Meet Student Midwife Matison!

Update: Matison graduated in 2023 and is now a Licensed Midwife! Our clients have loved working with Matison and she is now the second half of the Shade Tree Midwifery Team!

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Midwife Rebekah has spent years mentoring other women, whether they be doulas, aspiring birth workers or childbirth educators. There have been many cups of coffee shared while discussing the beauty and challenges of the job we all love! It would only be natural to add a student midwife to her practice and continue the ancient tradition of midwifery through apprenticeship .

Student Midwife Matison was first a friend of Midwife Rebekah. She met her while Matison was a training doula. Their paths crossed again after Matison began her clinical training and then joined Rebekah’s practice in the spring of 2022. After welcoming her third child, Matison is back from maternity leave and jumping right back into her clinical training. She is a student midwife with more than one midwifery practice to help round out her education with different styles and modalities. Rebekah is excited for her clients to get to know Matison and believes that she is an asset to the birth team and her midwifery practice. You can learn more about her below!

Matison says: “I have been a certified doula for two years, and am also a birth assistant, and a student Midwife. My goal is for every one of my clients to feel educated and supported through this life changing journey. When I am not in the birth space with clients I can be found at home with my sweet husband and three beautiful children, studying all things birth, or crocheting.”

You can learn more about Student Midwife Matison at her website.

Christian Midwife in North Texas

Hello! My name is Rebekah and I wear many hats. I am a wife, John and I have been together for 13 years! I am a mother to three beautiful blessings; Cora, Ada and Evie. I am a daughter and a sister, I have a close relationship with my family of origin. I live near my father and see him almost daily and I see some of my extended family regularly. I am a friend, I am the friend that will drop whatever I’m doing if you need me (I will have my children in tow and I may look like a hot-mess, but I will be there!). Among the many things that make me who I am, the foundational piece is that I am a Christian!

I have served many families who do not hold the same faith as I do, and that is okay! I am honored to be in your birth space regardless of your beliefs. I am committed to giving each family I serve the best of my care!

My work as a midwife; my skills, knowledge, compassion and heart for serving are gifts from God. I believe that the Lord places the families in my life that I am meant to serve.

For my clients that are also Christian, I am happy to incorporate prayer into your care if that is something you desire. I consider it an honor to pray for the women and families that I serve.

What Sets You Apart?

During a recent midwife interview a client asked me what makes me different?

In midwifery there are many things that you don’t want to be different on, you want to work within your scope of practice. You want to provide exceptional care. You want to work within community standards. It got me thinking, and here’s what I would say makes me who I am as a midwife.

I was a doula. You can take me out of that role, but you can’t take the doula out of me. I genuinely want to serve the clients that entrust me to care for them. Doulas and midwives have very different roles and sometimes being in the medical role of midwife I’m not able to provide as much support as I would like (l always encourage you to hire a doula for your birth!) but I am always working to ensure that I have your Informed Consent for everything we do, both in prenatal care and in birth! I also work hard to get dad’s involved in care and make sure that you understand and are on board with whatever is happening/involved in the discussion. This is your birth too and I want to make sure you’re well supported!

I take my time. I want to make sure you are comfortable with the care you are receiving and truly understand what is happening with your pregnancy and the choices you are making. YOU are the caretaker of the life you are growing, I am supporting you in that role! My intakes are at 8-10 weeks of pregnancy, because I want to make sure you’re well supported in your first trimester (most providers don’t see you until 12 weeks of pregnancy). If you have a history of miscarriage, I want to start lab work as soon as possible after you get a positive home pregnancy test! Appointments are at least an hour long! If you need to see me more often than the typical schedule (monthly until 28 weeks, then biweekly until 36 weeks and weekly after that until birth), I am happy to schedule additional appointments as needed!

