Being the birth photographer, I’ve decided it would be fun to spotlight a Las Vegas midwife each month.  I hadn’t met Dixie before, but I remembered hearing her name as a child.  It turns out, she lived in the house behind my childhood home for a short time.  Yes, I’m a native.  And so is Dixie.

Dixie has been attending births since before I was born.  She originally wanted to go into nursing, but was disillusioned by the hospital staff when she was pregnant with her first child. Her thoughts then turned to midwifery and she knew that was the right place for her. Dixie shared a little bit about her early experiences as a midwife and said the second baby she caught came out face first!  She talked about her excitement for learning opportunities and being so grateful to those who trusted her at those first births.  Dixie says, “I believe education is of the utmost importance in the birthing process” (and I absolutely agree!!!).  She is a great example of that because she is always reading or researching something.

Meeting Dixie was like meeting someone you’d want for a grandmother.  She has a very calm and loving feeling about her.  Not mushy-gushy, but a true concern for one’s well-being.  Her office – although it didn’t feel like an office, I don’t know what else to call it – was filled with art depicting mothers loving their babies.  There was a gentle spirit in the room.

On her website, Dixie says, “We are all very different but also very much the same. We have similar problems, ills and concerns.  If we separate from one another then we are alone.  We need to come together in order to help and assist one another.  What I may know you might not and visa versa.  Thus we can help each other….There is no place for judgment of one another because we are all doing our best with what we know and what information we have available to us at the time.  What may work for me might not work for you.”

Some people are surprised that you see a midwife for your regular prenatal appointments, like you would an OB.  Dixie measured, listen to the heartbeat, and felt for the baby’s position.  She also took the mom’s blood pressure and tested her urine.  Yes, you still have to pee in a cup.  That’s quite a feat when you are 9 months pregnant.

As you can see, this mama is about to pop!  This may be Dixie’s first appearance on my blog, but it’s not her last!  Look for a birth post in the not-to-distant future!