Breath of Life Midwifery, LLC - Roanoke, VA

03/17/2026

There must be something in the air this time of year… ☘️

Or maybe it’s the magic of a little extra love, a little extra laughter, and just enough mischief to make a baby. 😉

St. Patrick’s Day always has me thinking about all the sweet little souls that will be arriving just in time for the holidays.

What else do I think of? Precious little ginger babies. Let’s be honest—

✨ Ginger babies are unfairly cute! ✨

The cheeks. The hair. The personality already turned all the way up.

So here’s your gentle reminder—

If you’re out here making babies this St. Patrick’s Day, you deserve more than rushed appointments and unfamiliar faces when it’s time to bring them earthside.

You deserve care that actually knows you.
You deserve continuity.
You deserve a midwife. 💛

Because how you’re cared for during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum matters just as much as the magic that started it all. Those babies deserve care from providers who truly love them… even if they’re not a ginger 😘

So whether you’re already expecting, planning, or just feeling a little ✨ festive ✨ tonight…

We’re here when you’re ready. ☘️ Call us early… We have limited availability around the holidays.

— Breath of Life Midwifery



📸 Jessica Hutchind

03/16/2026

Hello perinatal professionals and family related organizations/groups. We are expanding our resource list and need your updated information. If you would like to be on our referral list, please add your information on this link:

We are building a resource list for families and birth professionals. We would love for everyone to fill this out and give us permission to share your information with others. Please be honest and open. Leave blank any answers you are uncomfortable sharing.

03/15/2026

Black Midwives Day 🖤

Black midwives have long been the backbone of community birth.

For generations, they carried knowledge passed down through families and communities. They showed up in the middle of the night, traveled long distances to reach laboring mothers, and supported birth with wisdom, skill, and deep trust.

They cared for the whole family — before, during, and long after the baby arrived.

Their work was never just about catching babies.
It was about protecting mothers, advocating for families, and honoring birth as a powerful and sacred life event.

Today, their legacy continues.

And it matters now more than ever.

Black women in the United States are still 3–4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. This disparity is not about biology — it reflects systems that too often dismiss, ignore, or fail to protect Black mothers.

Black midwives have always been part of the solution.

Continuity of care.
Listening.
Advocacy.
Community-rooted support.

These are not new ideas. They are the foundations that Black midwives helped build.

Today we honor the midwives who paved the way, the Black midwives serving families today, and the future midwives rising up to continue this work.

Birth work is justice work.
And the legacy of Black midwives continues to shape what respectful, community-centered maternity care can look like.

Today and every day — we honor you.

In addition, I’d like to wish our very own Shay Brown a Happy Black Midwives Day. So proud to have you as part of our team.

03/12/2026

COLLABORATION SPOTLIGHT 🔦

Pregnancy changes everything about the body — and support matters.

As baby grows, the pelvis shifts, ligaments soften, posture changes, and muscles compensate. For many families, chiropractic care becomes an important part of staying comfortable, balanced, and supported throughout pregnancy and postpartum.

Chiropractic care during pregnancy may help support:
• Pelvic balance and alignment
• Reduced back, hip, and pelvic discomfort
• Better mobility and comfort
• Optimal space for baby’s positioning

One technique commonly used during pregnancy is the Webster Technique — a gentle chiropractic analysis and adjustment focused on pelvic balance and the surrounding ligaments. The goal is to reduce tension in the pelvis and support a more balanced environment for baby.

And chiropractic care doesn’t stop after birth.

Postpartum bodies are healing while also feeding, lifting, carrying, and sleeping in entirely new positions. Gentle chiropractic care can help support recovery and comfort during this transition.

Newborn chiropractic care is extremely gentle and may help support nervous system regulation, feeding comfort, and overall adjustment to life outside the womb.

As a midwife, I’ve seen the difference this care can make.

Dr. Kimmie at Chernichky Family Chiropractic - Botetourt Chiropractor is an ICPA certified provider of the Webster technique, perinatal, and pediatric chiropractic. Thanks Dr. Kimmie for providing excellent care to so many of our families and my family as well! ❤️

Collaborative care matters. When providers work together to support families, everyone benefits. 🤍

03/08/2026

Today is International Women’s Day, and I have the privilege of spending my life witnessing the strength of women in its most raw and powerful form.

As a midwife, I see women on the days they doubt themselves… and the moments they realize just how strong they truly are.

I see women grow babies, grow families, and grow into new versions of themselves.

I see women breathe through fear.
I see women advocate for their bodies.
I see women bring new life into the world with a power that can’t be measured.

Birth is one of the clearest reminders that women are not fragile.
We are capable.
We are resilient.
We are powerful beyond what most of us were ever taught to believe.

It is an honor to walk beside women during one of the most transformative seasons of their lives — not leading the way, but holding space while they discover their own strength.

Today we celebrate women everywhere.
The mothers.
The daughters.
The birth workers.
The quiet supporters.
The ones finding their voice and the ones helping others find theirs.

And the babies who enter the world through their strength. 🤍

Happy International Women’s Day.

03/07/2026

✨The 6 Week Visit: The Bittersweet Goodbye✨

There’s something about the 6 week postpartum visit that always feels a little bittersweet.

For months we’ve walked closely beside a family — through pregnancy questions, growing bellies, late night texts, labor, birth, and those tender first days of learning a new baby.

By the time we reach that final postpartum visit, the clinical pieces are often simple. Healing is checked. Baby is weighed. Feeding is discussed.

But the relationship that has grown over those months is anything but simple.

Midwifery care is different because it’s built on continuity and trust. We see you again and again. We learn your story. We sit with your worries, celebrate your milestones, and witness one of the most transformative seasons of your life.

So when that last scheduled visit arrives, it can feel a little like closing a chapter.

