A MIDWIFERY PARTNERSHIP
At Foothills Midwifery, our model of care is built on a team approach—and that team starts with you. You are the most important part of this partnership. Midwifery care emphasizes client-centered support and informed choices, empowering you to decide what’s best for you and your family.
Alongside you, we believe a team of professionals creates more sustainable care and a broader range of services. Rather than a solo midwife model, you’ll have the benefit of working with a small group of birth midwives. This ensures that no matter who attends your birth, it will be someone you already know and trust.
Our team also includes a wellness provider, offering care beyond pregnancy such as gynecological services, annual exams, lab testing, contraceptive care, and more. We also collaborate with an ultrasound technologist, available on Saturday afternoons for both pregnancy and non-pregnancy ultrasounds. In addition, our birth assistants and advanced midwifery students play an important role in supporting families throughout their care.
At the Rose Cottage, there is a pediatric naturopath, nutrition coach, functional medicine practitioner, lactation consultant and two massage therapists.
You can get to know each member of our team by reading the bios below—we are honored to be part of your journey.
TERAH, LM, CPM, IBCLC
BIRTH MIDWIFE
When I had my first daughter at 16 years old, I later learned how fortunate I was to be treated with respect and dignity, and to have had an empowering experience. Midwifery care changed my life. As a single, teen parent, I set off on a journey to support my daughter and I. I worked as a medical assistant while attending midwifery school and now I have attended somewhere around 1000+ births as a midwife. I feel so fortunate to have been a part of midwifery for the last 15 years and in healthcare for the last 20 years. I have gone on to have five children who were all born with midwives! I am also proud to identify as Latina and Diné (Navajo). In addition to catching babies, I am a board certified lactation consultant, a professor at the Center for Indigenous Midwifery School, have degrees in Spanish/Latin American Studies, Psychology and am currently attending the University of Washington Physician Assistant Program in order to offer continuity of care to clients in the future. I have personally been impacted by how important midwifery work is and I am truly honored to walk beside you on this journey into parenthood. Terah is a licensed and certified professional midwife. In order to become a licensed and certified professional midwife, she attended midwifery school, went through several preceptorships, attended greater than 100 deliveries, attended thousands of hours of prenatal and postpartum care visits and underwent the state licensing exam as well as an extensive national licensing exam.
BROOKE, LM, CPM
BIRTH MIDWIFE
Brooke began her professional journey studying art and humanities at the University of Memphis. The births of her twin sons inspired a six-year midwifery apprenticeship, followed by a collaboration at CHOICES Memphis Center for Reproductive Health, where she helped to lay the foundation for the first and only freestanding birth center in Memphis, Tennessee. Her path blends clinical excellence with community care and the time-honored knowledge held within a midwife. In addition to working as a practice midwife, she is also the executive director for the Midwives Association of Washington State.
YAEL, SM
STUDENT MIDWIFE
“Greetings! My name is Yael Woods (prn. Ya-el). I am a senior midwifery student at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College. I relocated to Washington from Houston, Texas with my now 18-year-old son, Evan, in February 2024 – learning and growing in my midwifery journey. I am also a certified full spectrum doula specializing in fertility, birth, postpartum and bereavement for the last six years – and running my own business, Purple Lotus Fertility & Birth Services, supporting many moms, babies and families. I’m very excited to be joining the Foothills family as midwife Terah and midwife Brooke’s primary student. I’ve been deeply passionate about birth since watching my first episode of TLC’s “A Baby Tory” back in the 90’s and have known that I always wanted to be a part of the birthworld, but it wasn’t until I had my own experience with infertility and complex pregnancies that I knew I had discovered my purpose and my goal was to support as many women as I could through the process of pregnancy and birth. I became a full spectrum doula and a holistic reproductive practitioner in 2019 and as I continued that journey, I realized that physically and emotionally supporting women wasn’t going to be enough. I wanted to be part of the change in reducing the maternal and infant mortality rate for all women but especially black, brown and indigenous women. I began researching ways that I could advocate for women who looked like me. Being able to serve my community and provide a voice for those that are often not seen, heard or valued became the cornerstone of the work that I do. With each client I served, the pull to do more grew stronger and strong and I realized it was time to answer the call and follow my heart’s desire to become a midwife. Providing compassionate, heart centered, holistic care for women through all facets of the reproductive journey is what lights my soul on fire and why I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of your birth story. As we get to know one another you will likely learn that purple is my favorite color, I am a die hard Prince fan and that I love all kinds of music and writing. In my spare time, I love to go to concerts, Broadway shows, the beach and anywhere I can immerse myself in nature.”
