Laura has been attending births since 2000.  She started attending births as a doula and during the pregnancy of her fourth child in 2004, she felt the call to become a midwife.  She completed her apprenticeship with a traditional homebirth midwife in 2007 and in the summer of 2007, she served as an intern at a high volume birth center in the Philippines.  While there, she handled and assisted at many births, managed labors, performed prenatal, postpartum and newborn exams.  During her time in Davao, Laura was able to see complications and practice procedures we do not normally experience in a low risk homebirth setting.  In 2008, she returned as a volunteer midwife.  She has attended over 175 births and is certified in Adult & Infant CPR and Neonatal Resuscitation.  As a part of Laura's midwifery practice, she endeavors to update her knowledge and skills by regularly attending midwifery education workshops and conferences and using current evidence within her practice. 

Laura believes every birthing woman has the right to empowered choices.  As a midwife, she helps guide parents through pregnancy and birth, informing them about all aspects of prenatal, birth and postpartum care options. 

Every woman is unique, as is each pregnancy.   Care is tailored to meet the needs of each individual and family. 

As a midwife, Laura is honored to be an experienced assistant who is invited to be present for a great miracle - the birth of a child.

Kristy, Laura, Dy and baby Bella

DyAnna Gordon started her apprenticeship with Alternative Birth Services in May of 2008 and completed her apprenticeship the summer of 2011.  She now works as a second midwife at Alternative Birth Services as her schedule allows. Before joining our team, she was a busy childbirth educator and doula since the birth of her first child in 2002. She has attended over 100 births both in the home and hospital setting.

Dy is an invaluable asset to our practice. Not only does she attend prenatals, births and postpartum visits as time allows, but she also offers childbirth education classes here in our St. George office.    She is trained in infant and adult CPR and neonatal resuscitation. 

Laura Hopper,

Primary Midwife

DyAnna Gordon,

Midwife

Kristy first heard about Alternative Birth Services in winter of 2010, and she loved what she heard. She began attending births with Laura a in June of 2011. The experience has been nothing short of life changing. Her ideas of childbirth, which used to be full of fear, hesitation and loss of control, have now blossomed with the knowledge that birth can be something incredibly natural, beautiful and empowering. Every birth she has witnessed is a new and different experience, and every mother and baby births with their own individual style and rhythm. It has been her pleasure to be an open and supportive presence during their first moments together.

Kristy’s educational background has been in the Social Sciences. She received a Bachelors of Sociology from Northern Arizona University in the summer of 2010. She has since been committed to finding a field of work that would be both personally fulfilling and a service to others. She never would have imagined she would find this work in Midwifery. She feels the call to continue to grow in experience and knowledge of maternity care and childbirth. She has attended a Doula training, as well as a conference at Midwives College of Utah, and intends to continue to acquire skills whenever and wherever she can. She is also CPR certified and has received First Aid training. Her time with Alternative Birth Services has afforded her the opportunity to meet some inspiring women with an incredible amount of skill and expertise. She feels nothing short of blessed to be among them on her journey toward becoming a midwife.

Kristy Ryan,

Apprentice Midwife