"My heart has always been drawn to the wonders of childbirth"
Zaina Keeley CPM, LM
My journey to midwifery started in 1999. I was privileged to attend a wonderful homebirth of a friend. As the photographer, I was front and center for the whole miraculous event. Barely into my twenties and the first real exposure to birth. A spark was lit in my heart. I knew that I wanted to help women and their families during this sacred life event.
I started apprenticing not long after with that same midwife. I had two beautiful children over the next few years, both born at home with a midwife in a relaxed and loving environment while being supported by my absolutely amazing husband. It was important to me to give them my full attention while they were young. However, I kept studying the sacred path of midwifery and gained valuable experience apprenticing with several different midwives. I also became a doula over this time. In 2012, I finished my Certified Professional Midwife, CPM, degree.
I have attended woman in many different settings, from home to birth center and in the hospital, and with different midwives from across the country. I am also a Licensed Midwife, LM, with the state of Virginia and have had the privilege of participating in workshops with Ina May Gaskin at her Midwifery Center in Tennessee. Continuing to seek out Midwives and practitioners, I am always adding to my knowledge and expertise. My home is now in Camp Hill, Pa. I hope to have the honor of assisting you in your Sacred
journey of family and Motherhood.
Naomi Turns, Student Midwife
Home birth has always been normalized for me because many of my siblings and I were born at home. While I have always been very intrigued by birth and admired birth work it seemed like an unrealistic place to put my energy. I thought I had no place in the world of birth, because I was too young and had no children of my own.
In 2021, a close friend learned she was pregnant and invited me to be present at her home birth. I was beyond honored and wanted to educate myself on how to best support her in labor.
I started to read, listen, and research all I could find about birth. I learned of physiological birth and the complex, but perfect process of childbirth. How women, by nature birth best when undisturbed.
Sadly, her pregnancy ended early in a miscarriage. I was entrusted with the opportunity to support her through the process of releasing her little one. This ignited my passion for women and physiological birth. Knowing every woman is born with the innate ability to birth her children empowered me to dive fully into birth work.
I love seeing women give life, the trust they have in themselves, how they conquer fears and witness the depths of sorrow and joy. I am in awe of how beautiful it is to be witness to a woman birthing in full responsibility and power. My desire to support women and families in this journey has led me to midwifery. I aspire to walk with women in pregnancy; readying them for birth and motherhood on the physical, emotional and spiritual level. I seek to support women with knowledge, trust and sisterhood in the transition from maiden to mother.
"Zaina brought a calm, loving and deep presence to my son's birth. Her understanding and trust in the natural opening of birth is expressed in her presence she shares which allowed me to feel safe to let go into my experience of birthing. She kept me close to the natural rhythms and waves moving within my body, helped me keep my awareness and calm by trusting myself, my body and my baby.
She helped me open to an experience that empowered and birthed me as a mother and safely brought my babe into this world. She is the only person I could ever imagine by my side in birth. She is a wealth of knowledge before, after and during birth. She is love and joy and assists others to birth within love and joy."
-Beth Kilmore