"The first time I spoke with Katherine on the phone early on in my pregnancy, I hung up the phone and cried because I finally felt like I had found the woman who would welcome my baby into this world. Throughout my pregnancy she gave solid, educated support for my every need. She is devoted to her clients and always available night and day.

As a scientist, I admire the logical way Katherine approaches medical issues of pregnancy. She is well-read and researched and has common sense and strong intuition. She explained my choices thoroughly while providing scientific evidence as well as her opinions when I asked for them. I have always had complete confidence that Katherine was giving me the highest quality care possible.

My birth did not turn out as expected, and I ended up transferring to a birthing center and my baby was delivered by Cesarean section. Katherine was with me in body and mind through my difficult labor. She was respectful of my desire to stay at home as long as possible, while ensuring that my baby was doing well on her journey to the outside. What would I have done without her? She advocated for me while at the birthing center and was highly respected by the hospital staff.

Katherine was invaluable to me during my postpartum. Between troubles with nursing early on, a body recovering from labor and surgery, and a mind trying to process my birth and the overwhelming joy of new motherhood, Katherine was a rock. She was present when I needed her, and her compassion helped to ease my transition. How sad I was to leave her care at 6 weeks pp! I miss seeing her weekly!

My husband was also incredibly grateful for Katherine's calm, reassuring, and protective presence during our labor and postpartum. She was there to support him as well, and recognized that a birth is a powerful thing for a partner to experience, too.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Katherine! Our little family is so fortunate to have found you!"  -Emma B.

"To find such a person to enhance a glorious life experience as having a son born naturally in the home is not mere luck, but a true blessing.  Your expertise, experience and compassion was a welcome package as you provided answers and options at every turn that infused us with calm and confidence, heightened our awareness of choices and were prepared to help us defend them, always available and in touch at every moment.  What might have been an impersonal institutional event controlled by others was instead tailored desires of mother and family.  Thank you, thank you Katherine for who you are, the voids you fill and our son’s Gentle Landing.
With Love and Gratitude from the Smith family"

“Throughout my pregnancy I was very much focused on a VBAC birth, but I felt I was going it alone. I read everything I could get my hands on and started prenatal yoga at home. When I met you, your caring, supportive, reassuring and non-judgmental attitude was exactly what our family needed. I will never forget the morning I called you when I needed a pep talk and you knew exactly what to say to bring me a sense of calm and peace in myself.”  -L.S.

"...In the short time that we've known each other, my entire existence has changed in profound ways. You helped me find my inner strength. The strength I always had but was buried deep within me. I learned to trust myself and to listen to the whispers inside. They guided me to make decisions for myself without regard for those who may disagree." -Becky

“...I also appreciate fully, the intimate care and regard you have given me, from encouraging my full openness to my emotions, physical experience and all realms of energetic health and well-being.  I feel better prepared on this journey as you’ve walked along with us.” -J.

"Katherine was amazing during my home birth experience. I wish I had all three of my children at home as she not only helped me deliver my baby, but she nurtured my soul as well. Katherine gives the whole woman care, not only physical care, but spiritual care. I couldn't have been happier with my home birth experience. Thank you Katherine! We love you!" -Angelina

" I came to Katherine a couple of months pregnant with my second child, having just lost my husband, and she gave me not only excellent prenatal care in a medical sense but also gave me courage and rallied community support for me in becoming a single mother to my new baby and my toddler.  She was always available for any questions or needs I had and provided amazing support during labor for pain relief/management.  I plan on having her as a midwife for any future children I have, and I feel blessed to have had her attend the birth of my daughter." -E.F.

"...I also want to thank you for helping me make my dream a reality. When I first came to you I did not fully believe it was possible for me to have a vaginal birth, let alone at home after my cesarean first birth. You gave me a prenatal experience where I was well-informed, intimately involved in decision-making and fully at choice. I was able to give birth to my daughter in exactly the way I wished with absolutely no regrets." -H.

