Jamie's introduction to midwifery was during her first pregnancy and home birth. The feeling she had of being informed and empowered to make decisions throughout both of her pregnancies is what she seeks to provide in her own practice, helping each woman envision and realize their own definition of a healthy pregnancy and fulfilling childbirth experience, wherever that happens to be. Her experience as an infant and pediatric acute care nurse and as a nurse-midwife in birth center, hospital and home birth settings means she can be bridge between the normal, natural aspects of pregnancy and birth and the medical considerations that are sometimes necessary.

Jamie grew up in Oregon City. She attended Linfield College for her bachelor's degree in nursing and worked as a nurse in Colorado for nearly 10 years before receiving her master's degree in nurse-midwifery from the University of Colorado. Hiking, skiing and kayaking and spending time at home with her family gardening and cooking are among her favorite things. She has two boys with whom she enjoys sharing nature and urban experiences.

While her love of midwifery began as a volunteer nurse working in a birth center just out of college, Gina's ability to really connect with laboring people, empathize and validate their experience grew after the birth of her son. As a midwife, she's worked at free-standing birth centers throughout the country supporting mostly Spanish-speaking mothers and families, and learned from home-birth midwives in Mexico and Central America. She is passionate about providing family-centered, quality health care to women during motherhood and appreciates the opportunity to care for women and families through multiple pregnancies and births.

A Midwesterner by birth, Gina received her bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her master's program took her to the University of Colorado-Denver and she's continued her westward migration ever since (with a stop in Texas). She enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, and finding oceans, lakes and rivers to go swimming.

Kori is a devoted advocate of natural birth. With more than 10 years of birth center experience, she feels called to help women and families greet their babies in a peaceful and powerful manner through natural, unhindered childbirth.

Kori supports physiologic birth while ensuring safety, both physically and emotionally, for women and babies. In addition to walking women and families through pregnancy, birth and postpartum, Kori is committed to caring for the LGBTQ community in conception, wellness and health, birth and the transition to parenthood.

Kori received her bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Notre Dame and her bachelor’s in nursing and master’s in nurse-midwifery from Columbia University. Her experience includes well-woman care, gynecology, family planning, prenatal and postpartum care and attending births in the hospital, birth center and home settings.

Kori and her wife have a toddler daughter and infant son. Together, they enjoy spending time outdoors, visiting friends and hosting dinners. Kori also loves to travel and explore new places and cultures.

Catherine fell in love with midwifery after attending a home birth in 1979 as a naturopathic medical student and then birthing her first child at home the year later. In the 35 years since, she birthed three more babies of her own at home—and has attended more than 1,500 home, birth center and hospital births—helping women and couples begin or continue their lives as parents. Through her experience, Catherine has developed a deep trust in the birth process and the ability to greet whatever unfolds with respect and awe, using her training as both a nurse-midwife and naturopathic physician.

Catherine received her bachelor’s degree in science and anthropology from Portland State University. She received her doctorate in naturopathic medicine with a specialty in natural childbirth from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland and her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing and nurse-midwifery from OHSU.

Catherine and her husband live on a farm where her husband is responsible for a small private school. When she is not catching babies, Catherine enjoys being with her grown children and grandchildren, digging in her  garden, making herbal preparations and sewing.

Carissa felt a deep calling to midwifery from age 17. After graduating from the University of Portland's School of Nursing in 2000, she dove into midwifery, volunteering as a maternity nurse at Holy Family Birth Center on the Texas/Mexico border. This confirmed her aspiration to become a midwife and helped her understand what an exemplary out-of-hospital midwifery practice (and community) looks and feels like. She spent the next 15 years having and raising three children (all born at home with Catherine Schaefer and Nora Tallman in attendance!) and assisting in births in a variety of birth settings. 

Carissa attended Frontier Nursing University for her Master of Science degree in nursing. Using her training in the ancient science of midwifery and modern, evidence-based care, she joined Catherine Schaefer in practice as a home birth certified nurse-midwife before they both joined the Midwifery Birth Center. Carissa enjoys teaching women about the fascinating thing that is their menstrual cycle and promoting a healthy and calm postpartum episode for both partners. She helps women with family planning, placing IUDs and discussing optimal use of natural family planning techniques. 

When she's not working, you may find Carissa jogging in the forest, hanging upside down or doing yoga, sipping some fabulous Nossa Familia Coffee or reading a parenting book on teenagers. 

Nora believes in the transformative power of birth—and the extraordinary strength of women. With 26 years of experience attending home and birthing center births and seven years as a nurse-midwife at OHSU, Nora knows that the presence of an experienced provider can help women access their inner resources to manifest the extraordinary through unmedicated birth.

Nora received her bachelor’s degree in art history from the University of California, Berkeley. She received her doctorate in naturopathic medicine with a specialty in natural childbirth from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland and her master’s degree in nurse-midwifery from OHSU.

In addition to helping prepare and support women in pregnancy, birth and beyond, she has taught and supervised midwifery and naturopathic students. Nora is also the author of The Inner Work of Birth, a book about coping in labor.

Nora and her horse, Tessa, train in a riding style called dressage (which she says is like ballet, Tai Chi and Pilates on horseback). She also enjoys gardening, quilting, cooking new recipes and daily meditation.

Michele remembers her own birth experiences—one in an in-hospital alternative birth center and four at home attended by midwives—as some of the most vulnerable and paradoxically powerful moments of her life. The tenderness with which her husband helped her through the intensity of childbirth, guided by their birth team, is the space she hopes to hold for families during their own experiences at the Midwifery Birth Center.

Michele has spent her career as a midwife facilitating individualized support for women and families to achieve their optimal birth experience in a variety of settings—home, birth center and hospital. She promotes wellness during pregnancy and beyond through practical nutrition, exercise and mindfulness.

Michele grew up in Jersey City, a train ride away from Manhattan and all the cultural experiences it offered. She attended Emory University in Atlanta for her bachelor’s degree in nursing, and Frontier University in Kentucky for her master’s in nurse midwifery. Her birth center experience also includes three years as a site visitor for the Commission for Accreditation of Birth Centers.

With five children, Michele spends a fair amount of time at athletic and musical performances outside of work. She also enjoys permaculture gardening and cooking.