“one cannot actively help a woman to give birth. the goal is to avoid disturbing her unnecessarily.” ~dr. michel odent
***i am an apprentice trained traditional birth~intuit. i support and welcome ALL births and strive to preserve the physiological birth process. at this time i am working with a senior midwife who is overseeing me and my clients to help me achieve my credentials as a CPM. feel free to ask me what this means and why***
***i am an apprentice trained traditional birth~intuit. i support and welcome ALL births and strive to preserve the physiological birth process. at this time i am working with a senior midwife who is overseeing me and my clients to help me achieve my credentials as a CPM. feel free to ask me what this means and why***
education, trainings and certifications
birth intuit since 2014
current:
co-hosted mercy in actions midwifery assistant class audited hypnobirthing, spinning babies, VBACfacts, rebozo technique gina kirby method, hazelbaker institute breastfeeding doula
labor & birth experience includes: hospital, birth center and home birth, LGBQT, medicated and unmedicated birth, miscarriage, loss, and abortion support, twins, interventive and non-interventive birth, cesarean birth, high-risk birth, VBAC support, water birth, gentle/family centered cesarean support, TOLAC and planned cesarean support, home birth transfer, gestational diabetes, dismissal from care provider, and drug addiction support.
birth intuit since 2014
current:
- indie birth midwifery school july 2017 ~current
- appalachian ohio school of herbal medicine 2017~2018
- DONA doula trained october 2013
- toLabor doula trained july 2014
- midwifery assistant certified august 2015
- neonatal resuscitation certified under karen strange 2015 and audited in 2016, 2018
- cpr certified
- rebozo certified
- midwifery apprenticeship 2015~2016 under 2 highly respected CPM's
co-hosted mercy in actions midwifery assistant class audited hypnobirthing, spinning babies, VBACfacts, rebozo technique gina kirby method, hazelbaker institute breastfeeding doula
labor & birth experience includes: hospital, birth center and home birth, LGBQT, medicated and unmedicated birth, miscarriage, loss, and abortion support, twins, interventive and non-interventive birth, cesarean birth, high-risk birth, VBAC support, water birth, gentle/family centered cesarean support, TOLAC and planned cesarean support, home birth transfer, gestational diabetes, dismissal from care provider, and drug addiction support.
cortnie swies - wife, mother, and lover of all things birthy. supporter of intuition and women's rights |
my journey into birth support began when i was just five years old. my mother was in labor at home, and i sat next to her with my honeycomb watch that i had gotten out of a box of cereal as a prize. i timed her labor pings and felt incredibly important using my math skills to figure out the duration and frequency of them so my mom could focus and go deeper into her labor. most of my memories of early childhood have faded but that day with the honeycomb watch is embedded forever in my mind. years later my mother invited me into the labor room to witness the birth of another sibling. what she thought would scare me only cemented my feelings about being a mother. how could bringing a new life into this world be scary? from that point forward i knew i wanted a big family and to dedicate my life to mothering those who welcomed me. the devotion i have to my family has shaped me into the birth worker i am today. the same deep love, support, and connection i try to have with my children i want to share with every woman who crosses paths with me. i am honored to have served so many women and families thus far. it is not easy to bring a complete stranger into such a sacred intimate moment. but those who have blessed me with this opportunity have become more to me than just a client. we are family.
i don't believe everyone should have a baby at home. you should have a baby where you feel the safest, the most secure, and most protected. but i do believe the best medicine for a person in labor is continuous care. it makes your labor shorter and your impression of your birth better. choose a team that makes you feel secure.
prenatal care is not one size fits all, but informed consent is
putting women back at the center of care
putting women back at the center of care