Naomi Lara, DNP, MPH, APRN, CNM

I have always been drawn to the sacred space of birth. I trained to become a birth doula before becoming a nurse. I loved partnering with mothers and their partners, learning their stories, and being a witness to their incredible strength during such a momentous and life-changing event. My work as a birth doula is what motivated me to go back to school to pursue my RN license. I fell in love with women’s health while volunteering as a public health nurse at an immigration and refugee resettlement agency in Philadelphia. My experience there, working with mothers, is why I wanted to become a midwife vs. staying an RN. I love the patient-centered, patient-led approach of shared decision making that is so foundational to midwifery care.