lactation consultant and an OB nurse. She began working as a birth assistant at Nativiti in the fall of 1996, and went on to become the office manager and childbirth educator for seven years. She recently retired from the hospital after 27 years, and returned to Nativiti, where she is now their Lactation Consultant, providing private lactation consults, teaching a monthly breastfeeding class, and facilitating a breastfeeding support group. To Sherri, being back at Nativiti feels like coming home!
Sherri also co-founded the Houston Chapter of The Cesarean Prevention Movement, now “ICAN,” along with Sally and several other strong women, 42 years ago. And she also was a doula for seven years before she became a nurse. She is the mother of five breastfed children; three of whom were born at home after two Cesareans! And she is hoping to have a grandchild soon!
Rebekah Lund, Owner, Functional Practitioner and Certified Thermographer, and Alicia Altman, Clinic Manager, who will tell us about Bloom Wellness Center and the services they provide – thermography, ultrasound, functional lab testing, healthy weight loss program, and what those services do and don’t do for clients. Plus their health care philosophy and important truths for you to consider.
Debbie celebrates World Doula Week 2025 with labor doula Eleanor Prado, postpartum doula Mackenzie Droll, and Carleigh Joseph, who does both labor and postpartum work.
Interview with Jackie Grigg, CNM, and Andie Wyrick, CNM, DNP, MSN. Also, joining us are Samantha Ranck, RN, SNM, and JacQue, Holistic Doula, Student Midwife and Student Herbalist. They will tell us about maternal and infant mortality in the US and how it compares to other countries who use midwifery care more productively and how the midwifery statistics compare to medical statistics. We will hear the different types of midwifery and we will hear the different educational pathways and the certification and licensing of midwifery. They will help us to see the advantages of midwifery care with empowering informed decision making. Don’t miss this show!!!
Happy World Doula Week! My co-host Debbie Hull has a great show for you to celebrate World Doula Week. We celebrate doulas and their work every year March 22 – 28. This year, we are celebrating a week late. We postponed our World Doula Week show in light of the recent events in Houston concerning midwifery. Listen in on Monday March 31 to celebrate World Doula Week with us!!
Julie DeNofa dives deep into defining addiction, what to do if someone you know needs help, where to go to get help, and what treatment looks like. Excellent information for us all, especially if we are worried about a loved one.
Julie DeNofa is a President of Positive Recovery Centers. Julie has over 30 years of related work experience in medical, clinical, operations, and creating a culture of success.
Julie began her career in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the early 1990’s as a Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN) with her specialty in substance use disorders and psychiatry. Her extensive clinical background, coupled with her business acumen, have been a large part of her ability to developing and implementing high quality programs across the country. Her dedication is also evidenced by her volunteerism with Addiction Policy Forum, Houston Area Treatment Providers and is an advocate for the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses (TPAPN) and a community partner with numerous other entities. Julie is also a former board member for the Texas Association of Addiction Professionals(TAAP).
Julie is dedicated to helping others heal, nurtures growth and self-awareness and will tell you her biggest joy is being Mom to her three adult children, Chelsea, Gia and Desi.