But at Breath of Life Midwifery, it’s not really goodbye. ❤️

Once you’re part of this community, you’re always part of it❗️💯

We love continuing to watch our families grow, seeing babies we once caught learning to crawl and walk, and reconnecting with parents months or even years later.

That’s why we host a community gathering on the 3rd Friday of every month for both current and past clients. It’s a chance to reconnect, share stories, ask questions, and stay connected with the families and midwives who were part of your birth journey.

Because midwifery care was never meant to end at six weeks.

It was always meant to grow into community. 🤍

03/05/2026

✍️ Shay Brown (BoL midwifery student AND client)

These photos tell one story but they hold four seasons of care.

Prenatal.
Labor.
Birth.
Postpartum.

The same midwife. The same steady hands. The same familiar voice.
And that matters more than people realize.

Black women in the United States are 3–4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. Not because of genetics. Not because of education. Not because of income.

Because we are too often unheard. Dismissed. Rushed. Not believed.

Continuity of care changes that.
When you see the same provider throughout pregnancy, they know your baseline.

✨They recognize when something is “off.”
✨ They understand your fears, your history, your body.
✨ They don’t just see a chart, they see you.

❣️Trust isn’t built in a 10-minute appointment with a rotating provider.
❣️Trust is built over months.

Through belly checks and hard conversations. Through tears. Through laughter. Through advocacy when it matters most.

In these images you see:
✅ A provider who knew my pregnancy before labor ever began.
✅ A provider who stood steady during birth.
✅ A provider who showed up after when the world gets quiet but the healing is still happening.

Continuity of care isn’t a luxury.
🤱🏾For Black mothers, it can be a protective factor.

It means:
➡️ Being believed when you say something feels wrong
➡️Having someone who will escalate care if needed
➡️Reducing unnecessary interventions
➡️Lowering stress which directly impacts outcomes
➡️Feeling safe enough to surrender to the process of birth

Maternal health equity isn’t just about statistics. 📈It’s about relationships. ❤️ It’s about advocacy. It’s about consistent, culturally responsive care.

❗️Every mother deserves a provider she trusts.
❗️Every birth deserves a familiar face.
❗️Every postpartum season deserves continued support.

This is what continuity looks like. And for us, FOR ME, it made all the difference.

And it makes a difference with every family Crystal & Amanda help. YOU matter. And that make sure that you never doubt that.

03/04/2026

Happy IBCLC Day! 💛

An IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) is a highly trained specialist who helps families navigate breastfeeding—from latch and milk supply to pain, pumping, and feeding challenges. Their support can make a huge difference in helping parents meet their feeding goals.

At Breath of Life Midwifery, LLC - Roanoke, VA, we believe that nourishing babies and supporting families is a community effort—and we are so excited to announce a new collaborative partnership with Shanna Toms Reynolds with TLC-Team lactation Care of Southwest Virginia.

Through this partnership, our clients will now receive:

✨ A comprehensive breastfeeding class during pregnancy
✨ A prenatal lactation consultation to prepare for feeding and answer questions

Best of all, there is no extra out of pocket cost for our clients!!!

If postpartum lactation support is needed, Shanna will be ready to support you. She does visits in your home, in her office, or in ours! She even accepts all major private insurances and has a special rate for self-pay families.

Breastfeeding can be beautiful, empowering, and sometimes challenging—and having expert support makes all the difference. This partnership allows us to provide even more seamless care from pregnancy through postpartum.

We are so grateful to work alongside the compassionate expertise of TLC Lactation and to continue expanding the circle of support for the families we serve.

Happy IBCLC Day to all the amazing lactation consultants helping babies thrive and mothers feel confident in their feeding journeys. 🤱🏽

03/03/2026

Shanna Toms Reynolds from TLC-Team lactation Care of Southwest Virginia came to the 2026 Professional Birth Doula Workshop on Saturday to teach all about lactation support and collaboration.

I was honored to speak today at Breath of Life Midwifery, LLC - Roanoke, VA for their doula training. I got to talk about what we do as IBCLCs and our role in pregnancy, birth and beyond.
It’s always a pleasure to be around Crystal Mullins Fink and her team of amazing birth workers 💜

- Shanna

03/03/2026

VBAC is not just about where you give birth — it’s about how you are supported.

A vaginal birth after cesarean requires intentional preparation: understanding your birth history, choosing evidence-based providers, nourishing your body, and building a team that protects physiologic labor. Emotional healing matters just as much as physical readiness. Confidence grows when families are informed, heard, and surrounded by people who truly believe in their body’s ability to birth.

Research consistently shows that midwifery care increases VBAC success rates. Why? Because midwives are trained to protect normal physiology. They use patience instead of pressure, movement instead of restriction, and continuous support instead of routine intervention. They are skilled in recognizing true risk while also understanding that a prior cesarean alone is not a reason to manage labor with fear. This balance of vigilance and trust makes a measurable difference.

For appropriately screened, low-risk candidates, home and birth center VBAC can be a safe option. In these settings, the environment itself supports oxytocin flow — privacy, autonomy, freedom of movement, nourishment, water immersion, and continuous hands-on care. Lower intervention rates, fewer inductions, and reduced cascade effects contribute to higher VBAC rates overall. Safety comes from careful selection, clear transfer plans, and experienced providers — not from routine hospital protocols alone.

VBAC preparation looks like:
• Reviewing operative records
• Addressing prior birth trauma
• Optimizing nutrition and body balance
• Hiring a skilled midwife and doula
• Creating a calm, supportive birth space
• Understanding true risks vs. perceived risks

When families are educated, supported, and given access to midwifery-led care, VBAC becomes not just possible — but powerful.

Birth after cesarean is not reckless. With the right preparation and the right team, it is evidence-based, safe, and deeply restorative.

03/02/2026