Lorna Mazoff, Certified Direct-Entry Midwife

Midwifery is a profound and deeply spiritual calling for me.  I began this journey of midwifery, or being “with woman” in 2001.  At the time I was attending the University of Texas at Austin for a degree in music performance. I soon became restless as I could feel there was something else I was supposed to pursue.  I began to read any midwifery text I could find, I took women’s studies/health classes, and I began listening to more stories from my grandmother telling of her mother who was a midwife to her small community.  Thus, I began my path of midwifery, and though I abandoned my life as a symphonic performance musician, I discovered that midwifery, birth, and music can be beautifully intertwined; for both require an art form of listening and appreciating the moment and what is happening before you.  I believe that birth is an intricate balance of a woman’s state, emotional and physical, and her surroundings.  When aligned appropriately, her body and baby labor harmoniously and the experience is joyous, healing, and ideal for that family.
My studies began through the Association of Texas Midwives midwifery training program.  This program was created by midwives and included extensive didactic home study and workshops along with clinical requirements and a required apprenticeship of at least one year.  I apprenticed for three years total.  Three months of my apprenticeship involved an internship in a high volume birth center where I attended over 100 births.  The majority of my apprenticeship was spent with home birth midwives; this is where I learned the skills of patience, listening attentively, and utilizing natural remedies to solve common concerns that may arise throughout pregnancy and labor.  I have served women of many different backgrounds in both birth center and home birth settings.  As a midwife, my goal is to support and guide women safely as they make choices toward a healthy pregnancy and a safe, gentle childbirth experience.  My intention is to provide a space that allows a mother to have her personal experience along with the knowledge and safekeeping of a well trained midwife.  I believe that gentle birth is a powerful, yet subtle way to bring peace, joy and harmony into our world, one child at a time.