Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Fagan Tate.
Amy Fagan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I began my path as the daughter of a La Leche League leader, natural childbirth educator and two homebirth advocates. Midwifery was just a whisper in the early 70’s in Austin and my parents sought out a provider that attended homebirths. They read everything they could get their hands on and there were lots of books about childbirth, midwifery, human anatomy, breastfeeding, spirituality, and herbs and nutrition and natural lifestyle scattered about in our home. My Mother taught childbirth classes for one of the early Austin midwives and was an active La Leche League Leader for ten years. I watched my two younger brothers and several other babies enter the world before I was ten. I attended and listened passively as my mother counseled breastfeeding Mom’s and taught natural childbirth classes. I had no idea this was planting a seed.
When I became pregnant, I initially planned to rebel against my parent’s natural ideologies and go to the hospital “like normal people do.” I even told my mother, I wouldn’t be doing any of “that breastfeeding stuff” but the pull in my heart led me to New Life Birth Services and the rest fell into place. I had two beautiful natural home births attended by New Life midwives and breastfed both my of those sweet boys. After my second birth with my midwife, I was hooked. I sought out the opportunity to study under her and begin attending prenatal sessions and births. I felt called for lack of a better explanation. I was able to be part of the birth team at 67 births and felt passion for the process at every one.
My first husband was battling depression and in the midst of my dream, it became necessary to be part of his support system. I walked away from midwifery and focused energy on my husband and children. Ultimately, the battle was too great for him and he committed suicide in 1992. I poured all energy into building a stable life for my family. Career and ambition to provide for my family became my passion.
In 1998, I married my soulmate and father to all our boys. In 2003 (13 years after my last birth in Austin), we were excited to be pregnant. In the effort to find balance and compromise we decided on a birth center near a hospital<–. Life is often not fair, we discovered a mass on our baby’s neck at a 28-week ultrasound. Our pregnancy became high risk and we needed an OB, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist, and hospital birth. My OB was supportive of a vaginal delivery and I experienced first-hand the uphill battle women face in a hospital setting if natural childbirth is the goal. We had a beautiful natural birth and subsequent natural birth attended by both a midwife and my OB. My passion was reignited and I searched my soul for ways to make a career change and study to become a midwife. I supported women as a doula, I became active in La Leche League and offered peer support to breastfeeding mothers, and finally, I accepted the role of a part-time on-call postpartum clinical care provider at a busy birth center. This kept my feet in the birth world while allowing me to continue in my career. This was my path for ten years.
After my Mom passed away, it was all too apparent how fleeting this time is. I abandoned all logic and dove in! I had three preceptors Cherie Boettcher, CNM; Traci Santangelo, CNM; and Cori Lively, CPM. I am now a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) through ALPP and a CPM, LM. I am Co-Owner of a licensed birth center, Origins Birth and Wellness Dallas.
My personal journey began with a homebirth with my midwife in 1989 and I believe in the natural process and intimacy offered in a home setting. I am still that crunchy midwife at heart but I see value in knowing all sides, providing evidence based care and being able to support women in whatever birth path they choose.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Losing my husband with two young children was hard, and it was hard to walk away from midwifery.
Please tell us about Origins Birth and Wellness Dallas.
Origins Birth and Wellness provides evidence-based, holistic midwifery care. We love empowering woman in birth and early parenthood. Seeing a couple become a family is a beautifully rewarding moment.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I was at both of my brother’s births, it made birth so normal to me. I remember playing midwife and Mommy as a young girl. I am so fortunate to be living my dream!
Contact Info:
- Address: 3100 Swiss Avenue
Dallas, TX 75204 - Website: http://www.originsbirthdallas.com
- Phone: 4692919129
- Email: receptiondallas@originsbirth.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/originsbirthdallas/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/originsdallas
Image Credit:
Laura Levitan Mod L Photography
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