Meet Brooke Ray!
“How we are born is important. Depending on the circumstances, birth can be transformative or demoralizing. A calm and peaceful gestation and birth experience lays a foundation for a peaceful temperament. A gentle birth promotes bonding and sensitivity to others which has life-long consequences for the individuals involved, as well as for society.”- Brooke Ray, CNM
Brooke's Story
- Brooke is a certified nurse midwife who has dedicated 20+ years to helping more than 2,000 San Diego families give birth their way.
Her desire to become a midwife started with the births of her 3 children, the last two of which were born at home. In awe of the birth process and what a defining life moment it was for her, she wanted to experience it over and over again. After many years of training and experience she has the privilege of calling herself a midwife. Midwife means “with woman” and as a mother and practitioner, Brooke finds home birth to be the setting that most allows her to truly be “with woman”.
How did she get here?
- Apprenticing with Santa Barbara Midwives
- Becoming a certified doula by ALACE (Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators)
- Becoming a Registered Nurse, then achieving her Certified Nurse Midwife degree at the University of California, San Diego.
- 6 years as a nurse-midwife at UCSD Birth Center
- Working many years per diem at Best Start Birth Center
- In September 2005, she returned to her homebirth roots, her original inspiration
Brooke’s guiding principles in midwifery are:
- Safety First
- Birth is a normal physiological event
- A midwife should never be the center of attention at a birth, she is there to serve and witness
- Routine, insensitive medical interventions should be avoided
- Birth should be sanctified, not institutionalized
