Meet the Midwives
Victoria Dean CPM,lm
Primary MidwifeMy journey to midwifery starts at the beginning, when I was born at home in New Mexico into the hands of a skilled midwife.
I was lucky to attend a small alternative charter school, and from 7th to 12th grade the school mantra was "how will I fit into the world?" During my senior year of high school I was able to shadow a homebirth midwife in my community; I sat in on prenatal appointments and held newborn babies and I was welcomed into some births.
After high school I took a year to get the prerequisites for midwifery school and off I went to Portland, Oregon to become a midwife! I graduated in 2017, and was trained by a mix of brilliant Certified Professional Midwives and Certified Nurse Midwives.
I have been lucky to work in birth centers and homebirth, deep in the city, deep in the country, both coasts, and in the desert west. In 2021, I moved to Philadelphia to be a midwife with a friend and classmate from midwifery school and have called it home ever since.
Going into my tenth year as a midwife and rounding the corner to 450 births, I feel grounded as ever in my craft and still smitten with this work that I have been called to do.
When I'm not working I take care of my houseplants, I have reluctantly started to wear earplugs at concerts, I can still rally for a few karaoke nights a year, and I spend time with my beloved dog who has gotten sassy in her aging years.
Natasha Vita
Student/Assistant Midwife Stories of home birth were woven throughout my childhood in Tijeras, New Mexico. My grandmother gave birth to my mother in a meadow; I was born in my parent’s bedroom; My sister in the living room. I could tell that my mother not only held her midwife in the highest regard but also loved her. When I was twelve, my closest friend’s mother was planning a home birth. I will never forget waking up in the night and rushing to their home. I watched my mom boil pot after pot of water for the midwives, as they filled the birth tub in her bedroom. This quiet calm fell over them as they worked seamlessly together. As I witnessed the entire process of birth at home, I was mesmerized. By morning, I knew I wanted to be a midwife.
In pursuit of this, I started my first apprenticeship in 2019 with Santa Fe Midwifery and preceptor Elena Stauss. I adored working with Elena. From her, I learned the steady and loving care that it takes to bring a baby into the world. She developed trust & long lasting connections with her clients & their families. During the three years I trained with Elena, the more eager and determined I became. In 2021, to continue my training I moved to Austin, Texas to work for a high-volume birth center. This provided me with a different perspective, and added some invaluable experience to my skill set.
I then moved to Philly to be the apprentice of Victoria Dean who has been a wonderful teacher and friend over the years. I have now attended almost 300 births!
It is such an honor to work alongside Victoria and I cannot wait to be a midwife!