Spotlight: Tianna Dean, RN

WBWC’s nursing staff is expanding! Tianna Dean, RN moved to NC from Texas to join us as a full-time nurse. Since September, she’s been providing labor, delivery, and postpartum care, as well as doing home visits.  Her warm, comforting bedside manner, thorough knowledge of women’s health, and dedication to the midwifery model of care have made her an excellent addition to our team.

Tianna graduated from Southern Union State in Alabama and has been working as a nurse since 2013. Her husband’s career as a US Army Ranger has given her the opportunity to provide nursing care across the country. She has worked at large Level I trauma centers in Columbus, GA and El Paso, TX, and has served our military women and spouses at Martin Army Medical Center.

She gained invaluable experience as a labor and delivery nurse in a high-risk setting. However, her strong desire to provide nursing care in an out-of-hospital setting inspired her to make the big move when an opportunity to work at WBWC arose.   She is passionate about supporting women through empowered birthing choices, education, and excellent quality care. Tianna is continuing her commitment to women’s health care by pursuing her Master’s at Frontier Nursing University and plans to become a midwife.

Outside of work, Tianna stays busy raising her 5 amazing children, ages 7 months to 17 years, entertaining, and decorating her home.

“I am blessed to be able to serve women every day, and I gain a wealth of wisdom from the amazing midwives and nurse practitioners I work with!”

Spotlight:Nancy Albrecht, RN, BSN, IBCLC

Nancy Albrecht, RN, BSN, IBCLC is celebrating her tenth year as a WBWC clinic nurse and lactation consultant! Over the past decade, she has made extraordinary contributions to the WBWC and its clients.

In many ways, Nancy has been the face of the birth center. She is the kind nurse on the phone, patiently and thoroughly answering questions about pregnancy, health concerns, and breastfeeding. She is the knowledgeable and compassionate lactation consultant helping a new mother work through a difficult breastfeeding challenge. She is the leader of breastfeeding classes, teaching groups of parents the ins and outs of feeding their newborn. She is always willing to help wherever and however she is needed; she has even worked as labor nurse on a particularly busy day, attending a birth with her daughter, midwife Jessica Albrecht!

But her behind-the-scenes work at the birth center has been equally important. Nancy's hard work and dedication led to the birth center being designated as a Baby Friendly facility in 2010. There are multiple criteria that must be met to earn and maintain this designation -- including continuing staff and patient education, helping to initiate breastfeeding within the first hour after birth, and establishing breastfeeding support groups -- and Nancy has helped to ensure that WBWC has successfully met these goals year after year.  She has played a key role in establishing birth center breastfeeding policies. She is continually improving documentation protocols for LCs and finding ways to integrate communication about breastfeeding issues among LCs, nurses, and midwives so no client is left unsupported. She has placed emphasis on providing both staff and patients with areas where they can comfortably breastfeed. As a result of her efforts, the WBWC received the Breastfeeding Friendly Business & Employer Award from the NC Breastfeeding Coalition.

Nancy has also built an incredible community of support for new mothers. She spearheaded efforts to start the Breastfeeding Café, an informal group for nursing mothers, and the Coping with Motherhood group, which offers support and coping skills for mothers dealing with depression. Her vision of a community where women come together and support each other has been realized and has made a lasting impact.

Nancy's work as a breastfeeding advocate and educator has spanned more than three decades, and we at the WBWC are so grateful that she has spent the last ten years with us! Her passion and dedication are inspiring to everyone who has had the pleasure of working with her.

Spotlight: Holly Lindsay-Miller

by Tori Hinde

If you’ve been in the boutique in the last few years, there’s a good chance you’ve met store manager Holly Lindsay-Miller, who celebrates 5 years of working at Women’s Birth and Wellness Boutique this month. If you came in to shop, you likely left feeling like you just made a new best friend after she fit you for a bra, taught you everything you needed to know about cloth diapering, or helped you find just what you needed. Holly has a way of talking to you and listening that makes you know she hears you and understands.

“I love to learn the specifics about people. Every family’s story is unique,” says Holly. “There’s more than one way to parent. I’ve learned a lot about empathy and compassion – I know pregnancy and motherhood aren’t simple.”

When asked about her favorite part of her job, Holly says, “Connecting with moms. Hands down. And bra fittings – a good bra can change a woman’s day. It’s the best when someone walks out of here happy, standing a little taller and feeling more confident.”

