BloomWell, a Birth Center by Belly to Cradle

05/25/2026

Happiest of birthdays to TWO sweet babes this weekend! Saturday, we helped welcome a little boy who proved labor, when allowed to progress undisturbed, shows us when something just isn’t working within the process. After getting to almost complete fairly quickly, this mama worked so hard to bring her baby down with such strong contractions that lack of descent and complete dilation over many hours caused concern for a fit issue, so we headed over to our friends at HCA for some pain relief so mom could relax and get rest while labor continued. After many more hours, it was clear baby just wasn’t going to be born vaginally, but her birth was still peaceful and controlled, and for that we are all so thankful!

Yesterday, another first time mama came in after patiently waiting to meet her babe far beyond her due date. After many hours and such strong work, she welcomed her baby with so much excitement from dad that there was barely a dry eye in the room! Thank you to our newest (but very veteran) doula, Rachel, for all the help!

Congratulations to these families! It’s always such a privilege to witness these birthdays, especially when everyone has been honored, loved, and kept safe through the process 🐝

05/19/2026

Yesterday we helped welcome a sweet little guy who just wanted to do things his own way!

The sixth kiddo after five totally uneventful births, this not-so-little man decided to try to be born in a brow presentation — the rarest of all presentations in active labor. After trying alllll the things for several hours, instead of switching to an occipital presentation, he simply swapped to a face presentation. So off to our friends at HCA Florida West we went to help him be born safely via cesarean.

Happy Birthday, sweet boy!! We know your parents are SO happy and relieved you’re here safe and sound. ✨🐝

05/18/2026

We are in the business of three main things: compassionate, evidenced based care mixed with informed consent, safety in practices, and patient/parental choice. Any intervention suggested for your baby should be a mix of all three, always! And as such, especially with the rise of risks and deaths associated with refusal of Vitamin K, we must share this sort of information with all of our patients. Not to coerce or to force but to TRULY insure we are sharing correct information that could save a life, and so that all of our patients have this potentially life-saving information so they can make the best choice for THEIR babies.

A lifesaving injection given at birth to prevent severe bleeding has become collateral damage of the anti-vaccine movement.

05/13/2026

A tribute to patience, surrender, and strength ✨
To warm water and a peaceful birth space.
To relaxation, trust, and the calm that carries me through.
To my Midwifes steady hands, my partner’s unwavering support, and the love surrounding this journey.
To warmth, courage, and the quiet power within me.
This birth is powerful.
This journey is sacred.
I am strong. 🤍

05/11/2026

Introducing another BloomWell team member 🐝 Meet Caitlin if you haven’t already!

Originally from Northern Arizona, she made her way to Florida as part of an Air Force family, bringing with her a heart for service and a deep appreciation for community. After the birth of her second son, she discovered there was no experience quite as profound as bringing life into the world. That life-changing moment became the spark that led her toward birth work.

In 2023, she began her journey as a doula with Belly to Cradle, stepping into a role that allowed her to walk alongside families during one of the most meaningful seasons of their lives. Following the birth of her youngest son in early 2024, she transitioned into the role of birth assistant, continuing her calling with even greater purpose and passion.

For her, birth work is more than a profession—it is a privilege. She finds deep fulfillment in supporting families through pregnancy, labor, birth, and beyond, offering compassionate care, steady encouragement, and unwavering support every step of the way. She understands that every birth story is unique and sacred!

Whether standing beside a laboring mother, offering reassurance in uncertain moments, or celebrating the first breath of new life, she brings heart, dedication, and genuine compassion to every family she serves 💕

05/09/2026

Mother’s Day is a celebration of so many parallel journeys—pregnancy, birth, toddlerhood, raising children to be adults, and walking alongside those adults for the rest of their lives.

Mother’s Day can also be a day where grief is acknowledged for loss. Lost pregnancies, lost babies, lost mothers, the loss of hope of being a mother.

It is found in the quiet strength desiring to carry life, of carrying life, bringing life into the world, and the gentle hands that nurture it every single day after.

Motherhood is soft and fierce, wonderful and terribly difficult.

