Home Midwifery care is a radical form of personalized care practiced throughout time and all over the world. As long as babies were being born and families were being made, there were midwives present with steady, calm, guidance and support. We have evolved our comprehensive practice based on clinical skills and continuing education, the latest research, and the deep knowledge of pregnant people and midwives who came before us. It is a holistic practice focused on the whole person, baby, and family. Homebirth has been proven to be a safe option for low risk clients in large part because of the continuity of care – we are your providers from pregnancy to postpartum – that builds a relationship of trust between us. You know we’ll be there with you and your family not only through pregnancy, but during your labor and birth, and through at least 6 weeks of postpartum care.
Evaly Long, CPM, LM
Evaly discovered midwifery in 2007 while listening to a segment about midwives on the local public radio station. That was enough to set her on the path to becoming a midwife. She would also learn that homebirth had been a family affair with her mom and her four siblings being born at home in Mexico con una Partera (with a midwife), and her dad and two siblings born at home in South Carolina. For over three years Evaly apprenticed at Sage Femme Birth Center in San Francisco, with Tres Lunas Midwifery homebirth practice, and Pacifica Family Maternity Center in Berkeley. Along the way Evaly and Christian welcomed their twin daughters, now fourteen years old, at St Luke’s Hospital, and their son, eight years old, born at home in Alameda.
Evaly is most excited to help families build their knowledge and confidence through resources, information, and building community. She tries to always honor the pregnancy, birthing, and postpartum journey by listening to what is being said and unsaid by her clients. She knows she and her family live on the ancestral homeland of the Ohlone people that was forcefully taken and hasn’t been given back. As a Mexican and white, light skinned person Evaly is continuously working to root out white supremacy from herself, her family, and larger institutions. She knows that many in the BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and female-identified peoples have been hurt by the medical system and we carry that pain in our bodies. She believes that midwives are one bridge between marginalized communities and safe, respectful healthcare in part because of their mutual relationship built on trust.
When all people can be heard and cared for together we can all be free and grow together.
Morgan West, LM, CPM
Morgan is a California-licensed midwife. She believes that every family deserves skilled and compassionate support to have a healthy and empowered birth.
Before becoming a midwife, she earned her B.S. in Neuroscience from Lafayette College. She has studied maternal and child healthcare in seven countries and received her early training as a midwife at a high-volume birth center in Indonesia, where she gained a reverence for women’s innate strength and resilience in birth.
Upon moving to Berkeley, she practiced midwifery at a local birth center and in a group homebirth practice before founding Hummingbird Midwifery.
She’s on a mission to create powerful experiences of health and well being for growing families across the Bay Area, integrating her new studies of herbal medicine and birth trauma healing with her work as a midwife.
Mika Cade, Student Midwife
I’ve been interested in pregnancy and birth for as long as I can remember. I was fortunate to grow up with a photo album of my own birth and as a child I would pour over the images with interest and excitement. It wasn’t until the birth of my first child in 2011 that I seriously considered becoming a birth worker. I experienced every human emotion available during my labor and the support of my birth team helped me feel empowered and cared for during this life changing moment. I was moved by the transformative nature of birth and decided to become a doula. I wanted to give birthing people the same support I felt and I know everyone deserves.
I started my training in 2014 and began attending births soon after. In 2017 I began assisting my mentor and senior doula, Samsarah Morgan, we still work together in a variety of capacities as doulas, educators, and more. I am certified through the Good Birth Keeper doula training program and Shafia Monroe Consulting as a Full Circle Doula. The Full Circle Doula training is based on the traditions of the 20th Century African-American Midwives. I have a strong belief in ongoing learning and continue to participate in and learn from colleagues, mentorships, workshops, readings, and more.
I am the Education Coordinator for Shiphrah’s Circle Community Doulas, a program of the Oakland Better Birth Foundation. We provide low and no-cost doulas, childbirth education, and programming for the community as well as mentorship, education, and support for doulas.
Sonia Lizama, Student Midwife
I am so happy to share a little bit about myself with you. I am Salvadoran and I am fluent in English and Spanish. I was born and raised in Southern California, and I am currently living in the Bay Area. My birth work journey started while working at a nonprofit in Oakland that supports low-income families with Early Head Start/Head Start, Teen Family Support, and Mental Health Services. I believe community care is important and that everyone deserves to have informed quality care. I am a birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, breast/chestfeeding peer counselor, and a student midwife.
When I am not supporting families, I am spending time with my significant other, journaling, listening to music, or spending time outdoors.
Learn more about how you can support BIPOC student midwives of the Bay Area by visiting the BIPOC Student Midwife Fund.