Holly initially started as a sales associate in the boutique, coming in afternoons and staying after closing to place orders.  She took over as store manager two years ago. Since then, she’s focused on expanding the selection of bras, carriers, and cloth diapers and always bringing in new things.

“If I mix it up, people come to check it out,” says Holly. “We’re growing. We have more women-owned and local business now.”

Holly also appreciates the supportive environment at WBWC and that she can bring her daughters along to work if she needs to, and no one blinks an eye.

“To come to work with people I love and respect means everything,” she says. “My kids were born here, and I work here. It feels very cyclical. It’s the best care you can find – you just don’t get that time anywhere else.”

Thank you, Holly, for all you do, and for 5 years of making all of us here feel loved and respected, too. 

Spotlight: Lydia Dominic, CNM

     If you’ve been with WBWC for a while, you might recognize our newest CNM, Lydia Dominic. She was a labor and delivery nurse here from 2009-2012, and now she is returning in her new role as midwife!
  

     Lydia earned her BSN from Case Western Reserve University and began her 14-year nursing career in 2002.  She dedicated most of her nursing career to maternal-child health.  Upon graduating from nursing school, she served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal, providing health education on multiple topics, including neonatal resuscitation.  She then returned to Ohio and began working on a medical/surgical unit.  She spent the next several years gaining experience in caring for women and babies in a hospital setting, first as a postpartum nurse, and then then as a postpartum nurse, and then as a labor and delivery nurse.

    
    In 2009, Lydia and her husband moved to North Carolina. Lydia’s desire to witness birth as she felt it should be – guided by the woman’s desires and intervening only when necessary – led her to join the staff at WBWC as a labor nurse. While working at both WBWC and Wake Med, she found herself drawn to WBWC’s model of care.  In fact, she gave birth to her own son in the peach room!

   
     In 2012, Lydia and family returned to Ohio, and a year later, she began midwifery school at Case Western. She completed her MSN in 2016. Her graduate school experience included a mission trip to Guatemala, and clinical rotations in a hospital-based birth center, and a homebirth practice.

     Lydia is ecstatic to return to WBWC to continue to care for and empower women and their families. Her midwifery career has been off to a great start so far – she caught five babies on her first call shift!

In her free time, Lydia enjoys hiking, cycling, and being with her friends, husband, and son.

Spotlight: Wendy Fields, FNP

WBWC has a new Family Nurse Practitioner! We are excited to annouce that Wendy Fields, FNP, has recently joined our staff.Wendy grew up in the Boston area. She began her journey in women's health after giving birth to her first child in 2000 with the assistance of a certified nurse-midwife in Philadelphia. For Wendy, the experience of becoming a mother was so life-altering that she left her career as a writer and PhD student in English to pursue a career that would come to revolve around partnering with people and communities to improve their health and well-being.

    

   While mostly staying at home with her first two young children, she became a childbirth educator and birth doula. She taught Birthing from Within at her home, and later Prepared Childbirth at UNC Hospitals. She also attended births as a doula at hospitals, homes, and birth centers, including WBWC, after she moved to Durham in 2005. She returned to school for her ABSN degree at Duke University, graduating in 2009, and worked as an RN at UNC Hospitals. She then returned to school and earned her MSN and Family Nurse Practitioner certification at UNC in 2013.

    Her third child was born at WBWC, with Allison and Emily in attendance, in 2012. Prior to joining WBWC, she worked as a family nurse practitioner for two years, providing full-scope primary care to families at the Caswell County Health Department. She joins WBWC thrilled to be "coming home" to the holistic model of health. She is happy to provide all of your primary care needs, whether or not pregnancy is in your future plans. Particular interests include preventive healthcare and wellness, and working with marginalized communities, including people of color, religious minorities, and LGBT individuals. Wherever you are today with your health, Wendy looks forward to walking with you toward better health and more happiness!

Spotlight: Belinda Lashea, CNM

We are pleased to welcome Belinda Lashea, CNM, to the WBWC staff. Many of our WBWC families have gotten to know Belinda during her time here as a student midwife. Now that she has graduated from ECU's Nurse-Midwifery program, she is making the transition to full-time WBWC Nurse-Midwife.

Belinda has dedicated her life to midwifery and serving women and is an experienced birth attendant. A mother of three, she became fascinated with midwifery after the homebirth of her second child in 1998. Over the next eight years, she apprenticed and assisted two Certified Professional Midwives and attended homebirths in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Western North Carolina.  In 2007, she moved to Chapel Hill, and earned her BSN from UNC Chapel Hill in 2012, and then began her studies at ECU.

