Birth by Design Students
Our students are an integral part of our care team. Students work under the direct supervision of one of our midwives. During your pregnancy, you will get to know our students as they participate in your prenatal visits. During your birth, a student will serve as the birth assistant as well. All of our students are certified in Neonatal Resuscitation and CPR. Currently, all of our students are doulas, as well, and bring a breadth of experiences, resources, and knowledge with them that you will find helpful.
Katy Vega, ND
Birth Doula, Student Midwife
I can’t remember not being intrigued by the miracle of human life and the birth process; it is the way God “wired” me to be. I was a young girl when
A Child is Born came out, and I spent hours looking at those pictures. By the time I was in high school and many of my older siblings were choosing home-birth for their birth experiences, I decided to write my senior research paper on “Natural Childbirth”. Besides enlightening my English teacher, I began my journey of research and informal training. My life goal during my college years (I earned a B.S. in early-childhood education from James Madison University in 1983) was to get married and have a “bunch” of kids. Little did I know that I would be here, 26 married-years later having birthed 11 children ranging in age from 25 to 5 years. My husband, Jim, is an awesome man!
I have experienced home births with transfers, 2 c-sections (one unnecessary), nice quick easy homebirths, and a couple of nice planned hospital births. Some were relatively easy – some were very difficult. All of them were a blessing. I have seen how God has used all the experiences for good and for that, I am very thankful. I have been a natural childbirth educator (Bradley trained), a doula/birth assistant and over the last 20 years have longed to be trained as a traditional (Certified Professional) midwife. Hence, I feel immensely privileged, to be training with such capable and loving women.
I recently finished the requirements for my N.D. (from the Clayton College of Natural Health) and have begun a practice in Traditional Naturopathic consulting. Transitioning into the role of student midwife, and one day adding midwifery to my other services, is a dream come true!
Becky Banks
Birth Doula, Student Midwife
My name is Becky Banks. I studied biology and Russian at the University of Southern California, with every intention of becoming a physician. In 1994 I convinced my mother to allow me to attend the birth of my youngest brother. Although I now consider the birth to have been quite interventive, I was grabbed by the miracle of birth. From there I next explored birth through my own experiences, the births of my five children, beginning in 1998—moving from an interventional birth with an OB/Gyn to a hospital-based CNM practice, to finally having my last two births at home in the water, minimally attended by Peggy and her assistants, including Kim and Desiree.
I became a La Leche League Leader in 2004, and I have since helped women in New York and Virginia have better breastfeeding relationships with their babies.
I am called to midwifery by an internal pull that hasn't gone away when my births were long over. I'm pulled by the desire to empower women to build their own safe framework in which to give birth. I am driven by a desire to help reframe the definition of birth as peaceful, spirit building, mind-blowing, and most of all, “an everyday miracle.”
When my daughter tunes a string on her violin, there is a little emotional and physical discord until she brings that string into perfect pitch. So many things that I have done have been almost in-tune. I worked as a technologist in cardiology. I was working with people in the health field, and I was almost in tune. I did not get accepted to medical school. I would have spent my life nearly in-tune—but not quite. Even being a La Leche League Leader, which has been wonderful, has not been quite in tune. When I was at a session on the effects of birth on breastfeeding (of the LLLI conference in D.C.) I was one of about 5 Leaders in a room of 100—everyone else was a midwife or a doula! There I was in tune! I was in tune at my friends' births that I supported them at.
I have been moving in the direction of birth work for a long time. Finally, I felt like God had moved in my life and “given me permission” to officially start my education in midwifery. As I breastfed my 5th little baby (for hours), I came up with a six year plan for completing my preparations for taking the NARM exam and working in apprenticeship. I spoke with Kim at the 2009 Mother-Baby Tea and mentioned that I was ready to join the midwifery study group when it reorganized again. She turned my nice little plan on its ear with the announcement of a school, and I joined Virginia School of Traditional Midwifery with joy and light in my soul. I am also in the process of certifying as a childbirth educator.
It has already been a fascinating process to learn and grow as a student midwife. As I have recently begun working with Birth By Design, I have felt encouraged and delighted with all the big and little things I have learned that I would never have expected. I look forward to serving the families who choose Birth By Design. Women have within them what it takes to birth provided their culture and belief allows them to follow; in the presence of good emotional support, superior diet, and moderate exercise. Birth, as life, has twists—a trained midwife is there for the twists.
My five kids take up a significant portion of my non-midwifery time. I read incessantly, about birth and non-birth topics. I enjoy gardening, and I am expanding my interest in medicinal herbs and plants. I play the piano and flute when I can. I am very active in my church and I currently teach adult Sunday School and lead the choir.