http://www.fullwellmidwifery.com/

Full Well Midwifery, 4370 Starkey Road, suite 4E, Roanoke, VA (2026)

03/24/2026

In this photo, I’m performing a newborn exam while wearing my own baby. It wasn’t planned, it’s just what that day required.

And you know what? My clients not only respect this, they actively support it. They don’t want me to be away from my newborn for hours at a time because they believe what I believe: babies belong with their mamas, especially in those tender early months.

When these families came into care with me, they know from the beginning that a baby would be at their birth. They knew I would have a set of hands there to hold my baby if there was an emergency. And they chose me because I was the best fit for their family and their values. And very soon, my time wearing a baby at births will be over.

This is what community looks like. Women supporting women. Mothers caring for mothers.

Grateful for families who not only welcome my whole self, baby and all, but who celebrate it because they share the same values about motherhood and babies.

03/23/2026

Sunday Shares Vol 4 (If you want to be part of our SS series for a coming week and you are a past client please reach out we would LOVE to feature your birth story!)

Birth of Delilah June:

In a rush to beat the back-to-school shopping chaos, I took all three older kids out for clothes shopping. We shopped until we dropped, or in my case, until we had a baby! As I spent that Saturday evening washing all their new clothes and preparing their backpacks, I experienced Braxton Hicks contractions and significant pressure. This was normal and didn’t raise any red flags for me, as I had been having Braxton Hicks in the evenings for weeks. I decided to take a shower and lie down for the evening. While showering, I noticed my discomfort, but I told myself it was because I had spent 10 hours walking around shopping all day. I said goodnight to my older three kids and went to lie down.

Having Braxton Hicks in the evenings over the past few weeks, lying down always relieved them. However, after about 20 minutes of lying down and the contractions not going away but becoming more consistent, I decided to download a contraction timer app. Within 7 minutes, it advised me to go to the hospital. I thought to myself, “There’s no way, I think this app is junk.” I downloaded a second app, and it gave me the same message: “Please go to your nearest hospital.” I genuinely thought I had downloaded two junk apps and was not in labor.

I sent a screenshot of the timer to the group chat around 10:30 p.m. and went upstairs to use the bathroom. I realized I was bleeding and called Heather. She advised me to head to the birth center. I replied, “Eh, I think I’m okay?” (While trying my best to talk to her through a contraction). My boyfriend, who is a firefighter, was on a call, so I wasn’t sure if I could even get in touch with him to get to the birth center. There was no way I could drive 30 minutes to the birth center, and my son had hand, foot, and mouth, so having a home birth wasn’t an option (we didn’t want to spread germs).

By the grace of God, my boyfriend answered the phone, and I told him, “Uh, I’m having contractions. Heather advised us to head to the birth center, but no rush, okay? Oh my gosh, this hurts!!” He doesn’t recall the drive from the station to home. We quickly gathered the few items we needed and arrived at the birth center by midnight. We arrived just as Madeleine pulled up, and she smiled and said, “Are you ready to have a baby?!”. I managed a half-smile as I endured a contraction. She headed inside to get everything set up. We went in a few minutes later and she listened to baby girl’s heartbeat while I sat on the birthing ball—I heard a loud pop, and my water broke. Madeleine said, “Okay, contractions are going to get intense now”. I thought she was joking, but she was absolutely not.

I got into the birth pool on my knees and leaned over the side. Very loudly, I worked through contractions. At this point, I was in a different realm. Heather’s Apple Watch advised her to move to a quieter environment to prevent hearing damage. I don’t recall being that loud! But without much notice, we experienced the fetal ejection reflex, and our Delilah June made a swift entrance into the world and right into Madeleine’s hands! She was born at 2:33 am, which made the entire labor process a total of 4 hours. I praise God for that (and I’m sure Heather and Madeleine’s ears are also grateful)—

We exited the birth pool and made our way onto the bed, where Heather and Madeleine took exceptional care of us until we were ready to head home later that morning. It was truly the best day ever!

Side note from Emily’s birth team- Madeleine and Heather- our ears are all good and we are so grateful to have been a part of her bringing her sweet girl earthside 😅❤️

03/21/2026

There’s no rush to cut the cord.

This beautiful moment captures dad cutting the umbilical cord after it had stopped pulsing, allowing baby to receive all the blood and nutrients meant for them.

At Full Well Midwifery, we typically wait for the placenta to be born before cutting the cord. Most of the time, the cord is cut 20-45 minutes after birth, once it’s flat, white, and no longer pulsing.

