Meet Stella…

Where it all began for me was in Oregon in 1998, when, as a young mother of two, I began studying under my own midwife. As my children grew over the next dozen years or so, I wove in and out of multiple apprenticeships with a few different midwives.

In 2012 I completed my final apprenticeship and graduated from Via Vita Midwifery Foundation, gaining licensure in 2013 from the State of Alaska as a certified direct-entry midwife (CDM), and as a certified professional midwife (CPM) through the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM).

Along the way, In addition to providing care for birthing families, I did other types of caregiving work, as well— for elders, and in supported-living environments for developmentally-disabled adults. I also attended births with private clients in hospital settings as a DONA-certified doula, which opened my eyes to the world of the medical model of maternity care.

Doula work helped to define for me what I could offer in a different space for people birthing at home. It also taught me the importance of having good relationships with all sorts of providers in the wider community, and how to navigate the hospital world with respect, as a good “midwifery ambassador.” This has served me and my clients well on occasions when we’ve had to transport.

I have worked alongside nineteen different midwives over time, which has been invaluable for gathering a multitude of different skills and seeing a wide variety of approaches. I’m so thankful for the well-rounded education this has provided me. Learning continues forever.

Ultimately, the kaleidoscope of these experiences was formative in developing my own style and sensibilities, which always comes back to providing holistic care that honors the uniqueness of each person and their sovereignty in choosing whatever they know is best for themselves.

As the creatrix of Village Herbals—a company I founded in 2005 and sold to a friend in 2022—I offered classes and private wellness consultation and developed a line of herbal formulas geared toward the childbearing year. These are still in use by mothers and midwives throughout Alaska, and beyond.

Herbs and other natural remedies are an integral part of my practice, and available for clients that desire that approach. These offer diverse options for addressing common things that often arise during pregnancy, labor, birth, and through the fourth trimester. As an early mentor of mine once said of herbalists, “Doctors are the kids with the 8-color Crayon box; we’re the kids with the 64-color box.”

I’m grateful to carry a dynamic toolkit—one that gives us ways to actually enhance health, not just treat disease.

I stepped away from midwifery for a while to focus on expanding my herbal practice, but birth work is my heart’s truest magnetic North; it always calls me back.

In 2026 I reopened my doors as Origin Story, through which all of these tributaries come together, bringing a holistic approach to care for my clients.

Credentials:

CDM, Certified Direct-Entry Midwife, State of Alaska

LDM, Licensed Direct-Entry Midwife, State of Oregon

CPM, Certified Professional Midwife, North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)

CLC, Certified Lactation Counselor, American Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP)

ICEA-Trained Childbirth Educator, International Childbirth Education Association

Current certifications are maintained in neonatal resuscitation (NRP) through the American Academy of Pediatrics (NRP), and in Basic Life Support (BLS)— advanced CPR for health professionals

Professional Memberships & Affiliations:

State of Alaska Board of Direct-Entry Midwives https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/Midwives

Midwives Association of Alaska https://www.midwivesofalaska.com

Oregon Health Authority Board of Direct-Entry Midwifery https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/hlo/pages/board-direct-entry-midwifery.aspx

Oregon Midwifery Council https://oregonmidwiferycouncil.org

National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM) https://www.nacpm.org

Citizens for Midwifery https://www.citizensformidwifery.org

Evidence Based Birth https://evidencebasedbirthacademy.com/dashboard/

“Birth is not only about making babies. Birth is about making mothers - strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength.”

-Barbara Katz Rothman