Experience. I have attended over 300 births in a variety of settings before licensing as a midwife. I worked as a midwife assistant for years before starting Midwifery School. In my midwifery apprenticeship (clinical training), I worked in a high-volume practice affording me a lot of hands on practice and I far exceeded my minimum requirements for clinical training. I have had the opportunity to train and work under midwives from multiple different schools, states, trainings, licenses and backgrounds. Often I know multiple ways to accomplish a goal and can choose the method my experience tells me is best suited to the situation.

Community - I have been a birth worker in various roles since 2015 serving the Dallas Fort Worth Community. I certified as a doula for the first time in 2016 (I have taken different doula trainings over the years). If I don’t know something, I know who does. If I need resources or information, I can get it. You can’t do birth work without circles of support around you. We’ve all heard the saying, it takes a village, well that holds true with midwifery too. Over the last six years I have had the opportunity to create many professional connections and relationships. This also means I have great backup support. Midwifery is an unpredictable lifestyle (it’s more than a job, it’s a huge piece of who I am and who my family is!). I always strive to make it to my clients births (and I very rarely have missed births!), but we all know illness can sneak up and put us out of pocket, emergencies, family things etc and when this happens I am so glad to know that my clients will be receiving exceptional care on the slight chance that they labor while I’m out.

Accessibility - If you need me, you can reach me. If you have a question, I’m here to answer it or provide you with resources to learn about it. I do work to have good boundaries with work and family life, especially since the nature of midwifery blends so much into my day-to-day personal life, but I want to be available to you! If you have a question that can’t wait until your next appointment, I welcome you to send a message through your chart. If you’re not feeling well and the things I’ve suggested as general guidelines did not help, please send me a text! You aren’t going to get an answering service or general/unpersonal one-size-fits-no-one care with me.

If you think that we would click, I would love to hear from you and schedule a consultation! Feel free to send me an email or fill out the form below!

Photo credit for all images in this post go to: East Layne Photography

SneakPeek Provider

Midwife Rebekah is excited to offer SneakPeek blood tests to detect if you are having a boy or girl as early as 7 weeks in pregnancy!

When two lines on the test are unbelievable and you want it to be more “real”, SneakPeek can help!
When those two lines are “very real” and it would help you connect and feel better about how not fun the first trimester can be SneakPeek can help you bond with your pregnancy!

Usually results are back the next day (especially if we test in the morning). How exciting to come in for a quick 5 minute blood test on your lunch break and get an email the next day telling you it’s a boy/girl!

The SneakPeek test is $150 and Midwife Rebekah can run this test for you at your intake or any prenatal appointment.

If you are with another provider and don’t want to wait for your next visit you can come see Rebekah at her office in Denton. Just reach out to her below to set up a time!

Midwifery FAQs

Can I have a water birth with you?

Yes! Most clients are eligible for a water birth! We can discuss the specifics further in your free consultation. Shade Tree Midwifery also has options for birth tub rentals if you do not have a large enough tub at home.

Do you accept VBAC clients (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean)

Yes! Rebekah & Matison are passionate about providing VBAC options for clients. There are some requirements such as low-transverse incision and obtaining your previous surgical reports. There needs to be 18 months from your last cesarean to this pregnancy’s Due Date. It is also strongly encouraged to see a chiropractor and other complementary providers for body work throughout pregnancy. Reach out to Matison & Rebekah for a no-obligation, free consultation!

Do you accept Insurance

Midwifery services with Shade Tree Midwifery are out-of-network for all providers. We do accept cost-sharing groups such as Samaritan Ministries, CHM, etc. It may seem that it would make a homebirth more expensive, but often times cash pay pricing is less than what your out-of-pocket would be for a hospital birth.

Where do you do appointments?

We have an office in Denton, Texas in a family friendly environment where both Rebekah and Matison see clients a couple of days a week, usually Monday, Tuesdays and Friday. Rebekah has a home office in Gainesville, Texas where both Matison and Rebekah see clients on Tuesday or Thursday (one day a week).

Rebekah/matison was my doula. Do you still do doula work?/You were my doula before, can you be again?

Sometimes when things work out on the calendar, we are able to still take doula clients and we do accept Montrice clients or co-care clients for planned hospital births. You can read more about that here. We try to make ourselves available for repeat doula clients.