Delayed cord clamping gives baby:

∙ Extra blood volume and iron stores that last for months
∙ Smoother transition to breathing on their own
∙ Better oxygen levels in those first critical minutes
∙ Reduced risk of anemia in infancy

At our births, we let physiology guide us. There’s no clock on the wall telling us it’s time. We wait until the cord is flat and white, no longer pulsing, often after the placenta has been born. Then, when the moment is right, a husband or family member gets to participate in this transition. My own daughter cut her baby brothers umbilical cord!

This is one of many ways homebirth honors the natural process. No unnecessary rushing. Just patience, presence, and trust in the design.

📷 shared with permission from this beautiful Full Well family.

03/21/2026

PLEASE SHARE!

We are so incredibly excited to share something close to our hearts here at Full Well Midwifery. We’ve been asked if people could send books for a lending library for our clients and community and the answer is a HUGE yes!

We’ve put together a registry filled with some of our most-loved resources on pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and newborn care – books we wish every mama had access to. When moms come to our community meetups, they’re welcome to borrow, read, and return. Because information shouldn’t be a privilege. 💛

We’ve also added some items we frequently loan out or give to families in need when we are able (and I’d love to be able to say yes and share these things more often) – things that can make a real difference but aren’t always within reach financially. Things like:

📖 -Empowering birth & baby books
-Prenatal vitamins & supplements
- Blood pressure & blood sugar monitors
🤰 - Belly bands
- Manual breast pumps
…and more

Whether a mama is navigating a high-risk pregnancy, preparing for birth, or figuring out breastfeeding in the middle of the night, these resources meet her right where she is.

Every single item on this registry, starting at just $5, goes directly into the hands of local mamas who need it. No item is too small. No gift is too little. It ALL matters.

If you’ve ever wanted to support a family in your community in a real and tangible way, this is it. You don’t have to know them. You just have to care and clearly, you do. 🤍

The link to our registry is in the comments below. Shop it, share it, pass it along. Help us fill our shelves and stock our lending cabinet so we can keep giving where it’s needed most.

“She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.”
Proverbs 31:20

Thank you for being the kind of community that shows up. We are so incredibly grateful. Let’s clean out this list 💪

Knowledge is power - and we want every mama to have it.

03/19/2026

Every baby enters the world the same way - with very little vitamin K on board. This isn’t a design flaw; it’s biology, and many believe it’s part of God’s intentional design - perhaps for a reason we don’t yet fully understand. Vitamin K doesn’t cross the placenta well, and breast milk, while incredible, contains only small amounts of it. Without this essential clotting nutrient, newborns are vulnerable to a condition called Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB) - rare, but when it happens, it can be devastating. That’s why this conversation matters so much to me.

So what about families who want protection but decline the injection?

This is where oral vitamin K deserves a real place in the conversation.

Oral drops are non-invasive, pain-free, and when followed correctly, they provide real, meaningful protection for your baby. This isn’t fringe medicine either. The Netherlands uses oral vitamin K exclusively, and countries like the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and much of Europe all offer it as a standard option. Japan routinely gives it three times in the first month of life. Millions of babies around the world have been protected this way.

Research points to weekly oral vitamin K drops for the first six months of life as one of the most protective oral regimens available - simple, consistent, and something a parent can do right at home. What makes it work is the follow-through. Each weekly dose matters, and having a provider who can guide you through the protocol makes all the difference.
If you’re a family weighing your options, this is a conversation I genuinely welcome. You don’t have to choose between the injection and nothing.

Oral vitamin K is a real, evidence-informed, globally-used option- and your baby deserves every layer of protection we can offer in those tender early days. 🤍

03/19/2026

A small change to our April Nurturing Motherhood Meetup!

We originally planned for April 4th, first Saturday of the month as usual, but we want to make sure our gathering doesn’t interfere with anyone’s Easter weekend plans and celebrations.

So we’re moving our meetup to the following Saturday: April 11th, 10-12, at our office on Starkey Road.

We’ll still have the amazing Dr. Kirsten from Empower Chiropractic joining us to talk about prenatal chiropractic care and answer all your questions!

Easter is such a sacred time, celebrating the resurrection and new life. We want you to be fully present with your families for that. And then the following week, we’ll gather together to connect, learn, and support one another in this beautiful journey of motherhood.

Light refreshments provided, all ages and stages welcome as always.

Mark your calendars for April 11th and we’ll see you there, mamas!

Celebrating new life in all its forms this season. 🌷

03/18/2026

“This is such an act of servitude.”

A mama whispered this to me recently as I gently washed her in the bathroom after she’d just brought her baby earthside, legs shaking, and hair stuck to her skin with sweat.
I was helping clean blood from her skin, caring for her bottom before we put on her postpartum diaper.

