Vanessa Valdes

08/22/2026

your placenta will be there for you…after all is said and done. when you’re postpartum and you need a boost 💗

07/17/2026

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Join us on Friday, July 31st from 11am to 1pm for our community baby shower event!

We will have music, fun family activities, brunch items, and special gifts for all new and expecting parents that attend!

Preregistration is required to attend this event. Interested families may register by visiting our SWAG Family Resource Center to meet with staff.

07/13/2026

hi, it’s me!

the truth is, even your greatest passion can burn you out.

after nearly six years of living almost exclusively on call, my nervous system needed a break. i don’t think we’re meant to live in a constant state of “on.”

i’ll say it louder for the people in the back: no one should have to be on call all year long.

during midwifery school, that was the expectation as a student. alongside classes and clinic, i was on call 2–4 weeks each month and in clinic 1–3 days a week. because i couldn’t afford to extend my clinical training (yes, you pay extra if it takes longer than three years), i said yes to as much as i could. i wanted to absorb every lesson + birth + opportunity to grow into a better midwife.

being on call meant staying within an hour of home, always having cell service, and skipping things like visiting family for the holidays or even floating on the river…just in case my phone rang.

maybe some people are wired for that. i wasn’t, at least not forever.

what i do know is that time with family, adventures without checking your phone, and not wondering if you’ll leave dinner for a birth have been deeply restorative.

there’s a reason so many midwives practice in groups: off-call time matters.

these past 11 months have been a season of deep integration. it’s allowed me time to let everything i learned settle in.

i’m looking forward to better boundaries, a sustainable practice with off call time, friends and family as non negotiable pillars of this next chapter 🤍🩵💙

07/13/2026

be like the crooked tree.

it’s imperfections spare it from the sawmill. while the straight trees are cut for timber, the crooked tree is left to grow.

there is freedom and resilience in not fitting conventional expectations.

07/11/2026

midwifery care is duality of life and death. we celebrate and grieve with you. we see families who grow their families with ease and hold the hands of those who pray and dream tirelessly of welcoming a little one to their family.

here’s a little bit of this and that from this summer. being alive is the gift of duality.

your midwife loves you!

07/10/2026

sometimes birth looks like wearing your favorite overalls + using ALOT of the skills you’ve learned to uphold the principle of midwifery care…to keep mom + baby safe + transfer appropriately. it took three sets of hand along with a short ride to the hospital to ensure continuity of care, so that the family felt seen + held

sometimes you put the overalls on the shelf and never wear them again lol

really grateful to get to complete the trauma response with all parties + debrief on all the levels. studies show the debriefing within a month of a hard experience with those present offers the most opportunities for healing/integration. additionally after a hard experience your brain looks for ways to compartmentalize/process and most times we can’t talk our way thru that part. playing tetris for 30 minutes within 24 hours of the event is a really GREAT way to help your brain process. it’s actually FREE emdr 🩵

the last pic is getting to hold 1/3 members of the family in my arms feeling like i would do it all over again. but seriously this was a tremendous opportunity for growth and lucky for me it happened just as i was feeling like i was becoming a midwife. the powers of birth + the importance of your team + their skill + steady hands + time spent with families learning about each other makes the difference when navigating biiiiig experiences

07/09/2026

birth sometimes looks like this.

a team you’ve carefully selected working together. sharing the load, working in shifts… one giving you back pressure and squeezing your hips. while another goes to boil water to keep the pool at the right temperature. a room of people who understand that sometimes the most powerful thing we can offer is our grounded and attentive presence.

07/08/2026

this is what it looks like to cross a threshold. after you’ve been squeezed and stretched beyond your edges and you are met with a big loud cry.

throwback wednesday…when i was invited to be a part of my neighbors midwifery care + homebirth. i will cherish those moments 5ever

07/08/2026

midwifery care is low tech and high touch which means we utilize more than just tools to ensure the wellbeing of you and your baby.

these are most of the tools needed to do a newborn exam besides a pulse ox

-gloves to assess latch, oral ties, patent palette and more
-a stethoscope to listen to baby lungs, heart and bowel sounds. we learn your babies rhythmic hum long before they are born and can assess their health with what we know and what we hear
-measuring tape to see how big your babies head, chest, abdomen and overall length from head to toe
- and last but not least our hands. this is likely our most valuable and the most crucial component of our care. we take our time, checking for the nuances between what we anticipate to find versus what your baby was born with. we do this by assessing symmetrical shape/ placement of all the other teeny tiny features like eyes,ears,spine, hips, sacral dimples and everything else that make your little one unique!

07/06/2026

💙🤍🩵

Here is our current home birth availability. Spring is shaping up to be a busy baby season! If you've just found out you're pregnant and wanting to start care with us, don't wait to reach out! Although we are full some months, we have unlimited availability for those just wanting prenatal/postpartum care only and plan to deliver in the hospital.