Dr. Marissa Callender, CNM

02/07/2026

Valentine is coming... and so is a little reminder:

Safe s*x doesn’t have to be boring.
In fact… it comes in flavors. Literally.

✔ Textured condoms can increase stimulation while still reducing STI risk (CDC).

✔ Flavored condoms are designed for oral s*x only and help lower STI transmission in the mouth (CDC).

✔ Non-latex or ultra-thin condoms exist for people with latex sensitivity or discomfort (FDA).

Safe s*x is still s*xy.
Protect yourself, protect your partner, protect your peace. 💗






ValentineIsComing

01/25/2026

Yuh buy that carnival costume but did you schedule your Pap Smear yet?
Yuh know you on TikTok for 3 hours, but it takes 3 minutes to make your appointment.
Yuh know you booked that wax, but won’t let me check your cervix? 👀

✨January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month✨
Y’all already know what I’m about to say…
If you got a cervix, go get it checked!

Pap smear every 3 years starting at age 21.
Add HPV testing from age 30... every 5 years is cool if it’s negative.

Don’t wait. Don’t Google. Don’t ask your group chat.
Just make the appointment...
And yes, I’ll hold your hand (literally or spiritually 💅🏾).

01/09/2026

STORY TIME 📖

I was looking back at these messages from 2022, and my heart is so full. 🥹

It was a Saturday morning. I was out on my run when my phone rang.

One of the docs:
“Hey Marissa, you coming in today?”

I remember stopping and looking at my phone confused.

"Huh?"

“They have you scheduled for a 24 today.”

"Huh???"

I knew I didn’t put myself on for a 24-hour shift. I was 100% sure. What made it even stranger was that this wasn’t even my regular job!!!!

I was literally outside, running, living my best life.
Later I would find out it was a scheduling error on the supervisor’s part.

But in that moment, I just said,
“I’m out running right now… but if you give me a couple hours, I can be there by 10.”

So I finished my run.
And I went in.

Helping bring baby D into the world that day is something I’ll always hold close. Even though it was technically my day off—and technically a mistake—I guess that was exactly where I was supposed to be.

There were intense moments. And then there were laughs—like me calling her husband “Troublemaker” just to break the tension and make her smile.

But the part that still gets me… the part I didn’t know I was signing up for?

The connection didn’t end when they left the hospital.

Every single year since then, I get a message. Updates. Pictures. A thank you. Watching her daughter grow. Being reminded that I too mattered in that moment.

And now I’m here, anxiously awaiting baby D turning 4, somehow feeling proud from afar.

As a birth worker, you go into each birth hoping you make a difference... hoping you show up the way someone needs you to.

But realizing you left a mark that lasts?

That’s the gift.

That’s the part that fills my heart.

This is why I do what I do. ✨❤️



(Shared with permission)

01/03/2026

It is painful that Dr. Janell Green Smith, CNM — a Black midwife, maternal health expert, and Frontier Nursing University graduate — died from complications of childbirth in the United States.

We did not know each other personally. But we shared an institution, a profession, and a commitment to birthing people. And that connection alone makes this loss feel heavy.

Black women in the U.S. are 3–4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women — a disparity that persists regardless of education, income, or professional expertise. This is not about individual failure. It is about systemic failure.

That a Black maternal health expert could not be protected by the very systems she worked within is both heartbreaking and unacceptable.

At Frontier Nursing University, we talk about circling up...creating space to reflect, bear witness, and support one another in community. Today feels like a moment to do exactly that: to pause, to grieve, and to recommit ourselves to doing better for Black birthing people.

We will honor her legacy not only with words, but with action.

Rest In Power: Dr. Janell Green- Smith, CNM 🕊️

01/01/2026

01/01/2024

My 2023 work wrap up:

Babies delivered: 114
Girls 🩷: 58
Boys 💙: 56
Angels 👼: 2

It was an amazing year!

11/06/2023

11/04/2023

🌿👶 When your baby’s amniotic fluid turns into a botanical masterpiece! 🎨🌿

💚 🌿I always will love the beauty of ferning. 🌿💚

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10/28/2023

THE FULL MOON PHENOMENON 🌕

Old people say that the full moon might have some magical influence on pregnancy. 🤰🌊🌙

Some say it could trigger labor if you’re nearing your due date! 😯

Apparently they believe that the gravitational pull of the moon can move ocean tides and in turn play a part in your amniotic fluid too.🌊👶✨

Do you believe? Because, I do!!

Preparing my roller skates for my shift tonight. 🌙

10/27/2023

This is a repost from .ly
It was too cute not to share 🤍

“Thankful for every last ounce, including this last 1.5 oz.

I’ve never been able to just nurse. I’ve tried supplements, meds, and so many other things to try and help my supply. Ultimately I’ve always just done whatever was best for me and my babies. My kids have nursed and been bottle fed with pumped milk and formula.

Last night marked the end of this little chapter of my mom life story. This is the last bag going into the freezer for our youngest.

You’re happy and healthy, and so is mommy.”

10/24/2023

🩷October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!! 🩷

We are supporting those affected by breast cancer and continue to raise awareness for early detection. 💕