Tender work. Intimate work. The kind of care that happens in those sacred first hours after birth.

And she looked at me with tears in her eyes and said those words: “This is such an act of servitude.”

I told her the truth: it’s an honor to serve mamas.

It’s an honor to serve women in this way. To witness maidens become mothers. To care for bodies that have just done the impossible. To be present in the moments that are messy and beautiful and raw and holy all at once.

This is midwifery. Not just catching babies. Not just monitoring vitals and checking dilation.

It’s washing blood from trembling legs. It’s holding ice packs and preparing herbal baths. It’s helping a new mother to the bathroom when her body is still shaking from the work it just did. It’s the quiet, unseen acts of service that happen in the dim light of a postpartum room.

It’s being trusted with the most vulnerable moments of a woman’s life.

I get to witness families grow. I get to see strength that women didn’t know they had. I get to serve in ways that are tender and intimate and deeply human.
And yes, it’s an act of service. But it’s also a profound privilege.

This is why I do this work. Not for the “Instagram-worthy” moments (though birth is beautiful). But for the real, raw, sacred moments that happen in bathrooms and bedrooms and quiet corners.

For the honor of serving women as they step into motherhood.

For the privilege of caring for bodies and souls in their most tender state.

This is what it means to be a midwife. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

03/16/2026

Sunday Shares Vol. 3 - The Birth of Parker

I was 39 weeks and five days when I started noticing some action, I’d like to call it. Some cramping that was mild but tolerable throughout the day while at work. Being a first-time mom, I didn’t really know what to expect for myself despite listening to and reading others’ birth stories, so I kept my midwives and my husband in the know. When I got home, things started to pick up a bit. I was getting excited! It felt like Christmas Eve — maybe tomorrow I’ll receive God’s greatest gift! Overnight, I used the breathing tactics my husband and I had practiced and did my best to get rest, ignoring labor the best I could. I spent the majority of the night on the birth ball — the most comfortable place for contractions. They built slowly, and in between — still long periods of time — I would put my head down on the mattress and catch some z’s. JD and I were up most of the night, but despite that, come morning, my energy was high — to me it was Christmas Day!
Around 10 a.m., our house began to fill. It truly felt like a party! We had Rihanna blasting through the house and all the people closest to me and to our baby girl were arriving — most of my midwifery team, Heather and Madeleine, my doula Ayla, my best friend Bridget — all with the same level of excitement and energy, with food and supplies in hand! Everyone settled in and got set up as I hung out and relaxed in between contractions. Each contraction was growing stronger, and I would be on the birth ball while my supports swapped out, giving me strong hugs during each one. Looking back, it was such a beautiful way to feel comforted — a hug from your husband, your best friend, or your close confidant, a birth worker.
Things started to get a little bit more serious, and I stopped hearing or paying attention to the music. I really lost track of time and can’t tell you much of what happened in between, but I did labor in the warm bathtub with JD and that was very relaxing despite the intensity. My doula provided me with a birth comb, which became my best friend, but unfortunately I ended up breaking it! I felt the urge to push in the pool, and I think this was around 6 p.m. I wasn’t interested in a cervical exam, and my midwives felt comfortable trusting me and God to know when it was time to push. While pushing, I felt the pop in between my legs like a water balloon. That was when my water broke.
Despite the emotional and physical intensity of labor, there were many moments of laughter and joyfulness that I will never forget. At one point, we were giggling about my husband doing finger guns in every photo because he “didn’t know what to do with his hands.” Another time, I hopped out of the tub and was suddenly struck by a contraction and I dropped to all fours. After it passed, I sprung up and exclaimed, “Let’s move, people!!!” Another time, my best friend and my doula were holding my legs, and when a contraction came, I yelled, “Where’s my team?!? I need my team!!!” It’s these small moments of joy and laughter that I remember most and make me smile to this day!
I pushed for about two hours in various positions with really no progress. I felt discouraged, but I reminded myself that God designed me in this way, and whatever plan He had in mind, I would stick to. I had so much trust in Him and in my midwives — I felt very safe, and they frequently reminded me that I was. Amanda, my third midwife, had also joined the party by this time. When we did a cervical check, it appeared that I was not fully dilated; my anterior cervical lip was swollen, and my bladder was full. This meant that baby girl had many obstacles to make her appearance vaginally. In hindsight, she was also very malpositioned — posterior asynclitic — posing yet another challenge. The next steps involved draining my bladder with a catheter, taking some Benadryl, and then refraining from pushing through each contraction for about two hours to allow the cervical lip swelling to improve and baby to engage.
Those two hours tested my faith and mental fortitude. I remember clinging to my husband and crying for help from Heather and mercy from God. With all of the love and support from everyone in the house (even our dog), and by the grace of God, I made it through those two hours. I was fully dilated, the swelling improved, and it was time to push.
I was exhausted, mentally and physically, but one thing about birth is that once it starts, it doesn’t stop until the baby is here. I knew I could do it if I had made it this far. I used everything I had left in my body to push this baby out. In between contractions and pushes, I would fall asleep and apparently snore. I sat on the birth stool, my husband behind me, holding my upper body, laying his head next to mine on my shoulder. He would whisper in my ear and give me words of encouragement as I rested. I remember every time I would push, I received positive words: “You’re almost there,” “She is almost here,” “You got this, Momma,” “Keep going, lady — you got this,” “You’re so close to meeting Parker.” The thought of seeing my baby’s face Earthside, meeting her for the first time, was the biggest motivator.
In transition, I wanted to stand to push. I felt like I could mount more strength with gravity helping me, and squatting has always been a very strong position for me in an athletic sense. I stood next to our bed, squatting down, and pushed as hard as I could. JD, behind me, caught our baby. I didn’t hear her at first, but Heather, JD, and Bridget told me she was crying. They passed her through my legs to my arms, and I was so happy and relieved she was here. She had significant molding of her head, and so I immediately apologized to her for that! My team helped me to the bed to lay down, my baby on my chest and my husband and my best friend at my head. Everyone was excited. Parker Noelle was born at 12:17 a.m., 17 minutes into her due date, June 7, 2024.
Recounting my birth story brings a different perspective than what I can remember feeling at the time. There’s something that takes over in labor that’s driving you and telling you and your body and your baby what to do, and all I can think is that it’s all as intended by God and His perfect design.

