Today we’d like to introduce you to Traci Santangelo.
Traci, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am one of those lucky people that knew what I wanted to do with my life when I was a young girl. Midwifery was always my end goal. But, I had to get a few things under my belt first. So I became a Labor and Delivery nurse. I worked in several different hospitals, in several different states and then went to midwifery school. Once completing midwifery school I worked as a Certified Nurse Midwife for a few years for other institutions. I then started a home birth practice in the DFW area and had that for about 9 years prior to opening my birth center.
Alright, 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?
No, it has not always been a smooth road. Out of hospital birth is not currently a cultural norm. So I have been laughed at by medical professionals because I attended home births and there is always some level of push back when you need to transfer a client. In the State of Texas, Certified Nurse Midwives need to collaborate with physicians and that creates a very difficult position sometimes for the midwife trying to do the best she can to take care of people the right and ethical way. But as with any challenges, you learn and adapt and in some circumstances you push back to make your own way.
As you know, we’re big fans of BirthPointe Women’s Health and Birth Center. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
BirthPointe is passionate about taking care of women as individuals. You are different than the woman that just birthed or the one that is about to come in. That individuality is what is missing from traditional care and yet it is exactly what women want and crave. Our society hardly even talks to each other any longer, so women find our care refreshing and comforting. We have three birth rooms that have their own individual vibe, and a center that is comfortable and welcoming to all. Our care is comprehensive and includes preconception, progesterone monitoring, prenatal and birth, postpartum and well woman care. We are interested in a life time relationship rather than a transaction.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I guess I was the typical kid. Pushed boundaries, played with my friends, tried to avoid chores on Saturday morning, you know – the usual sort of thing. I enjoyed the social aspect of school but was never an outstanding student until high school Anatomy and Physiology class. That really was like a passion. I am so enthralled by learning new and exciting information and that class seemed to be outside of anything I had ever learned before. Plus, we got to do really cool lab experiments and I really thrived in there.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.birthpointe.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birthpointe/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/birthpointe
