Midwives at VMC
Services | What We Do | Meet Our Team | Mission & Values | Contact Us | More Information
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The Midwives at Valley Medical Center are Certified Nurse-Midwives specially trained to provide comprehensive, safe and individualized obstetrical and gynecologic care in a positive, supportive environment. It is our philosophy that each woman's physical and emotional needs are best met by this personalized approach.
Our consulting physicians are board-certified or board-eligible OB/GYNs. Their office is located approximately one mile from the Valley Medical Center campus. They provide comprehensive gynecological care and oversee complex patient care when necessary. We also have access to Valley Medical Center physicians, 24 hours a day for emergencies or consultations.
Services
Women often choose nurse-midwives because of the highly personal level of care offered through all stages of pregnancy and birth. The Midwives at Valley Medical Center offer individualized care as well as access to state-of-the-art technology, including a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, through Valley Medical Center. When indicated, we do not hesitate to refer patients to specialists, or use ultrasound, amniocentesis and other technologies that are available to assist us throughout your pregnancy.
What We Do
Prenatal Care
We are committed to quality prenatal care. Regular appointments with your midwife include generous time for questions, education and complete monitoring of your body's health and the baby's progress. Pregnancy and childbirth are healthy, normal experiences. With our guidance, we encourage you to actively participate in decision-making and be a responsible partner in your prenatal health care. We also recognize that having a baby is a family affair and welcome you to bring your husband, partner or older children to your appointments.
Birth and Delivery
Women receiving care from our midwives take great comfort in knowing that a nurse-midwife will support them from early labor through delivery. You deliver your baby in the safety and comfort of The Birth Center at Valley Medical Center. We provide beautiful private birthing suites equipped with a Jacuzzi tub, TV, DVD, stereo, refrigerator and a daybed for your support person.
If the delivery is a Caesarean, your nurse-midwife will assist the physician during surgery as well as provide emotional support for you and your family. In the event of an emergency during labor or delivery, our nurse-midwives are well trained to handle the situation until an obstetrician arrives.
You are welcome to have your baby stay with you in your room and your partner is also welcome to stay. Valley Medical Center also employs lactation consultants to assist with breastfeeding.
Women's Health
In addition to prenatal care and delivery, our clinic offers the following services:
- Routine Gynecological Care, including annual exams
- Family Planning and Contraception
Meet Our Team
Laura Denman, CNM/ARNP
Education
Ohio State University – BS Nursing, 1981
University of Illinois-Chicago – MS Nurse-Midwifery, 1986
Midwifery positions: North Central Bronx Hospital, Bronx, New York; Bay Area Midwifery Service, San Francisco, CA. Prior to coming to Valley Medical Center I was a member of the Highline Midwifery Service for 13 years.
I live in Burien with my husband, two teenage sons and two cats. I enjoy reading, gardening, walking early in the morning with my friends, and exploring the beach at low tide.
I made nurse-midwifery my career goal very early in life and, after 20 years of attending women in labor and caring for them before, during and after their pregnancies, I can still say I'm very happy with my decision. I remain awed by the power of birth and motherhood, and feel privileged to provide healthcare and education to women throughout their childbearing years.
Kirsten Garner, MSN, CNM/ARNP
Education
University of Washington – BS Psychology
Vanderbilt University – MS Nursing with specialty of Nurse-Midwifery
After living in Tennessee for 3 years, I returned to beautiful Seattle to be closer to my family. I joined the midwifery group in the fall of 2005 and have loved every minute. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, I thoroughly enjoy all that this area has to offer from outdoor recreation to life in the city! Outside of the hospital, I do just about everything from running, yoga, cooking, reading and just relaxing with family and friends.
I feel honored to practice as a midwife and attend women and families throughout their pregnancy, delivery and postpartum experiences. I welcome all questions and hope to be a partner in your pregnancy care!
Maureen Graves, CNM/ARNP
Education
Yale University – BA Anthropology, 1991
University of Washington – BSN, 1999
University of Washington – MA, 2004
I have been working in women's health care for the past 15 years in several different capacities. I first became interested in midwifery while an undergraduate studying anthropology. I realized that among other cultures, childbirth with a skilled midwife is the norm. I wondered why the experience of childbirth in our country became so far removed from what is normal in the rest of the world. Upon graduation from college, I began working in a feminist women's health center, focusing on educating women about their bodies and supporting their reproductive health choices. I then went back to school to get my degree in nursing, with the goal of going on to become a nurse-midwife. I spent several years working as a labor and delivery nurse at the University of Washington before pursing my Master's degree in nurse-Midwifery. I then joined the Highline Midwives in 2005 and we all moved together to Valley Medical Center in September 2006.
