meet our student midwives
Your midwifery team at Freedom and the Seed believes in and supports the apprenticeship model for the training of future midwives. We believe that midwifery is an ancient art and “calling,” not just another professional career choice. Classroom learning with intermittent clinical experience would not equip a student properly for relating to clients with individual and unique needs. Apprenticeship is the absolute best model for teaching future midwives continuity of care for clients. Students see clients from the beginning of their pregnancies through birth and postpartum care. They learn to care about the individual, recognizing first-hand that what might be the “right” answer for one woman may not be for another.
We are very careful and selective about the students we choose to participate in our apprenticeship program. It is vital to us that our students share our values and are compatible with our personalities. For this reason, we hope that if you have hired us, you also will like our apprentices. Even though we are careful, we recognize that not every client always will be completely comfortable with every student, which is why we want you to know that you always come first. We encourage you to fill out occasional student evaluation forms which help both the student and our midwifery team know how they are doing and if there are aspects of their skills and/or training that need improvement.
Students always are supervised and they only are allowed to perform midwifery skills that they have been taught. We also only allow the students to interact with clients who are comfortable with them. If at any time you do not feel comfortable with our students, please let us know. It is very important that your needs are met first, and that you feel at ease with our entire staff.
Ada Johnson, Senior Apprentice Midwife
Ada Johnson is thrilled to join this midwifery team as part of her life’s work of supporting people in reclaiming their bodies and healthcare. She believes that all birthing parents deserve informed consent, respect, and support in realizing their fullest strength and power. She hopes to support and encourage the growth and acceptance of all families, including those that queer and transgender people create. She works to give women the information and support that they need to make educated choices so that their birth experiences can be empowering and transformative.
She has over a decade of experience in community health education, and has a continuing interest in women’s self defense, massage therapy, western herbalism, and supporting survivors of sexual assault.
dianah damron de Luna, Apprentice
Amazed and empowered by the homebirth of her first child in 2000, dianah became passionate about providing midwifery care. In 2001, she took Seattle Midwifery School’s Labor Support Course and began attending births as a doula. She then completed a two-year midwifery intensive with a Seattle midwife in 2005.
dianah believes all women deserve quality maternity care, the opportunity to birth with dignity in the manner of their choosing and the right to make fully informed choices. It is her intent that providing women and families with these opportunities will empower parents and lead to a more conscious, compassionate planet. After living in Bangalore in 2006, it became her dream to return to southern India as a midwife to serve impoverished women.
In addition to family and birth, she loves growing/cooking/eating food, being outside, and varying modalities of craftiness.
" “Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu.”
May everyone in all the worlds be happy and free
and peace be everywhere!
-Sanskrit blessing
Dona Morgan, Apprentice
Dona read once that "a Calling is not a product of the ego or the personality; it's an extension of the soul." (Lance Secretan) In other words, it doesn't give up until you listen! Her calling to midwifery was conceived at the age of 3 when she became fascinated with her sisters process of having their babies, and then later through her own path of birthing her seven beautiful children; one in a birth center and the rest at home. For a short time after her second baby was born, she Apprenticed with her inspiring midwife, while at the same time studying homeopathy and other natural remedies. She also continued teaching at the University and working with families in her psychotherapy practice supporting Moms, Dads and babies through their unique and powerful journey of pregnancy, birth and parenthood. Dona believes every woman has the right to choose how and where she births her baby, and that pregnancy and birth is meant to be an intuitive and empowering experience. She is forever grateful to the amazing midwives who have guided her along the way, as her own experiences with pregnancy and birth have ultimately led her to this moment at Freedom and the Seed. Dona looks forward to this next step!