"It's been two years since my daughter was born at home surrounded by family, just the way I hoped and so different from my previous hospital birth experience.  I no longer remember exactly why her bowels weren't moving as expected during the first couple days of her life.  What I DO remember is Katherine visiting us many times, applying various gentle techniques to try and prompt things along, and ultimately, Katherine calling our baby's doctor to ask his availability on a Friday evening, and him showing up in our home 10 minutes later to confirm that we were on the right track.  Sitting with my family, holding my newborn, in my own bedroom, with my loving and attentive midwife and physician both nearby to soothe my concerns, I remember telling myself, and later discussing with my husband and friends, 'THIS is what post-partum care should be like!' "  -Janna C.

"There are so many wonderful things I can say about Katherine, but I think the best way to sum up her love, grace, tenderness, and wisdom is to simply say this:  Katherine almost makes me want to have a third child, just to be able to visit with her more often... almost".  -Katie Chivington, Hyde Park, VT

“I am so happy to be working with you again. I feel at ease and completely comfortable in our teamwork. I treasure this time together.” -Katie Lane-Karnas

Blessing for My Midwife

May you be blessed
with endless caring arms
for the comfort and compassion you
give so freely to others.
 
May your life be full of joy and laughter
for the new lives that you have ushered
onto the earth that have filled endless
homes with joy
 
And may you always be accompanied by
love and strength on your journey
as you have traveled with us on ours.

-S. & J.

“…We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping to bring both our children into the world.” -R.

“…We are so lucky to have found you and your practice. Your peaceful and loving demeanor is contagious. You helped me be incredibly confident in labor, and I know my husband would have had a very hard time without your support of him. In the end, even though I had to go to the hospital for my birth, yur strength beside us reinforced our optimism, patience and courage which gave us such a positive start in our lives and our new family.”  -E.

“During labor you helped keep both me and my partner guided through the entire process so we could stay connected. What a wonderful and amazing birth experience we had.”    -H.

"What I would like to speak to about Katherine is her incredible intuition and her skill.  I remember Katherine’s voice when I first called her and what she said to me, she was so right on.  Her ability to listen deeply amidst the turbulence of the mind and speak to what is important, calms those mental waves and allows you to stay focused on what is important.  
And then on another level, she's physically grounded in her work and skill and knowledge as a midwife; she's able to draw blood with skill and smoothness.  Katherine was thorough in tending to all the details of healthy pregnancy.  And it was like that at the time of birth!  She and her team were like angels tending to all that needed tending to... so that I could labor.  I had nothing to worry about but birthing and welcoming our newest little one into our lives.  Once you have your baby in your arms, Katherine literally tucks you in with your family and tends to EVERY detail. She won't leave until it's all done... and then you can rest, truly and Thank God for this beautiful Life."   -W.B.

"I arrived on Katherine's doorstep, or rather she arrived on mine, at eight and a half months pregnant. My partner and I along with our 4 year old were brand new to Vermont, and we found a wise and courageous caregiver in Katherine. Our sweet boy, Theo Sailor was born at home on the last day of 2011 after just a few short hours of labor. Katherine arrived in the nick of time, and caught our babe. Our family was wholly impressed and forever touched by Katherine's love and care."
- Stephanie Daugherty-Dennis

"We moved to VT about 18 weeks into our second pregnancy. Our family was at a challenging crossroads in a lot of aspects and we had just moved half way across the country and didn't know a soul.  We interviewed multiple midwives as we chose our new provider. As my family entered Katherine's office, for the first time since our arrival in VT, we felt a calm.  My husband and I knew immediately this is where we were meant to be.  With each visit, we were enveloped with love and peace.  Katherine listened with such skill and intuition; she connected with our entire family, not just me and baby. Many friends back home were so uncertain when they heard we were planning a homebirth, and I just couldn't explain how I had never felt more safe.  "You just need to meet my midwife, you would totally I understand" I said time and time again.  Though we have since had to leave VT, my birth and the relationship built with Katherine is, by far, one of my fondest memories and experiences.  I eagerly await the day where I can tell my son about this amazing spirit who helped me bring him into this world."  ~ Carrie L.