Dorinda Dove

MS, CNM

With more than thirty years experience working as a nurse and a midwife in hospital and birthing center environments, Dorinda’s gentle and thoughtful manner inspires confidence in birthing families.  As OB/Gyn faculty, she taught at Baylor College of Medicine.  She graduated summa cum laude with a BSN from the University of Delaware and was awarded an MS in Nurse Midwifery at SUNY Stonybrook.  She is a member of the American College of Nurse Midwives and the Delaware Perinatal Cooperative task force.  Dorinda published the results of a research study on the efficacy of using Evening Primrose Oil during pregnancy.  Dorinda also worked with the Peace Corps helping to implement and evaluate the oral rehydration program for children in Malawi, Africa.  She joined The Birth Center in 1995.

Dorinda says, “I love sharing the joy and excitement of an expectant family and feel it’s a privilege to be a part of their experience here.”

Kathleen McCarthy

CNM, MSN

Kathleen has been practicing as a nurse midwife for over fourteen years.  She received her Masters degree in nurse midwifery at University of Pennsylvania. Kathleen is one of the co-owners, but has retired from catching babies.  Currently, Kathleen’s focus is on holistic women’s healthcare, women’s health education, holistic menopause, childbirth education and empowerment workshops.

Kathleen says, “Practicing as a nurse midwife is one of the most rewarding journeys I have ever taken.  It has brought me from  hospital birth to my beloved home at The Birth Center.  I have learned much from my experiences with women and families.  Most importantly, it has taught me that we all have the right to make well informed educated choices and that all women are powerful beyond measure and have an innate ability to know what is best for them.”

Sarah Updegraft

CNM, MSN

Sarah has been involved in issues of women’s health and safety since her college years (the first time around!) at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating with a degree in Cultural Anthropology and Latin American Studies in 1995, Sarah worked for non-profits in San Francisco, CA and Austin, TX. While working at a shelter for battered women and children in Austin, Sarah had her “a-ha moment” when she met her first midwife….she finally knew what she really wanted to do with her life! Sarah moved back to Cleveland, OH, where she had been raised, and graduated from Cleveland State University’s first accelerated BSN program in August 2003. Sarah and her husband, Paul, then moved to Philadelphia, where Sarah started work on Labor and Delivery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. While Sarah learned a great deal there, she knew it was not the place for her. She wanted to provide a different kind of care. While newly pregnant with her first child, Sarah found The Birth Center in Bryn Mawr, PA. Six months after her first birth center baby (Henry) was born in May of 2004, she started working there as a nurse. Sarah continued working toward her goal of becoming a CNM by starting her midwifery studies at the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing when her second birth center baby (Anica) was 8 months old. Two-and-a-half years later, Sarah completed her midwifery studies. She was very committed to continue working in an out-of-hospital practice and was thrilled when The Birth Center, Holistic Women’s Health Care had a position available. Sarah feels privileged to become a part of this practice that honors and supports all stages of a woman’s life.

Nicole Black

Nicole Black CNM, MSN, WHNP

Nicole grew up in Wilmington and is excited to be offering care in her hometown.  She received a Bachelors degree in Neural Behavioral Psychology from Bryn Mawr College.  Following her graduation from Bryn Mawr, Nicole spent time working in Child-Maternal Health with the Peace Corps in Madagascar, East Africa.  She later returned to school and received a Bachelors of Science in Nursing and a double Masters of Science in Nursing, specializing in Nurse-Midwifery and Women’s Health Care, from the University of Pennsylvania.

Prior to becoming a midwife, Nicole worked as a maternity nurse at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.  While she learned a great deal in the fast paced, high risk environment, Nicole did not have the time nor space to provide the quality of care that she desired to give to the families that she served.  Prior to her midwifery graduation in 2006, Nicole completed her internship at The Birth Center. Catching babies at TBC felt like the perfect fit.  Following graduation, Nicole was a staff midwife at TBC until May 2011.  Her first son was born at TBC in 2008 and in 2011, her 2nd son was born at home.  After the birth of her 2nd child, she left TBC for an extended maternity leave, nesting with her boys full time.

In the fall of 2012, Nicole returned to TBC.  She feels strongly about the level of care and education provided at TBC, and enjoys the cozy home-like atmosphere.  Sensitive and thoughtful mind/body/spirit care for women of all ages and stages of life is important to Nicole.

“I have the best job in the world.  What is better than catching babes?!  I feel so honored to share in such a powerful and personal time of life with the amazing, varied families that walk through our door.”