I look forward to continuing to care for women and their families through the exciting and life-changing experience of pregnancy and childbirth. I love seeing women from all different cultures and economic backgrounds, and am continually impressed by their strength and power.
I live in Seattle with my Chihuahua, and enjoy reading, knitting, going for walks in the Northwest, and spending time with friends.
Carol Olivier, CNM/ARNP
Education
University of Washington – BS Nursing
University of Miami – MS Nursing with specialty in Midwifery
I was asked to help a woman in a jeep with childbirth while traveling in Africa. I was 27 years old, very well educated with degrees in psychology, pre-med, and anatomy and physiology, however, did not know at all what to do to help her or her baby. From that moment I started the path to become expert in being skilled to help women anywhere in the world with that universal woman experience of childbirth and safe passage.
Since graduation, I have worked with women and birth all over the United States and with people from cultures all over the world. In Tuba City, Arizona, while in the U.S. Public Health Service, I assisted women of Navajo and Hopi descent. In Miami, I worked with and helped women from all over the Caribbean basin, predominately Cuban, Haitian and Latina. In eastern Oregon, I started up a rural midwife service which cared for rural residents and migrant farm workers. In upstate New York, I also cared for a rural population. In the Upper Peninsula of michigan, where there was a record 300 inches of snow(!), I had the lovely opportunity to work with the largest population of Scandinavian people in the United States.
Now I am back in my beloved Seattle and have been most fortunate to have joined this vibrant midwife group practice caring for the diverse multi-cultural population of South King County. In any one day we may see families from many countries of the world. So, I have kept my promise to myself that I would be caring and helping women, from everywhere, to have a safe, joyful pregnancy, childbirth, and mothering experience.
Yvonne Roskeland, CNM/ARNP
Education
Columbia University – MS Nurse-Midwifery
BS in Nursing
Pacific Lutheran University – BS Biology
To care for women and their families during the pregnancy is a special time which is an honor that I truly treasure. Teaching women about the changes in their bodies and growth of their babies is something midwives focus heavily on during the routine visits. I believe that the women should be part of the decision making of their care which will prepare them for their new lives.
I am Norwegian born, raised in Sudan, Norway and Spain. My family moved around because of my father's work which has given me the opportunity to learn from different experiences in my life. I love to learn about different cultures and languages and have been lucky enough to learn Spanish along the way.
I live in Seattle with my husband, Karl, and our dog Ballou.
Amy Steers, CNM/ARNP
Education
Florida State University – BS Nursing, 1994
University of Washington, MS, Nursing, 1999
Unlike many of my colleagues, I didn't always know I wanted to be a midwife. It wasn't until nursing school where I saw the different approaches to caring for pregnant and laboring women that I was drawn to midwifery.
I love being a midwife. I enjoy sharing knowledge with women and their families and helping them make the best choices for them. I like supporting and guiding women through the unique, exciting and sometimes scary experience of labor.
I have two fantastic children, both born at home with a midwife. I enjoy lots of family time, travel, and fine cooking.
Melissa Rubin, CNM/ARNP
Education
University of Washington – Master, Nursing in Midwifery, 2003
University of Pennsylvania – BS Nursing, 2000
University of Iowa – BA Religion and American Studies, 1991
I did not always know that I wanted to be a nurse midwife and came to midwifery as a second career. I have worked in women’s health care in many different capacities, particularly in public health, public policy, and international development. I finally found my calling when volunteering as a lay health care provider in a free health clinic in Washington, D.C. I feel blessed to be a midwife and am continually honored by the privilege of participating in the most personal and profound experiences of pregnancy, labor, and childbirth. I enjoy sharing knowledge with women and their families throughout their pregnancy and their childbearing years. I most especially relish the opportunity to create trusting relationships that span many years and multiple pregnancies. I live in Seattle with my wonderful family. My three children were all delivered by nurse-midwives.
Mission Statement & Values
Our mission is to provide expert care in a compassionate, culturally sensitive, holistic manner. Through education and teamwork, women are empowered and families are strengthened.
Values
Trust: We strive to provide a warm, nurturing and safe environment
Respect: We treat each woman and her family with dignity, honoring her beliefs, values and community
Excellence: We draw on our specialized education and experiences to offer high quality, individualized care in a safe environment
Midwifery Tradition: Celebrate the experience of pregnancy and childbirth as a normal and healthy event
Contact Us
The Midwives at Valley Medical Center
4033 Talbot Road South Suite 440
Renton, WA 98055
Ph: 425-656-5321
Fax: 425-656-5319
More Information
American College of Nurse-Midwives