What areas do you serve?

We serve a large portion of the DFW metroplex, into south-western Oklahoma. Denton, Decatur, Gainesville, Bowie, Rhome, Sherman, Keller, Lewisville, Flower Mound, Argyle, Grapevine, Fort Worth, Boyd, Pilot Point, Aubrey, Prosper, Celina, (to name a few…).

How long are you with me after the birth?

After your sweet baby is born, your birth team stays for 2-3 hours. Sometimes we need to stay a little longer, and that’s just fine! My goal is to be tucking you into bed as your hormones tell you that you’re tired and you’re ready to take a nice long nap after birth. If you have a birth-center birth, my goal is the same! To send you home before that post birth excitement wears off so you and your family aren’t driving home exhausted. We are available for any questions or concerns after the birth team leaves, there is a 24 hour phone check in and we will see you again between 48-72 hours after birth for your first postpartum visit (in the comfort of your own home)!

How many births do you accept a month?

We are usually able to greet 3-4 new lives each month. It depends on personal schedule and client distance etc. Book early for best availability! Sometimes we still have spots available and can take on late transfers. We are always happy to refer to other great midwives if our schedule is full.

We hope this answered some of your questions! If you have other questions or would like to schedule a free consultation with one of the midwives, you can email or fill out this form and either Matison or Rebekah will get back with you soon!

Doula Services

Now that Rebekah is a licensed midwife in Texas; past clients and friends have asked, “will you still offer doula services?”. The answer is, sometimes.

Rebekah feels passionately about women having the support they need when birthing and she recognizes that especially when giving birth in the hospital, women need someone there to guide and support.

Current packages for doula services when Rebekah has availability begin at $1,500.

Sometimes clients would like to birth out of hospital but do not meet the low-risk criteria or need different services the hospital can provide. In these events, on a case-by-case basis Rebekah will take Montrice clients. Montrice services are a combination of midwifery care and birth doula services.

Repeat clients, be sure to reach out if you would like Rebekah at your birth - she will do her best to accommodate your due date!

If Rebekah is not available for doula services for your upcoming birth, she has a list of great doulas in the DFW area that she would be happy to share!

To inquire about Doula services - fill out the Contact form or email Rebekah.

Update:

Rebekah’s midwifery student, Matison Davis is a wonderful student and Rebekah has spent time mentoring her and training her. She offers doula services in DFW and would be a wonderful asset to your birth team! Read more about her below!

I have been a certified doula for two years, and am also a birth assistant, and a student Midwife. My goal is for every one of my clients to feel educated and supported through this life changing journey. When I am not in the birth space with clients I can be found at home with my sweet husband and three beautiful children, studying all things birth, or crocheting.

You can learn more about Matison and her doula services at her website.

Texas Midwife!

I am overjoyed to announce that I am officially a licensed midwife in the great state of Texas!

I will be offering home and birth center births in the North DFW area starting January 2022!

These exciting changes mean that the website will get an update as things are changed over from doula work to midwifery services. Thank you for your patience as things are ironed out and set up. I am dedicated to providing individualized care. That also means I’m a one-woman show with a lot of balls in the air! As always, my current clients take priority and the marketing will be update as soon as possible!

I look forward to serving you and your family as you meet your new little love!

- Midwife Rebekah

I Passed NARM!

When you make a post on facebook that is basically a blog post, it only makes sense to also post it on your blog. I wanted to share that I passed NARM (the test for licensing to become a Certified Professional Midwife, a national credential in the US) but I also hope this serves as a picture into the life of a busy student midwife. I’m often asked by doulas or aspiring students about pursuing a midwifery license, here’s a glimpse from the side of being “done”.

