About Me - Kim Pekin

I am the mother of seven children, two by marriage and five by birth.  My oldest children are in college, and my youngest child is just three years old.  I’ve had three of my babies in the hospital, and my last two babies were born at home with midwives.  My husband and I have lived in western Loudoun County for over ten years now, but I have lived all over the United States.  I grew up mainly in South Dakota, Colorado, and Wyoming, and moved to Virginia in 1995.

My life path has taken many twists and turns over the years.  I graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting in 1995.  I did tax and accounting work for several years before starting my own natural parenting business (Natural Family Boutique) in 2002.  I became a La Leche League Leader in 2001, and was appointed the Coordinator of Leader Accreditation for Virginia and West Virginia in 2002.  I am a graduate of National Midwifery Institute, a MEAC-accredited school of midwifery.  I am a member of the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives, the International Center for Traditional Childbearing, the Midwives Alliance of North America, and the Commonwealth Midwives Alliance.

Helping mothers with birth and breastfeeding has been something I’ve wanted to do all my life.  Even as a child, I was fascinated with birth, babies, and breastfeeding.  The first birth I attended was in 1982, when I helped my friend with her hospital birth.  Back then, moms gave birth in a delivery room, which was basically an operating room – very cold and sterile.  Helping my friend with her birth sparked a fire in me to seek out knowledge about natural childbirth and a more family-centered experience.  Over the years, through my involvement in La Leche League, childbirth education, and my midwifery training, I’ve been blessed to help many friends, La Leche League members, and midwifery clients get their families off to the best possible start.  

As part of my midwifery training, I had the good fortune to apprentice with Peggy Franklin, helping her to serve many families with their home births.  Peggy was my midwife for my last home birth, and as her student, Peggy has been both my mentor and good friend.  Now that I am a CPM and licensed midwife, I consider it my great honor to be her business partner and to continue to serve Birth by Design families.  I look forward to meeting you and helping you during this special time in your life.