When she's not attending births, Belinda enjoys travel, her horse, hiking, camping, and Carolina Women's basketball.  She is excited to be starting this new phase of her career. "I already feel that I am part of the family at WBWC. I look forward to getting to know each of you, the women and families that make up our beautiful woman-centered community!"   

Spotlight: Erin Robertson, RN, IBCLC, and Lexa Henry, CNM

Erin Robertson, RN, IBCLC, returns to the birth center after spending the last two years as a home birth assistant and Lactation Consultant in Portland, Oregon.  Prior to that time, she worked as a nurse for the Women’s Birth & Wellness Center for six years from 2005-2011.  During her time at the birth center she helped create the Birth & Wellness Boutique and served as the buyer until 2011.  She still loves the boutique immensely but has returned to the birth center in the exciting leadership role of charge nurse.  Coming back to the birth center feels just like coming home to a family of warm, welcoming arms. She is so happy to be home. 

 

                Erin is the mother of three beautiful kids - Liam (13), Lillie (10) and Maeve (5).  All three of her births were waterbirths into the hands of midwives.  In her time away from the birth center, Erin enjoys running, yoga, hiking and meditation.  She spends as much time as possible out in nature.  She loves crafting and sewing, especially with her kids.  She has a passion for sustainable living, gardening and dedicates her extracurricular studies to holistic and preventive modes of healing and health promotion.

 

 

 

 

Alexandra "Lexa" Henry, began her midwifery journey when she witnessed her first birth at the age of 15.  After receiving a BSN from the University of South Florida in 2008, Lexa worked as a labor and delivery nurse at Tampa General Hospital.  She earned a MSN degree from Frontier Nursing University in 2013.  While pursuing her certification in nurse midwifery, Lexa also worked in the newborn nursery unit, where she cared for newborns and mothers together immediately following birth, promoting bonding and early breastfeeding.  After graduating, Lexa moved to North Carolina with hopes working in a birth center setting.

 

 Lexa lives in Chapel Hill where she enjoys going on bike rides and trying out local restaurants.  She spends much of her free time with her longtime boyfriend, who also resides in Chapel Hill. Lexa also enjoys traveling as much as possible and cooking for friends and family. We are excited to welcome Lexa to our staff of wonderful and gifted providers.

Spotlight: Carey Jefferson, CNM

WBWC is excited to announce that Carey Jefferson, CNM, has completed midwifery school and is making the transition from nurse to midwife!  Carey has been with WBWC since 2010 as a labor and delivery nurse and, for the past few months, a midwifery student.  She is now our newest full-time midwife. Currently, she is orienting with the other midwives on staff.  In the next few months, she will be seeing patients in the clinic and attending births independently and receiving hospital privileges.

Carey earned a BS in psychology from UNC Chapel Hill, and then went on to receive a BSN from Western Carolina. She has a wide range of experience as a labor and delivery nurse: in addition to the birth center, she’s worked in a small hospital in western North Carolina, and large hospitals in Northern Virginia and Raleigh.

 

 Pregnancy and birth have long fascinated Carey . “I was amazed by the changes, both physical and emotional, I observed in my friends as they started having babies, and I felt drawn to be a part of that process with women.   I love that midwifery allows me to help women find their own path on the journey to motherhood.”

 

This interest led her to pursue a midwifery degree at Eastern Carolina University, where she was awarded the Betty Berryhill Nurse Midwifery Scholarship.  She continued working as a labor and delivery nurse throughout most of her schooling. 

Carey and her husband, Stephen, have an 11-year-old daughter, Madeline, and a dog, Jix. When she’s not catching babies, Carey enjoys cooking, birdwatching, following the Tarheels, and having family game nights.

She sees the birth center as an inspiring place to begin her midwifery career.  “I see a true midwifery model of care in action at WBWC.  The midwives here are amazing women who deeply invested in providing excellent care to women and families.  I am honored to be able to work with and learn from them.”

                                                                                                         

Spotlight: Lorraine Reilly, RN, IBCLC

    We’re pleased to welcome Lorraine Reilly, RN, IBCLC to WBWC's full-time staff!  You may have met Lorraine when she worked as a nurse at the birth center part-time from 2008-2010.  Now she will be coordinating Group Prenatal Care, doing home visits, and assisting with lactation in addition to providing labor and delivery and postpartum nursing care.