Katie Mansur

CNM, MS 

Katie decided to become a midwife while pursuing her first
Bachelors degree in Gender and Women’s Studies at The University of Rochester in New York.  This led her to the high-tech, fast-paced world of New York City for an education at The Columbia University School of Nursing.  She studied in clinics around the city, but didn’t feel like she understood the true
 meaning of midwifery until she got to train under a homebirth midwife in 
Lancaster, PA.  Before and after graduation, Katie worked as a labor and delivery nurse.  Her first midwifery job was in a small private practice where she attended over 300 births.

Coming to The Birth Center, according to Katie, is like “coming home.”   “I get to give women the type of care I would hope to receive myself.  I am so very excited to be a part of this loving family.”

Sarah-Grace Webster

Sarah-Grace Webster MSN, CNM, WHNP

Sarah-Grace has loved caring for and helping women with their health and pregnancy since she was in high school. She graduated with her Bachelor’s in nursing from Messiah College, and worked as a nurse for 5 years.  She first worked as an ICU nurse, than spent several years as a labor and delivery nurse in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Sarah-Grace then went on to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania as a Certified Nurse Midwife and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. She loves to travel and has been to Guatemala, Belize, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Portugal and many different places across the United States. Sarah-Grace says, “The Birth Center feels like home to me and I am very excited to work here!”

Peggy Lutes

RN, CH 

Peggy has been working with birthing moms and dads for over 30 years. She received her RN from Bryn Mawr Hospital and worked there as a labor, delivery and postpartum nurse.  Her love of teaching was obvious even then, when she developed classes in Baby Care and Breastfeeding for the couples at the hospital. She was trained by Childbirth Education Association and is certified as a Childbirth Education Specialist.
She moved to New Jersey, worked at Garden State Hospital in their labor and delivery unit and worked at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in their Antenatal Testing Center.  She assisted with the set up and was Head Nurse of the Antenatal testing unit at West Jersey Health System in Vorhees, NJ.
Peggy moved with her family 20 years ago to Delaware and worked at St Francis Hospital in their labor and delivery. She came to the Birth Center 13 years ago as part of St Francis and loved it. It really is a wonderful place for families to have a special birth experience. Her first grandchild Adeline was born at the Birth Center in 2006.

Peggy is a Consulting Hypnotist, a Certified Hypnobirthing Educator, Certified HypnoFertility Therapist and founder of Gentle Healing Hypnosis.

Peggy says, “After attending the first birth at the Birth Center I really felt that I went full circle in my career and was thrilled to be back where birth is still considered a miracle of life.”

Katie Madden

RN, BSN, IBCLC

Katie graduated from The University of Maryland School of Nursing in 2004.  She worked in the Postpartum/Antepartum Unit at The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for 2 1/2 years before taking some time off to stay home with her Birth Center baby, Lucy.  Katie gave birth to Lucy in the Yellow Room in July 2006 and it was the most amazing accomplishment of her life.  Katie joined the Birth Center family in October 2007.  She was certified as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in October 2009.  Katie says, “To me, The Birth Center is community in a world full of people turning a blind eye to one another. My clients and coworkers are my friends, my family and my teachers.  I watch as women become mothers and befriend and support one another.  It is so rare in this world today to have such a sense of community.”

Justine Sosnowski

RN, BSN

Justine joined TBC staff as a nurse in May of 2010.  She has always had an interest in caring for women and children.  During her time at the University of Delaware, she continued to explore this interest and began to focus on a more holistic aspect of care for patients.  Prior to graduation, Justine completed her final clinical rotation at The Birth Center.  She was happy to have had such a wonderful experience, and even more excited to join The Birth Center family after graduation.

Justine says, “I feel lucky that I am able to witness this special time in each of the families lives, and provide encouragement and assistance to both women and mothers.  The Birth Center has a broad support system for women and I am thrilled to be a part of it”

thebirthcenterrn@gmail.com

Tyler Wilson

RN

Tyler graduated from the Harcum College School of Nursing in 2005. After training at AI Dupont Hospital for Children, Tyler became a Visiting Nurse caring for newborns, grandparents and everyone in between. She has attended families as both a birth and postpartum doula for 20 years and has received training with Ina May Gaskin at The Farm Midwifery Center in Tennessee.
Tyler believes whole-heartedly in natural childbirth and has witnessed time and again women dig down deep in those hardest part of labor to access their true essence of strength and power. Having given birth to two boys naturally herself, she believes that this experience is the greatest gift a woman can receive as she begins her journey into motherhood.