2 years and 4 months ago my family and I started the journey towards me becoming a midwife. I say family, because while I poured my literal blood, sweat and tears into this process; My family was my rock. John was the amazing supportive husband he has always been! As soon as I started, he had to pick up many of the responsibilities I couldn’t carry anymore and then for about a year at the peak of my education - he was basically flying solo, a full time job, a household and 3 kids with a wife he only saw when I was sleeping (usually during the day) or with my nose in a textbook. He was also basically my personal secretary- like the time (well, both times…) I started driving across the state for a clinical training workshop and called him and say that I hadn’t had time to book a hotel, so would he please book it and call back to tell me where I should go (mind you, I was always driving in last minute enough to arrive after midnight)! My dad provided on-call childcare, he cooked for us and provided encouragement and advise! We've had weeks we moved into his house when my call-load was too much and I've crashed on his couch when I was too tired to drive the 10 more minutes home. I can’t tell you how many times I left his house from dropping off children with breakfast in my hand because he got up early to cook so I’d eat something that day. He's driven me on 3 hour round trips to see clients or do work when I was too tired to drive. My brother Robert has kept me in a running vehicle for this journey, because not having a car payment is a big piece of how we could afford midwifery school. He has literally swapped cars with me on my way into births so he could take care of various mechanic things. He also didn't kill me that time I totaled an engine on my way home from a birth on a rainy night. My sweet children. E was 6 months old when I started this journey, she doesn’t know anything different, her toddler years looked 80% different from what her sisters had. C and A faced a change in schools so I could be a student. They were patient and understanding about my absence and need to study when I was home. Many times “spending time together” was them cuddled up next to me while I napped. Their only requests when I would leave for births is for me to bring home a picture of the baby for them to see. The reality of being a daughter of a midwife is too big to paint here, but they bore with grace. I paint this picture of sacrifice because it’s the truth. Midwifery school was the hardest thing I, we, have ever done. But, it’s finished!!

I am elated to say - that I passed the NARM (the test for licensing)! And after another round of paperwork (it’s never ending…) I’ll be a Licensed Midwife in Texas!

THANK YOU to my family and THANK YOU to all of the families that allowed me to serve them and learn through their births! I will forever cherish these memories and the lessons I was afforded the opportunity to learn! Your births live on as the skills in my hands as I serve new families.

And an enormous THANK YOU to my teachers! I literally couldn’t have done this without each of you!
Lauren was my very first teacher - you taught me how to be an amazing birth assistant, to always look ahead and to anticipate needs! Thank you so much for giving me the first chance, I'm glad to call you friend! To Jean and Elaine for teaching me as you worked, for growing a love of midwifery in me and believing in me when it was just an idea. To Kaitlyn and Gina, for giving me a place, letting me belong and believing in me from the beginning! You both said that the hard births make great midwives - thank you for teaching me and letting me spread my wings and prove myself. To Roxanne, thank you for your listening ears, gentle guiding, patience and instruction. I will never forget you acting like it’s normal for me to sob through a conversation because I was too tired to cope. Thank you for teaching me what it’s like to face the hard, and take care of ourselves so we can keep serving. Justine, thank you for being real with me. For shooting straight and saying things in a way that could finally click for my brain! Thank you for teaching me to sit on my hands, a skill every Midwife must have! Bri, you showed up and jumped right on “Team Rebekah”. The day we met and I told you that you’d love Mallory and me - I didn’t know my sarcasm was the truth. Hearing your voice calling me to births (“Hey babe”), listening to your quiet instructions in my ears - always calm and always believing in me! You only had to threaten violence once 😂 Thank you for being my teacher, my cheerleader and my friend! Ashley, You’re always there to answer the phone and hear me where I'm at, thank you! For being a sounding board and letting me demonstrate and grow my skills. You didn’t let me shrink back when I was fine - you bolstered the confidence I was lacking. Judith, thank you for your patient, kind and gentle spirit; for showing me how that looks in the birth room and with patient care. For being the teacher I didn’t know I was getting. For demonstrating and teaching me skills I never knew I could possess. Julie, your beautiful spirit brought me so much joy! You trusted me and let me do my thing which lit a fire of confidence! We’ve had many a wild ride, but each one with smiles and laughter! Thank you for all the lessons! Ashlyn, thank you for your gentle instruction and calm when I wasn’t (on the inside). For your friendship and ready willingness to share your vast knowledge! I'm so glad we got to work together! Mallory, my midwifery sister. God knew I couldn’t have done this without you. For listening to hundreds of conversations where I can’t make up my mind and letting me list pro/cons for the umpteenth time. For paving a way, holding a lantern so I know what’s next. For being my research guru when I mention a “I wonder why…” For literally being a piece of my heart - I couldn’t have done this without you! My work wife. ❤️❤️
Brooke, Amanda & Rachel - thank you for holding me up and cheering me on, even when I didn’t think I could. Thank you for being my biggest cheerleaders!!
The Lord has blessed me with so many friends that have been listening ears and a behind the scenes support system, you aren’t forgotten- thank you for all you have done!
(If you read this far, bless you, thank you for support - my life is better for it!)