     Lorraine has been a nurse for eight years.  She attended nursing school at Salisbury University in Maryland. She began her career at Duke Hospital on the pediatric oncology and bone marrow transplant unit.  After taking some time off to stay at home with her children, she returned to nursing in 2008 as a labor and delivery nurse at WBWC.  She began working full-time at UNC Hospital in labor and delivery and postpartum in 2009. 

     She’s drawn to the birth center because of her own philosophy about birth. “I love the birth center because it honors birth as a natural and sacred process.  It aims to empower women through birth,” says Lorraine.  Lorraine is committed to holistic care: in addition to supporting women in labor, she’s a certified lactation consultant, prenatal yoga instructor, and Reiki practitioner.  She also plans to continue her studies in midwifery in the future. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her 3 children, practicing yoga, and singing.

Spotlight: Kristin Resnik

Please join us in welcoming our new labor/postpartum nurse, Kristin Resnik to the WBWC staff! Kristin may be visiting you at your home visit!

Kristin was born and raised in Hingham, Massachusetts, a town 20 miles south of Boston on the water. During her childhood, she also had three one-year breaks living in California and Oregon.

Kristin is married to Dmitri and they have a 3-year-old son named Samuel and a little beagle named "Nose". (The beagle's name had been "Sam" but he was renamed after their son was born!) Kristin loves traveling, exploring new places and enjoying the outdoors through boating, snorkelling, biking, hiking and gardening. She met her husband while studying glass blowing, and also enjoys other art forms. She practices yoga, loves to read, and is working on improving her cooking skills.

Kristin graduated from UNC-CH School of Nursing in 2005 and worked on a Women's Gynecology/Oncology floor at UNC and Labor and Delivery at UNC. She has a B.A. in Religious Studies/Studio Art from Scripps College in California.

What does she like about the WBWC?

“I love the amount of time I can spend supporting, teaching, and caring for women and their families. I have been truly inspired by the strength and grace of the women whom I have helped become mamas at the WBWC.I recently became an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), and I would love to utilize and refine these skills -- and learn from the LCs at the WBWC!”

Spotlight: Mariah Velazquez CNM

         Please join us in welcoming Mariah Velazquez as a CNM at the WBWC! Mariah has been at the birth center since November as a student midwife, then a nurse, and is now transitioning into the role of midwife while Jewell is on maternity leave. Mariah also works part time as a nurse at the WBWC.

          Mariah was born and raised in Chapel Hill, but moved to Charlotte for a while before realizing she belonged back home. She returned to Chapel Hill two years ago. She completed her undergraduate degree at UNC Charlotte and her graduate midwifery degree at Frontier Nursing University.

          Married to her high school sweetheart for the past six years, Mariah has a son, Kaiden (5) and a daughter Lilia (3). Lilia was born at home, and Mariah is due with her third baby at the end of March! Mariah enjoys spending all of her time off with her lovely family.

What does Mariah like best about the WBWC?  

“I love the heart of WBWC. I have never seen another practice that truly cares so much about their clients. I love being out of hospital and practicing true midwifery care. I feel privileged to be a part of the practice, and I really cannot picture myself working anywhere else now.”

Spotlight: Heather Hogan, CNM

Please join us in welcoming Heather Hogan, CNM, back to WBWC!  Heather, who has cared for women at the Birth Center both as a nurse and a midwifery student, joined our team of midwives in July.

Before starting on the path to becoming a midwife, Heather worked as a massage therapist.  After she realized that midwifery was her true calling, she began nursing school at UNC-Greensboro.  There, she was an active member of the association of nursing students and was elected class president.  She was also inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau international nursing honor society and received the undergraduate leadership award.

Heather graduated with honors from UNCG in 2005 and began her career as an RN in the neuro-intensive care unit at Moses Cone Hospital, where she provided specialized care to recovering stroke and trauma victims.  In 2006, she came to work at WBWC as a nurse.  She says, “I knew when I wanted to be a midwife that I wanted to eventually work in an out-of-hospital setting. I really feel that healthy women should have the right to birth outside of the hospital if that is what feels best for them.”  She gained invaluable experience caring for laboring women at the Birth Center, which she was able to put to use in her midwifery studies at Frontier Nursing University.  In 2009, she spent a clinical rotation as a student midwife at WBWC. She graduated from Frontier with her Master’s of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Midwifery later that year.

