Board of Directors, 2013-2014
Bianca Wooden, Treasurer & Interim President
email: [email protected]
phone:(228) 233-7777
Bianca Wooden is a co-founder of MS Friends of Midwives and served as both Treasurer and President. Bianca's first birth was attended by a CNM in Atlanta with no complications or interventions. When she got pregnant 5 years later in south Mississippi, she sought out a provider and hospital that was familiar and comfortable with natural birth. After much research and education, she decided on a home birth with a CPM as her caregiver. Bianca is an advocate for improving birth outcomes and better supporting mothers during the childbirth year. She is dedicated to working with MS Friends of Midwives because she believes her work will create a brighter future for Mississippi families: one where midwives are available across the state, working in homes and birth centers in collaboration with local OBs and hospitals - to provide the very best care. Bianca's lives with her 2 daughters and husband in Ocean Springs. She serves women as a childbirth educator, doula and La Leche League Leader.
phone:(228) 233-7777
Bianca Wooden is a co-founder of MS Friends of Midwives and served as both Treasurer and President. Bianca's first birth was attended by a CNM in Atlanta with no complications or interventions. When she got pregnant 5 years later in south Mississippi, she sought out a provider and hospital that was familiar and comfortable with natural birth. After much research and education, she decided on a home birth with a CPM as her caregiver. Bianca is an advocate for improving birth outcomes and better supporting mothers during the childbirth year. She is dedicated to working with MS Friends of Midwives because she believes her work will create a brighter future for Mississippi families: one where midwives are available across the state, working in homes and birth centers in collaboration with local OBs and hospitals - to provide the very best care. Bianca's lives with her 2 daughters and husband in Ocean Springs. She serves women as a childbirth educator, doula and La Leche League Leader.
Stacey Sanford, Vice-President
email:
Stacey Sanford lives in Oxford with her husband, their two dogs, cat, 4 chickens and 4,000 worms. As an Americorps VISTA member, Stacey currently works for the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council as an Outreach and Education Coordinator. While cultivating their small property into a productive vegetable and fruit garden, Stacey and her husband Marco began working on other ways they could simplify and detoxify their lives. This led them to several lifestyle changes and ultimately to midwifery and homebirth as they began discussing future family plans. Stacey spends her free time DIYing everything from knitted socks to canned vegetables from their garden. She (tries to) keeps up with her family and their adventures through their blog at www.madedem.com.
Stacey Sanford lives in Oxford with her husband, their two dogs, cat, 4 chickens and 4,000 worms. As an Americorps VISTA member, Stacey currently works for the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council as an Outreach and Education Coordinator. While cultivating their small property into a productive vegetable and fruit garden, Stacey and her husband Marco began working on other ways they could simplify and detoxify their lives. This led them to several lifestyle changes and ultimately to midwifery and homebirth as they began discussing future family plans. Stacey spends her free time DIYing everything from knitted socks to canned vegetables from their garden. She (tries to) keeps up with her family and their adventures through their blog at www.madedem.com.
Susan Stonecypher, Secretary
email: [email protected]
Susan and her husband of 16 years, RIchie, live in Jackson with their two boys. Her oldest son, Noah, was born in a Jackson hospital attended by an OB/GYN in 1998 and her youngest son, Asa, was born at home with the assistance of a midwife/doula team in 2010. Susan has been a supporter of natural birth and gentle parenting for many years and currently provides birth doula and placenta encapsulation services to Central MS families. Susan's family has been homeschooling since 2007, and they love the freedom and flexibility it allows. Susan is passionate about natural health, vegan cooking and travel.
Susan and her husband of 16 years, RIchie, live in Jackson with their two boys. Her oldest son, Noah, was born in a Jackson hospital attended by an OB/GYN in 1998 and her youngest son, Asa, was born at home with the assistance of a midwife/doula team in 2010. Susan has been a supporter of natural birth and gentle parenting for many years and currently provides birth doula and placenta encapsulation services to Central MS families. Susan's family has been homeschooling since 2007, and they love the freedom and flexibility it allows. Susan is passionate about natural health, vegan cooking and travel.
Vanessa Dudley, Board Member
email: [email protected]
phone: (228) 282-3346
Vanessa Dudley is a founding board member and past president of Mississippi Friends of Midwives. She is blessed with four children and a husband of 16 years. She home educates her children who range in age from 1 year to high school. Vanessa had her first two children with an Ob-Gyn in Biloxi and her two youngest children with a certified professional midwife at her home in Ocean Springs. She is passionate about helping parents make informed choices for their families. Vanessa is a member of First Baptist Church Ocean Springs and serves on the board of Jackson County Christian Home Educators. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the Jackson County Republican Party. She enjoys practicing yoga, vegetable gardening and enjoying the beautiful Gulf of Mexico with her family.
phone: (228) 282-3346
Vanessa Dudley is a founding board member and past president of Mississippi Friends of Midwives. She is blessed with four children and a husband of 16 years. She home educates her children who range in age from 1 year to high school. Vanessa had her first two children with an Ob-Gyn in Biloxi and her two youngest children with a certified professional midwife at her home in Ocean Springs. She is passionate about helping parents make informed choices for their families. Vanessa is a member of First Baptist Church Ocean Springs and serves on the board of Jackson County Christian Home Educators. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the Jackson County Republican Party. She enjoys practicing yoga, vegetable gardening and enjoying the beautiful Gulf of Mexico with her family.
Sara McKercher, Board Member
email: [email protected]
Originally from Vicksburg, Sara now lives in Jackson with her husband and two boys. After a medicated hospital birth, she decided on a home water birth for her second child. She believes in a woman's right to choose how and where she births and wants women of Mississippi to have access to experienced, licensed midwives for the safe delivery of babies at home. Sara studied Photojournalism at The University of Southern Mississippi and owns a portrait photography business. She enjoys cooking, music, traveling and reading birth stories.
Originally from Vicksburg, Sara now lives in Jackson with her husband and two boys. After a medicated hospital birth, she decided on a home water birth for her second child. She believes in a woman's right to choose how and where she births and wants women of Mississippi to have access to experienced, licensed midwives for the safe delivery of babies at home. Sara studied Photojournalism at The University of Southern Mississippi and owns a portrait photography business. She enjoys cooking, music, traveling and reading birth stories.
Toni Hill, Student Midwife Ambassador
Toni resides in Tupelo MS with her soul mate, Jimmy, of 17 years and their four homeschooled children Precious 15, Jimmy III 10, Preston 8, and Patience 6. Toni has worked with women’s health for almost ten years. She advocates for families to have empowering, informative, and safe birth experiences in her work as a doula, childbirth educator and as the project coordinator of the Northeast Mississippi Birthing project. She also is employed part time as a WIC lactation specialist and is a volunteer La Leche league leader, providing breastfeeding information and support to mothers while they are pregnant and breastfeeding their babies. During her time providing care, education, and support to hundreds of pregnant women and their families, she has come to find how extremely important birth is to a woman both physically and emotionally. All over the world low-risk women and babies do better when cared for by a trained midwife. The women of Mississippi deserve to have this as an accessible option for their own births if they so desire.