We Partner With You As YOU Give Birth
01.
MIDWIFERY PRACTICE
A midwife is a trained health professional who specializes in the normal processes of pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. Our role is to provide a personalized and evidence-informed experience, partnering with you throughout your maternity care. We also work with women of all ages and offer yearly exams, preconception counseling, and health & wellness education. We believe that it's your right and responsibility to educate yourself regarding all aspects of your healthcare and support you as you make decisions for yourself and your baby.
02.
HOME BIRTH
Women who give birth at home have greatly reduced risks of experiencing medical interventions. The very first intervention in birth takes place as the mother leaves her home, gets in a car, and travels to the hospital. Once admitted, she becomes a patient, and often routine interventions follow (hospital gown, blood draw, IV, continuous electronic monitoring, restrictions of movement, and denial of food). All too often, once the cycle of medical intervention begins, it ends with a cesarean birth. We believe that birth works best when the normal physiologic process is understood and honored.
03.
OUR CARE MODEL
Our midwifery practice is a little different than most in Indiana. As two midwives, our collaboration permits us to share each individual's maternity care, giving you a quality experience. Both midwives will partner equally with you throughout your pregnancy, so you are familiar with your care team during labor, delivery, and postpartum, whether both midwives or a midwife and birth assistant are present.
We Value & Honor Childbirth
OUR PHILOSOPHY OF CARE
We believe that the experience of pregnancy and childbirth is a profoundly emotional, spiritual, and physical experience that has significant meaning to the mother, her family, and her community. We value and honor pregnancy and childbirth as one of life’s most pivotal experiences and do not regard pregnancy as an illness. We believe that the birth process works best when unnecessary intervention is avoided.
We believe that midwifery care is a partnership between a pregnant person and her care providers to achieve optimal health and well-being. We believe that nutrition, exercise, information, and social and emotional support can enhance a woman’s health and well-being during pregnancy. In addition to identifying complications, our prenatal care is designed with this goal in mind. By entering into partnership with Wabash Valley Midwives, you are expected to take an active role in your prenatal care and make informed decisions for yourself and your child.
Before entering into midwifery care, it is important that you understand your responsibilities as well as those of your midwives. In order to make home birth as safe as possible, midwives must make the determination that a birthing person is a “good candidate” who is at low-risk for complications.
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“Before working with Barb and Samantha, I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to find a midwife who respected my wishes for my birth, but the midwives were exceptional, and I would recommend them to anyone wanting a home birth.”
Adrian
Samantha Brinkerhoff
Certified Professional Midwife
I grew up on a family farm in Paris, Illinois. I attended Greenville College and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Religion. During college, I lived and studied in Egypt, Jordan, Israel, the West Bank (Palestine), Syria, and Turkey while participating in a semester abroad program. I became so enthralled with that part of the world that I continued my studies at the American University of Cairo, located in Cairo, Egypt, and graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Middle East Studies. I spent two years teaching at the Arab American University in Jenin and lived on campus in the West Bank.
Before my own pregnancy, I honestly never gave midwifery much thought. All that changed, when I experienced midwifery care and birth at home. Giving birth was all at once the most difficult, most spiritually profound, and most empowering experience of my life. Knowing how important pregnancy and birth are, I found a new passion in serving women during the childbearing year. I became a doula, a childbirth educator and taught prenatal yoga. After supporting birthing families in these roles for several years, I decided to answer the call to midwifery.
I attended Southwest Wisconsin Technical College and graduated in December of 2017 with a Degree in Direct Entry Midwifery. During my 2 years of clinical training, I attended home births primarily in Indiana, but also trained under midwives in Daytona, FL. In 2018, I became a Certified Professional Midwife through the North American Registry of Midwives.
I reside in my hometown with my husband and two children. I enjoy reading, hiking, and practicing yoga. I love to travel and learn about new places.
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“Working with Wabash Valley Midwives, I was able to take control of my birth and my own body. It was refreshing and healing.”
Arika
Barbara Purnell
Certified Nurse Midwife
I became a Registered Nurse in 1992 and have worked as a pediatric, nursery, and newborn ICU nurse, and a childbirth educator and doula. I retired from nursing in 2006 to homeschool my 7 youngest children. I have 11 children, 5 of whom I gave birth to, including a set of twins and 3 VBAC’s. I was not aware of midwifery until the birth of my last child in Indianapolis. The care I received and the sense of empowerment and independence I learned from the midwifery model of care won me over. I felt that this was the way it should be.
Over the years I have provided labor support for friends and family members in both home and hospital settings, and with physicians and midwives, and my love for midwifery grew. After the beautiful home birth of my grandson, I started looking at midwifery schools. I graduated from Frontier Nursing University in 2017 as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse with a Masters in Midwifery and obtained my certification from the American Midwifery Certification Board, and licensure through the Indiana State Board of Nursing.
I live in Clay County, Indiana on a small homestead with my husband and youngest daughter. I enjoy growing our own food and learning better ways of doing things. We raise beef, chickens, turkeys, and ducks, and are looking at adding sheep or goats again. I enjoy gardening and maintaining my young orchard. I enjoy watching YouTube videos on how to do things, reading, crocheting, and working Sudoku puzzles, but most of all, I enjoy spending time with my family.