03/14/2026

FW Midwife Madeleine had her baby shower for her sweet baby coming in May with some of the FW Team and some of our amazing clients!

03/13/2026

Meet Caley ✨
You may have already had the pleasure -her calm presence at your side during labor, her gentle hands feeling for baby’s position, pressed in close to hear that steady heartbeat. Caley is one of our amazing birth assistants here at Full Well, and she is so good at what she does.

Clients often tell us they felt instantly at ease with her, and honestly? We feel the same way. There’s something about Caley that just settles a room. Whether she’s supporting a mama through a wave of contractions, keeping little Cyrus happy so I can have my hands free, or simply sitting quietly and holding space — she shows up with her whole heart every single time.

We are so grateful she’s part of this team. Full Well wouldn’t be the same without her. 🤍

03/12/2026

The pediatrician’s office called to schedule our newborn’s first appointment.

A new mom told me this recently. She’d had a beautiful homebirth, and now, at 5 days postpartum, she was supposed to pack up her baby, get dressed, drive across town, and sit in a waiting room full of sick kids for her baby’s first checkup.

She was exhausted. Overwhelmed. Still figuring out breastfeeding. And the thought of leaving her house felt impossible.

“Wait,” she said to me. “You’re coming to my house tomorrow anyway, right? Can’t you just check the baby then?”

Yes. Yes I can. Because that’s exactly what midwifery care includes.

I’m your baby’s provider for the first 6-8 weeks.
During our home visits at 24 hours, one week, and two weeks, I do complete newborn exams. I check your baby’s heart, lungs, reflexes, muscle tone, weight gain, jaundice levels, everything a pediatrician would check in an office.

But I do it in your home. While you’re in comfortable clothes. While your baby is calm and fed. While you can ask me questions as they naturally come up.
I watch how feeding is going in your real environment, not under fluorescent lights with a timer ticking. I see how your baby responds to you, how your family is adjusting, what your actual day-to-day looks like.

And here’s the part that’s truly priceless: the care is cohesive.

I already know your birth story. I was there. I know how your baby transitioned, what the first moments were like, any concerns we had or interventions we used.
There’s no handoff to a stranger who’s reading your chart for the first time. No explaining your birth story to someone new. No fragmented care between multiple providers who don’t communicate with each other.

I’m caring for your baby’s growth and development AND your physical healing AND your emotional wellbeing, all at once. Because you can’t separate those things. They’re all connected.

This is holistic care in the truest sense.

Your baby gets comprehensive, skilled pediatric attention without exposure to waiting rooms during cold and flu season. You get the support you need without the stress of leaving your home. Your family gets continuity of care that honors the sacred transition you’re all navigating together.

In-home newborn care isn’t a luxury. It’s what postpartum support is supposed to look like.

And it’s one of my favorite parts of serving families through Full Well Midwifery.

Full Well Midwifery

03/24/2026

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