Today we’d like to introduce you to Susan Taylor.
Susan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My love for caring for women, educating, and encouraging them to feel empowered probably first came from my mom. She has always been an advocate for women in our community and I grew up with that as my example. So, I think it was only natural that I became so passionate about women receiving loving, empowering, and informed care throughout their childbearing years after becoming a mom myself. My passion for pregnancy and natural birth first came with the birth of my first son in 2001. I quickly realized his natural birth changed me and my outlook on maternity care as a whole.
With my second and third children, I used a midwife and that deepened my passion and opened my heart to Midwifery care. My second child was born at a birth center and my third was a birth center transport to the hospital during labor for what ended in a cesarean. I guess you could say I lost a bit of myself and passion for birth with his unplanned c-section. After a ton of research and soul searching I came back stronger, more determined. I got myself on track for a successful VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) even though another pregnancy and baby wasn’t even on the horizon for us.
Eventually, we were ready to add that fourth baby to our family and I chose a midwife and planned for a home birth. We had a successful VBAC at home, in our bedroom and that moment changed my course in life. Instantly I knew that something new had been placed on my heart. The bits of research I had done on becoming a midwife and the little voice down in my heart, who would pipe up now and then, was front and center. Ten months after his birth I started my Midwifery apprenticeship and the rest is, as they say, history.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I would bet to say most Licensed Midwives would tell you it is not a smooth road to get here. I was in a very demanding and busy apprenticeship for three years. There were weeks we’d attend 6 or 7 births in a week. There were lots of books and reading when I wasn’t at a birth and then hours upon hours of clinical time in prenatal and postpartum appointments. However, I am grateful for training with a midwife who was that busy. I saw so many different complications and amazing outcomes, that I feel it really prepared me well to be off on my own.
Of course in that, being away from my husband and four children were the most challenging. Missing a birthday or school event never gets easier. The disappointment on their faces follows you to the birth. Walking out of the house as my husband walks in from work or even going days without seeing him is always hard. Thankfully he is extremely supportive and loves me through my wild schedule. He’s ready to pack up dinner and leave date night in a moment’s notice if a client needs me.
And my children are always so happy to hear about the sweet babies who come Earthside, often in the middle of the night without them even realizing I was away. And now owning my own practice I am able to keep it small so that I can give fully to my clients as well as my family. Even still, missing out on important moments with my family all while walking through some of the most important and intimate moments in other families’ lives is a constant battle of the heart. But, honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Taylor Made Midwifery – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Taylor Made Midwifery is owned and run by me, a Certified Professional Midwife and Licensed Midwife. I am the only midwife in my practice, so my clients will only see me throughout their pregnancy and I will be the one to attend their birth. I run my appointments out of my home office in Fort Worth. Creating a warm and loving office out of my own home was a longtime dream.
I’m so thrilled to now welcome clients into my home as I feel it provides another level of personalized and intimate care. Plus, I get to see my husband in between appointments or run to my kids’ schools to have lunch with them or volunteer or catch a class party. I mostly catch babies in my clients’ homes, but also offer the option of delivering at a local birth center. As a 3 time VBAC mom I specialize in VBACs and VBA2C. My deepest passion lies within those clients. I also specialize in water birth and surrogacy.
I have been a Gestational Surrogate twice and love supporting other surrogates and their Intended Parents throughout their journey. As a mom who has birthed 6 babies in all different ways, I can relate to most all my clients. I’ve had a planned hospital birth, two unplanned hospital births, both of which were transports during active labor, a birth center birth, a cesarean, 3 VBACs, 2 homebirths, 2 waterbirths, and 2 surrogacy births. So, when I say, “I completely understand”, I really can!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My plan is to be right where I am. I’m currently accepting 2-3 clients per month, depending on my children’s activities. The busier they are, the less clients I take that particular month. I love serving clients out of my home office and attending homebirths. I’m looking forward to continuing to get to do what I love, rather that be loving on pregnant moms, snuggling freshly born babies, meeting and supporting other surrogates, or being a band mom, cheer mom, and karate mom. Where I am currently is exactly where I’ve always wanted to be.
Contact Info:
- Address: Fort Worth, Texas 76123
- Website: Www.Taylormademidwifery.com
- Phone: 239.580.8878
- Email: susan@taylormademidwifery.com
- Instagram: Midwife_susan_taylor
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/DFWmidwifery/
Image Credit:
AlyRenee Photography, NHance Photography, Kaci Stuart Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