TINNECA, LM, CPM
HOME VISITS
Tinneca has been a midwife for over a decade and has worked closely with midwife Terah throughout their midwifery careers. While Tinneca no longer attends birth, she is still immersed in the birth community by offering somatic therapy services, craniosacral therapy to infants and adults and runs an outdoor nature school (in addition to doing our home visits!)
BROOKE, CNM
WELLNESS PROVIDER
Brooke is our wellness provider. She provides health needs to clients beyond the 6-8 week postpartum period and to other community members who are looking for care for an array of healthcare needs. "The spark that ignited my passion for midwifery began 26 years ago sitting in a sacred women’s circle where a midwife shared the magic of assisting new life onto this planet. This was soon after my son was born and the midwife’s words of empowerment spoke to me. Although I did not have a challenging birth experience, it was not what I wanted and I did not feel empowered. I clearly knew, listening to the midwife that night, that I had found my vocation to support others during this great transition. I lived in Maryland at the time, where nurse-midwifery was much more prevalent than certified professional midwifery, and so I began my journey to become a nurse. In 1999, I became a RN and also became a single mom. I worked many years as a labor nurse, going to school part time, and finally graduated in 2011 with my Master’s Degree from Shenandoah University/Johns Hopkins University and became a Certified Nurse-Midwife. My training included both in and out of hospital birth. After graduation, I began a midwifery practice within a OB group in a rural part of MD which quickly grew to have 3 midwives and 25-30 births per month. It was very difficult to move on from my Maryland birthing community, but I was feeling the call to move west and to work with the First Peoples of the US. I was offered a position on the great Navajo Nation, where it has been a privilege to provide midwifery services for the last 6 years. I have attended over 1000 births in my 11 years, caring for both high and low risk clients. I am now heeding the call to the Pacific Northwest and am grateful for the opportunity to get back to my roots of out of hospital birth. I am honored to join the Foothills Midwifery group and support your family during your journey. " "Outside of my part time work at Foothills Midwifery, I am launching my Energy Healing Business called Journey with Brooke, offering spiritual and energetic support for all your reproductive needs, including conception, pregnancy, labor, birth, and beyond, as well as offering support to those experiencing transition in their lives. The work is offered in person or virtually. I am so appreciative of you perusing the site and feel free to take advantage of the FREE 30 min consultation."
Madison is our amazing office assistant and the friendly face that greets you when you arrive! She also answers our phones and helps keep everything running smoothly behind the scenes. We’re so grateful for her constant presence and all the ways she supports Foothills Midwifery. A proud northwest native, Madison lives in Buckley with her husband and their two children. When she’s not at the office, you’ll likely find her homeschooling her kids or shuttling them to various activities.
MADISON
OFFICE ASSISTANT
MIDWIVES MODEL OF CARE
"The Midwives Model of Care is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life processes.
The Midwives Model of Care includes:
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Monitoring the physical, psychological, and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle
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Providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support
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Minimizing technological interventions
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Identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention
The application of this woman-centered model of care has been proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section."
WHY MIDWIFERY?
Families choose out-of-hospital birth for many reasons. Common motivations include a sense of safety, the desire for fewer interventions, and the wish to have more control over the birth experience.
When pregnant people and their babies are carefully screened and determined to be “low-risk,” they are excellent candidates for midwifery care. Midwives dedicate significant time to their clients, which enhances safety through thorough screening while also fostering a strong relationship. This partnership creates a cohesive and supportive team for the birthing experience.
MIDWIVES ASSOCIATION OF WASHINGTON STATE
The Midwives’ Association of Washington State has established guidelines for Licensed Midwives to follow. I fully support these standards and, in nearly all circumstances, adhere to them in my practice. In addition, I support the Association through my annual membership.