Today, we honor every mother, every birth story, every sleepless night, every whispered prayer, and every heartbeat that changed everything. We honor those who have desired to be mothers, those who are mothers with empty arms, children who have lost their mother. And those whose mothering or childhood experience with their mother was difficult.

We are thankful for the women who give so much of themselves so others may grow.

Gentle. Powerful. So, so complex.

Wishing you a gentle Mother’s Day 🐝

05/09/2026

Today we highlight another dedicated BloomWell Birth Assistant 💕

Melissa McCann’s journey is a beautiful reflection of dedication, compassion, and unwavering service to others. From her beginnings as a Pennsylvania native and nursing graduate from York College of Pennsylvania in 2010, she has built a career centered on caring for the most vulnerable—newborns and children in need of specialized support.

Her path led her first to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters in Norfolk, where she discovered her passion for neonatal care. Through every move brought on by her husband’s Navy career—from Virginia to Tennessee and back again—Melissa continued to serve with excellence, compassion, and purpose. At Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, she not only cared for pediatric patients across multiple specialties, but also took on leadership in RSV prevention for vulnerable populations, showing her commitment to both bedside care and broader community health.

In 2016, she returned to the NICU, where her heart had always been, and later expanded her impact by becoming an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Her work supporting mothers, infants, and families through some of life’s most delicate moments speaks to the depth of her empathy and expertise. Whether at the bedside in intensive care or providing guidance as a full-time lactation consultant, Melissa has consistently brought comfort, strength, and healing to those around her.

Since arriving in Pensacola in 2022, she has continued that mission at Belly to Cradle, serving as both an IBCLC and birth assistant—helping families welcome new life with confidence and care.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Melissa is a devoted wife, mother, and constant source of support for her family. Whether cheering for her son Liam on the soccer field, watching her daughter Payton on the volleyball court, or enjoying a quiet moment with a good book, she carries the same warmth and dedication into her personal life as she does her career.

If Melissa impacted your birth experience or breastfeeding experience at BTC/BloomWell, give her a some love 🐝

05/08/2026

We are so blessed to have had a steady, reliable, tight-knit birth team for several years now—and we would love to share all of our team members with you (if you haven’t already met them at your visits or births!) From taking turns being on call for births, supporting families in between listening to heart tones and filling birth tubs, terminally cleaning the birth rooms, to participating in drills and trainings and yearly reports, these amazing humans have helped make this birth center as supported and sustainable as can be!

Today’s spotlight is on Hollie Carlisle who was a doula with us for several years before transitioning to birth assisting.

“I am originally from New Mexico but moved around because of the military. Together my husband and I have 6 children. I am one of 6 kids so a big family just feels normal.

After giving birth to my last baby, I decided I wanted to help women feel empowered. I attended a CAPPA doula training in 2018, then started my own doula business called Baby Love Birth Services and began my journey in birth work.
In 2019 I joined the Belly to Cradle team. I worked as a doula and served many wonderful families. After 4 years as a doula, it was time to take the next step in my career.

In 2022 I became a birth assistant for Bloomwell. What a privilege that has been! I get to work with other women who believe in physiological birth. I enjoy watching women help other women discover their strength.

In my spare time I enjoy hanging out at home with my large family, line dancing with friends, being in the sun and traveling.”

Give Hollie a shout-out if she attended your birth!! 🐝 🐝 🐝

05/02/2026

Tonights full moon brought us a sweet repeat family welcoming their second baby girl! This family arrived at the birth center with just enough time to fill the birth tub and settle in before their little one made her entrance! Mom and dad were both shocked at how quickly birth happened since they spent many hours laboring with us the first time. We’re always so grateful and honored when families choose us for their births again and again. Happy Birthday, sweet girl 🌕🐝💕

05/01/2026

Last night we were so blessed to support the sweetest mama as she gave birth to her fourth little one in the water with her three other babies looking on. She came to us after birthing with Amber during clinicals (her babe was Amber’s fifth catch in clinical!) and may be the closest to a pain free birth we’ve seen in quite a while! We just love this family and are so happy to have served them again in a different setting and way 💕