Both an Oregon and California Licensed Direct-Entry Midwife, and Certified Professional Midwife. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Holistic Midwifery. She is trained in neonatal resuscitation, IV therapy, and suturing. In addition, she is an herbalist and massage therapist. Ellie was initially trained in the apprenticeship model and believes in carrying on this valuable tradition. Therefore, she provides apprenticeship training and has taught Gynecology, Hematology and Basic Skills for the last 7 years at Birthingway College of Midwifery in Portland, Oregon. Ellie has been attending births for more than 17 years and has served over 600 women and their families. She is licensed in Oregon and California. She specializes in vaginal birth after cesarean VBAC, herbalism and gynecological care.
"I started my path as a licensed massage therapist. I soon added herbalism as a specialty attending a school for herbalism and undergoing an apprenticeship. During this time I began to have more contact with pregnant women, doing a lot of pregnancy massage and getting invited to attend births as a labor coach. I added doula training to my studies, and attended home and hospital births. I soon found it very hard to support women's wishes and the natural birth process in the hospital environment so I accepted the calling to be a midwife. I attended the Oregon School of Midwifery and received my bachelor's degree in Holistic Midwifery at New College in California. I trained under a traditional midwife whose approach to birth taught me patience and faith in the birth process and in women's ability to give birth. I am licensed in California and joined a busy practice attending eight to twelve births a month. At the same time I had a GYN practice for three years doing birth control exams, infection checks and treatment, ultrasounds, and lab work. I opened my own practice in California for two years and then chose to move to Portland and started practicing in 2002 and have attended several hundred families in the area."
"I am a mother, wife and midwife. I understand and have experience as a midwife and woman with many different aspects of pregnancy, birth and postpartum. I had my son Morgan in 2006 I labored at home with him but he was a shoulder presentation and I transported to the hospital for an emergency cesearean. I had a home birth after cesarean HBAC/VBAC with my daughter Lavender in August of 2010."
Sahara has completed her studies at Birthingway College of midwifery receiving a bachelors of science in midwifery. She is a certified professional midwife. During her time at Birthingway she was trained in IV skills, CPR, neonatal resuscitation, blood draws, well woman care and received a well-rounded understanding of the child bearing years.
She is an herbalist and studied at Columbine’s School of Botanical Medicine and Blue Iris Botanicals as well as with other respected herbalists. She has focused on native plants as well as traditional herbalism and enjoys incorporating herbs in her midwifery practice. She is the creator of Little Leaf Botanicals, making natural herbal remedies for mothers and babies.
In 2000 she completed a doula course and shortly after attended her first home birth with a traditional midwife. She immediately knew that’s how she wanted to practice and began to pursue her path in midwifery. Since then she has attended many births. She has also provided post partum care to new families at a local birth center gaining experience in newborn care and interned at a local clinic providing well woman care. She has been an advocate for women’s health and works towards increasing access to midwifery care for all families. She has an ever growing passion for serving women and families and providing attentive, compassionate and individualized care.She would be honored to be part of your family’s birth experience.