Doulas: A Soapbox Rant - Labor with them at home!

I recently re-joined the world of doing professional doula work after taking a couple of years off while in midwifery school. I have attended about 150 births in those two years and have learned SO much more than when I put the doula work on pause. I have been asked recently what brought me back to doula work: My professional plans changed and rather than being a staff midwife at a busy birth center, I’ve changed course and will practice midwifery in a small practice exclusively in the homebirth setting so I can be home with my young family more. While things are shifting and I’m preparing for that change, I’ve returned to my roots and am taking birth doula clients and assisting midwives across DFW and southern Oklahoma.

During my apprentice I had the unique opportunity to see lots of doulas work! Since doulas mostly work alone, we don’t often see other doulas in their professional setting. Some of these doulas are excellent; and some were less than great. I believe that there is a doula for every family and there are many different styles and techniques, it is not a one size fit all industry. But there are some basic universal skills and not every doula has them. This experience has brought about many opinions and thoughts, some of which I’ll share as time goes on.

Todays rant - Doulas who do not labor at home with their clients.

Not every single client is going to need their doula to labor at home with them. I personally only needed this with my first birth (hospital birth). For my second and third, I was fine at home and my doula met me at the birth center. What was important was that if I needed her at home - she would come! Recently there is a trend among doulas that they will not labor at home with clients, that they only join in “active labor” at the birth location (hospital/birth center). This has frustrated every single midwife I have talked to about this. I could go on, but as it is, I’m sure I’m going to ruffle enough feathers with this post.

Doulas, if you’re reading this, please hear me. Sometimes your client will need you and they will not be in clinical “active labor”. Something will be going on and they need some emotional support that is not as effective over the phone. Or they will need you to come do positional work/spinning babies etc with them and not just given directions over the phone. I get it! I have been to 70+ hour labors. I have missed sleep and family events and been so exhausted I fell asleep standing up. NO ONE WANTS THAT. You don’t want to go to a labor too early and them not really need you. You can go to them, help with the acute needs and Leave! I’ve labored at home with clients and been able to read the room that they needed intimacy, taught the partner what he needed to know and left to leave them to it! It was a beautiful birth, my client was thrilled that I knew when to step away. I went to a coffee shop 2 miles away and studied for a while until I got the call that they were ready for me again.

I’m not asking you to fall on the sword of being everything to a client. If you aren’t charging enough to be able to go to them and potentially leave, then you need to charge more so you can. If you’re worried that it’s too much drive time to do this, then you need to reduce your service miles. If you can’t bring in a backup doula for a few hours so you can nap at a long birth and they still receive good doula support, you are not charging enough. Stop telling your clients that you don’t provide this service and spinning/selling it to them as if it is out of your concern for their privacy/intimacy in labor. Educate them, let them know that there are situations in which you may come and go. Set appropriate expectations.

This is not specific to first time parents, or birth center births. We midwives have witnessed infuriating situations where the doula would not join the client at home for planned hospital births. First time moms, third time moms, no matter the gravida. When clients are calling their midwives in tears that their doula won’t join them unless they’re admitted to the birth center, so now we’re bringing in a patient too early so they can get the support they’re paying for.