After graduation, Heather moved to rural New York and began work with the National Health Service Corps.  She served as a midwife at a small community hospital. “I was the first midwife to have been granted hospital privileges there, so it was a huge learning experience for me and the staff there.” She provided midwifery care for a medically underserved population and also continued to grow her own family. 

Heather and her husband Trey have three young children: Eleanor (6), James (3), and Kentley (15 months).  When she’s not busy catching babies, her favorite pastime is spending time with her family. “I love just being with my kids. I try to keep things low-pressure around our house, so we spend a lot of time just exploring nature and their interests as they arise. I try not to plan a whole lot, and let them lead when we are together.”  

She’s glad to be back in North Carolina working with WBWC moms again, and we’re excited to have her with us again in her new role!

Meet the New Boutique Staff

Courtney (with her adorable son) and Rose

Rose Campagnola

In 2006, Rose moved to NC from Colorado. She had recently become a birth doula and found the Birth Center to be a home away from home as a volunteer. In 2007, Rose helped open the Boutique and subsequently worked there for four years. After taking some time off to be with her son, Jonah, who was born in 2010, she is back as a clerk. She is very passionate about cloth diapering, baby wearing, and women's health in general. 

Courtney Scott

Originally from Florida, Courtney and her husband moved to Durham in 2010 following completion of her Master’s in Social Work from NC State.  They have one son who was recently born at the Birth Center.  Since becoming a mother, Courtney is looking forward to creating ways to use her skills and experience to serve women and their families through the birthing experience.  She is passionate about helping women make choices about baby care that work for them!  Outside of working at the boutique, Courtney is creating a series of workshops and therapy groups for postpartum women.  She enjoys reading, singing, playing with her son, working in the garden, and hiking.

Spotlight: WBWC's Nurse Practitioners

Deborah Adler, WHNP, and Rachel VanBree, FNP/WHNP

Just because you're not pregnant doesn't mean you can't get your primary care at WBWC! Our two nurse practitioners, Rachel VanBree, FNP/WHNP, and Deborah Adler, WHNP, provide a full spectrum of well-woman care for women from puberty to post-menopause. In addition to your annual PAP test and gynecological exam, you can also get a complete yearly physical with our NPs. Deborah and Rachel also treat respiratory and urinary tract infections, as well as minor gynecological problems; prescribe medications and order lab work; provide menopause consultation and support; and assist with family planning and birth control needs -- in short, anything you would need from a primary care provider.
      Both Deborah and Rachel have extensive backgrounds in Women's Health.  Deborah started her career with a psychology degree and spent time working on a research study on premature babies.  She changed paths, however, and earned her Master's degree as a Women's Heatlh Nurse Practitioner from Vanderbilt University in 1998.  She worked for several years as a WHNP in an outpatient clinic in Durham, seeing a wide range of patients, from menarche through menopause.  In 2002, she moved with her husband to California, where she worked at an inner-city hospital as labor and delivery nurse and at a clinic as a NP.  She later moved to Tennessee, where she taught at East Tennessee State University, and gave birth to her daughter.  Deborah moved back to NC in 2006. She gave birth to her son in 2007 at WBWC with the loving guidance of Maureen and Ellen.  She taught online nursing classes before joining the WBWC staff in August 2010.  She's currently working on her Lactation Consultant certification, and will sit for the exam this summer. You'll find Deborah in the WBWC on Fridays.
     Rachel entered the health care field as a nurse in the intensive care unit.  After a few years, she began working as a labor and delivery nurse, both at the hospital and at WBWC.  Her experiences working with laboring women at WBWC encouraged her to pursue graduate studies in women's health, and she earned her Family Nurse Practitioner/Women's Health Nurse Practitioner degree from UNC Chapel Hill in 2004.  As an NP at the Chatham County Health Department, Rachel provided primary and obstetric care for a variety of patients.  Rachel gave birth to her first daughter at WBWC in 2008, with the guidance of Maureen and Jewell.  She returned to WBWC as a Family and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner in October 2008.  In 2010, she was back to being a WBWC patient, and gave birth to her second daughter!  She's now back in the WBWC clinic, seeing patients four days a week.
    Visit our clinic and see how our woman-centered primary care differs from what you may have come to expect from other types of care providers.  Our knowledgeable, experienced Nurse Practitioners are available for appointments in the WBWC clinic to provide sensitive, personalized care for women in all stages of life.