about the practice
why strong work?
because birth is strong: powerful, fierce, demanding, robust
because birth is work: creative, productive, essential
because among the many wondrous natural events that unfold on this planet of wondrous natural events, none is more breathtaking than human birth
because among the many remarkable feats of human achievement, the birthing of a new human being is without match
because among the many acts of courage and heroism by humans, birth is first
because of the many gifts humans give one another, the giving of birth is certainly the greatest
because every human creation, achievement, gift, and grace follow from this
it is the strong work of those who give birth that makes every other human thing possible
about Mary
I’m Mary Moore, a midwife in Madison Wisconsin.
I wandered and explored and studied and worked at all sorts of interesting things for years before training in midwifery at Columbia and Yale Universities and being licensed as a Certified Nurse Midwife in 1996. I then worked for 10 years in clinic and hospital-based practices including a small community hospital in New England, Indian Health Service hospitals on the Navajo Nation, and Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi in southeastern Africa. Since 2007, I have worked exclusively outside the hospital setting, first in a freestanding birth center and since 2010 in my home birth practice.
I am moved, inspired and grateful every day to be invited to accompany birthing folks and their families in this remarkable, daily miracle. I love this work. It asks a lot. This is my place.
You won’t find me on social media, but I’m pretty easy to find in the garden.
philosophy
and commitments
The practice name centers and honors the fierce, courageous, loving and heroic work that is done countless times every day all around the world, mostly by women, and also by trans men and gender non-conforming birthing folks who put their bodies and lives in the service of another being getting on the planet. All of us came here through someone’s body. This stunning act of courage is so commonly an accomplishment of women that we forget how profound and enormous it is.
I want to live in a world that sees and values this important work. I’m committed to welcoming birthing folks and families — all genders, all ethnicities, all spiritual beliefs, all sexual orientations, all family configurations. Your unique self and place and history is treasured here.
I believe that birth goes best when we prepare, pay attention, support, and then mostly get out of the way. Occasionally more help is needed, and then it’s important to have the skills to provide that help.
I take care of healthy people who are experiencing healthy pregnancies and who seek to birth their babies at home. I also provide preconception care and well-person gynecology care for folks in need of Pap smears, assistance with conception, and referral to community resources.
I can’t make promises about how things will turn out. I don’t have that kind of magic.
I can and do promise respect, attention, competence, care, trustworthiness and honesty. And I promise reverence. And wonder. Curiosity about who you are and what you can do, and time and patience in its unfolding.
