Find a Midwife Near Me in Gulfport, MS

Greetings! I am a community midwife serving coastal Mississippi and the greater New Orleans area. I have been a midwife for 5 years and love the work that I do. My team and I provide Supreme care!

In 2014, after six years of witnessing a multitude of beautiful births as a doula, I felt called into midwifery. I am committed to offering pregnant women more individualized, intimate care. I believe that a mother should be in control of her birth experience as an active and informed decision maker every step of the way. From the very first appointment, to the moment she holds her baby in her arms, she is in control. Childbirth, when viewed from an empowered and connected frame of mind, has the potential to be a beautiful, transformative, life changing event. I fully believe that birthing is a normal physiological process in a woman’s life and when supported by a healthy lifestyle, little intervention is ever needed. I see myself as more of a birth guardian who walks alongside a mother, making sure she has the utmost reassurance and guidance. Birth is natural and beautiful; it can be a completely different experience when not approached from a fear based mindset. Instead, we choose to approach pregnancy and birth with positive, evidence based information as a biologically normal experience. After a 4 year comprehensive apprenticeship, I earned my Certified Professional Midwives (CPM) license. This credentialing is the national gold standard for midwifery certification. It is only available after demonstrating the experience and skills necessary to attend an out-of-hospital birth. The candidate that passes an extensive exam administered by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM), is required to maintain current certification in adult, infant and neonatal CPR and resuscitation. I am also licensed by the state of Louisiana and recognized by the Board of Medical Examiners as a licensed caregiver. As a midwife, it is my duty to stay up to date with evidence based information as well as ongoing education. To date, I have attended over 270 births.

A Louisiana native, Leila was born at home in Lacombe with midwives, and grew up around the normalcy of birth as an every day occurrence. Leila birthed both of her babies in a birth center in Florida and recalls her births as “orgasmic and life changing”. After becoming a doula, spinning babies parent educator, lactation counselor, birthing from within mentor, and midwife assistant, it was clear that Midwifery was her calling. Leila took her education seriously and became a traveling student midwife in order to experience a wide variety of clinical sites, communities, and philosophies. This allowed her to become a well rounded, culturally respectful, and skilled provider. Leila has attended over 500+ births, and is skilled at twins, breech, VBAC, waterbirth, and birth in every type of environment. Leila graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Midwifery from Midwives College of Utah and is a Certified Professional Midwife through the North American Registry of Midwives. She is licensed in Louisiana. Mississippi currently does not have a licensing credential and recognizes Leila’s credentials as a midwife. Leila maintains credentials as a neonatal resuscitation provider, CPR, Breech without Boarder trained provider, and completes yearly continuing education to always develop skills and competency. Leila owns Devotion Midwifery and is a team midwife with Grace Midwifery Collective and Saige Birth Center. “I believe in autonomy for both the midwife and the birthing families, and support licensed midwifery with full scope care, traditional midwifery, and attendants rooted in a lineage of cultural tradition, freebirth, and medical birth as desired. I believe in sovereign birth. I believe in anti-racism, inclusivity, and freedom. My philosophy of care is deeply rooted in these beliefs and will hold them on the highest of esteem in every part of care that I offer. “ - Leila