Heather Shelley

I recognize birth as a natural process of the female body, one that doesn’t require routine interventions.

I am the mother of two boys, two girls, and wife to a wonderful and supportive husband.

I started Birthing Your Way after the birth of my second son. I took my doula training through ALACE (Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators) and DONA (Doulas of North America), and my childbirth education through ALACE, Lamaze and CAPPA, and postpartum training through CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professionals Association).

From my youngest childhood, I have been fascinated with pregnancy. When I became a mother myself, that fascination grew and expanded until I found the role of a doula. Having attended many births both in hospital, birthcenter and at home- and helping women through one of the greatest experiences of their lives, I knew that I had found my passion, to help women through birth. Years later I enrolled in midwifery school and started on my path to midwifery.

I am now a homebirth midwife practicing in Utah. I have four beautiful children and a very understanding husband (husbands of midwives need to have a lot of understanding, as we keep odd hours). Through the years I expanded my knowledge of not only birth, but also of breastfeeding and the postpartum care of new mothers and babies.

We have become such a busy society that new mothers and babies are often left on their own without the help of a mentor (this used to be the grandmother’s role) to teach and guide them through the learning processes of parents. This deficit of care can cause a difficult recovery and be a lonely time for the new mother.

I hope to help women through not just childbirth, but also through as much of the childbearing years as I can.

Certifications and Education

  • Direct Entry Midwife, Midwives College of Utah
  • Birth of my four children
  • EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) 1991
  • Childbirth Educator training started with ALACE, Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators, September 2000
  • Certified Doula, Doulas of North America, October 2000
  • Advanced Doula training, integrating High Touch and Nurturing in the High Tech Birthing Environment, February 2001
  • ational Childbirth Institute Conference, March 2001
  • ATM (Association of Texas Midwives) Conference and Workshops May 2001
  • Advanced Childbirth Educator Training through CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association), June 2001
  • Advanced Doula training with Penny Simkin, September 2001
  • Postpartum Doula training, October 2001
  • Five Day Breastfeeding Seminar, 2001
  • Local Hospital Educator
  • ALACE Labor Assistant (Doula) Training, May 2002/May 2003/February 2006
  • Certified CPR Instructor, September 2002
  • Neonatal Resuscitation Certification, 2003/2005
  • Breastfeeding Seminar Updates, 2003
  • ALACE Childbirth Educator Training Workshop, 2004
  • Optimal Fetal Positioning Class, 2005
  • Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator
  • Breastfeeding educator Class with TDH, February 2006
  • Breech Birth Conference, Vancouver, Canada, March 2006
  • Midwifery workshop, October 2006

Memberships

  • Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators
  • Doulas of North America, Certified Doula
  • Pacific Association of Labor Support, Certified
  • Utah Doula Association
  • Utah Midwives Association