As a doula, I educate my clients about the stage of labor known as “bridging”. I tell them that it isn’t clinical and their doctor would be baffled if they asked about it. This beautiful concept was created by doula Lauren McClain and you can read more about it here. The idea is that women will need support between early labor and clinical active labor. I rarely see a birthing woman that this does not apply to. Doulas, we are the support for this Bridge. If you are a professional doula and you do not offer support at home, please consider your motives. Not everyone needs it, but when they do - are you providing the service you charge for by denying it?

Meet the Midwife: Rebekah Lewis

This post was written a few months before Rebekah was licensed to practice midwifery in Texas while she still practiced as a doula. More information about home and birth center births with Midwife Rebekah coming soon!

Hi, I’m Rebekah!

I am originally from the Denton area and came back “home” after I finished my undergrad (at Texas Tech). I have been married for just over 10 years & together we are a “girl family” with three daughters ages 7, 5 & 2.

In 2015 I certified as a birth doula and also began working at a local birth center as a Midwife Assistant. Along the way I added Placenta Encapsulation to my services as I saw what a helpful option this was for my clients during their postpartum transition. I licensed as a Certified Professional Midwife and Texas Licensed Midwife in 2021. ! Through my years of birth work, I have had the honor to support 300+ families in their birth process in my different roles.

When I’m not at a birth you can find me with my family! We live rural on a few acres which keeps us busy! I do housework and daily tasks to the sounds of Praise and Worship music or Podcasts! (If you have music playing at your birth, there’s a good chance I’ll sing along!)

With my various roles I have supported families in their Hospital Births, planned epidural Births, Planned and Unplanned Cesareans, Birth Center Births and Home Births!

I have studied beyond the initial Doula Training I received in 2015. I have cross-trained with 2 doula certification organizations, Done Spinning Babies advanced training, TENS training for birth, Advanced Breastfeeding Support/Lactation Counselor Classes, Essential Oils and Homeopathy Courses. I have been working on CEUs before my midwifery license with various Midwifery Specific topics/trainings & have earned more than half of the required hours for my MEAC accreditation bridge (MEAC is the new preferred licensing distinction amongst Certified Professional Midwives).

I believe that birth is a natural process, not a medical emergency. I believe that if a woman chooses, she can usually birth without intervention or emergency! Sometimes interventions are necessary and when that happens I am grateful that we have skilled medical providers to keep birth safe! As a doula, I support birth both in and out of hospital! While I frequently doula for families birthing in birth centers or at home, I am more often supporting families who know they want or need a hospital birth! I support inductions, planned cesareans, surprise/unplanned cesareans. Doulas are not one-size-fit all, they are for every birth! It is always my goal to set families up for success! At the end of the labor and birth process, you are going to be parents! That’s where the real work begins! Helping women have positive birth experiences extends beyond the moment. A Positive Birth: sets them up for better postpartum (mental health and physical health), better bonding with their baby, better equipped for breastfeeding, and so much more!

Want to learn more about me? I gave this interview for Voyage magazine & Birth Boot Camp a few years ago (please note: my contact information is not the same)

Wondering about my own birth experiences?

My first daughter was born in the hospital without epidural/narcotic pain relief with a birth team consisting of Midwives and a Doula!

My second daughter was born in a birth center. It was a water birth with a birth team consisting of 2 Midwives, a doula and a birth assistant!

My third daughter was born in a birth center! It was my longest labor (by 24 hours!) and I had a birth team consisting of 4 midwives (at various times, 2 at the time of birth), 2 student midwives, and a Doula!

Yes, I hire doulas for my own births! I wouldn’t birth without one!!

Rebekah in labor with her third, her doula, Sarah, belly sifting!

Ready to book a free consultation to see how Rebekah can support your birth?

Rebekah’s family

Professional Photo Credits in order of appearance: Erin Beth Birth, Lawren Rose Photography, Birth Unscripted