I have always looked at pregnancy and birth as a natural process. It just made sense to not interfere unless there was reason to. That being said, I didn't know much about midwives or doulas when I had my children. My birth experiences with all three were the catalyst that caused me to seek out doulas and midwives. I didn't have bad or traumatic births, but they weren't what I wanted either. Shortly after having my daughter I came into a circle of friends who were birth advocates, home birth mamas, a wonderful tribe really.
This is where I learned about what I missed out on. I decided to take a doula training in February of 2010 and jumped right in! Then I had the privilege of working with midwives at some of these births and I knew what I was destined to do. Midwifery truly does choose you. In December of 2011 I was offered an apprentice position with Home Birth Midwifery Service under the training of Kim (Mosny) Lane. While she was in VA I trained alongside her in both home and birth center birth. She then moved to Utah to catch her first grandbaby.
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Professional History
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I have been a practicing homebirth Midwife for over two years, and have 12 years of experience attending births. I began my journey toward becoming a midwife after witnessing a neighbor’s dog giving birth; I was in awe of how calm and confident she was which was completely in contrast to what I knew of childbirth from tv and movies. The experience sparked my curiosity and I immediately began researching why the childbirth experience was portrayed so differently for humans.
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Here's a bit about me! I am married to my best friend and college sweetheart, Brenton. We welcomed our first baby with a home birth in May of 2019. I am a holistic chiropractor with a special focus in serving pregnant women and children.
I grew up in Colorado and moved to the panhandle of Texas in high school. I'm also the 3rd of 7 kids! Growing up on a farm, I was raised that everything, from the land to all our farm animals, has the ability to heal and self-regulate. I attended Sul Ross State University where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. I attended chiropractic school at Parker University in Dallas and became passionate about serving families after a mission trip to Haiti. I specialize in pediatric and prenatal chiropractic (Webster Certified) with additional training and certifications from the ICPA (International Chiropractic Pediatric Association), but serve people of all ages from all walks of life. |
My name is Renee Perez and I am in my first year of being a birth assistant and midwifery student. I am looking forward to meeting you and your family through HCBW.
My journey into midwifery started when I was able to attend my baby sister‘s birth at the age of six. Many years later I researched what it would take for me to begin working as a midwife. I currently hold certifications for Medical Assisting and attended CyberTex institute in Killeen, Texas from February 2014 to October 2014. I graduated in December 2014 and receive my certification in March 2015. I have a background in Dermatology, Pediatrics, OB/GYN and Podiatry as well as military training in Ft Lenoradwood Mo. I served in the US Army as a military police officer from 2006-2008. I am also a mom to 4 gorgeous children ages 12, 11, 9, and 8 along with my husband of 14 years. We have three dogs and one cat and can find us either hunting, fishing, camping, or playing ball on the diamond. |
"I still remember the day I went to Ashley. I was 6 months pregnant already and just wanted to hear the baby's heartbeat. I knew Ashley was a midwife but was surprised to hear about how she focused on natural births. Never really giving thought to having a natural birth, I listened. This being my first pregnancy I was unsure if I could do it. After everything was said she let me listen to the baby. Then sent me to make my decision, no pressure at all! I knew immediately after leaving that I wanted Ashley to be my midwife. She was very pleasant and everything just felt right. Really I just had to get my boyfriend on board and tell my mom. My boyfriend Adam was even more accepting than I thought. He told me that he thought it was a great idea because he hates hospitals. Once we sealed the deal we pretty much saw Ashley every week just to make sure everything was fine. Every appointment lasted roughly an hour and was filled with us getting to know each other. We handled baby business while still enjoy ourselves and laughing. Adam and I looked forward to every appointment. Ultimately, we decided to have a water birth. It was the most amazing experience. It was a win of it's own just to be able to choose my atmosphere and who was with me. The tools I was given before the big push day really helped me through. I couldn't have done it so peacefully if it weren't for Adam, his mom, Ashley, and her team. The room was filled with all the positive energy and support needed. I will forever be grateful for the amazing experience and the help of delivering what I didn't know then but I know now a baby girl! Thank you for helping me bring my beautiful baby girl into the world!" -Taylor O.