MOMpreneur: n. defined as a female business owner who is actively balancing the role of mom and the role of entrepreneur.
Happy Monday Modern Boca Moms! Welcome to our next installment of MOMpreneur Monday on MBMom, highlighting Florida businesses and brands that were founded by female entrepreneurs and fellow Mommas.
This week’s MOMpreneur is Miriam Pearson-Martinez, Licensed and Certified Professional Midwife and founder of The Palms Birth House in Delray Beach!
Every MBMom has a unique birth story.
While I won’t get into personal specifics, I wish I had had a little more control over HOW I delivered #dailybabyavery. I was a clueless, terrified, first time mom-to-be and at the hospital in NYC, I felt like I was a name on a list or schedule and not much more.
Luckily, Avery was born healthy and happy and I’m no (longer) worse for wear, but I kind of wish I had the guts (and pain tolerance) to go a bit more natural; if only to admire the birth experience that I’m likely to have only once or twice in my lifetime.
This is why places like The Palms Birth House are so special and essential in our community.
Hi Miriam! I’m excited to tell MBMoms-to-be a little more about The Palms Birth House. But first, why did you decide to become a midwife?
I am a mother of four children, ranging in ages from 9-23. It was the birth of my eldest son, Seth, that led me down the path of midwifery.
I was young, uniformed and scared and I gave up my choices and care to the person I thought I could trust most under the circumstance,s my OBGYN. My pregnancy was full of red flags that were ignored and my birth a demeaning experience. Two weeks after his birth, I was back in the hospital for Eclampsia (a full blown seizure due to gestational high blood pressure) and baffled as to how I had ended up there.
My first reaction was to fear childbirth; then I got to work. I realized my condition had been begging for attention for months and months. All the signs went ignored, but why?
I came to the personal conclusion that obstetrics in America was not about preventative healthcare and what was best for the family unit. I knew there had to be something better out there and my research of countries with better infant and maternal outcomes all had one thing in common: midwives.
How did your Delray Beach business get started?
The Palms Birth House is the only licensed birth center in Palm Beach County. After being a resident of Miami for over 30 years, I moved to Boca Raton when my husband joined a practice in the area. My home birth practice blossomed, and more women expressed interest in alternatives to the traditional and intervention-filled hospital setting.
I teamed up with childbirth educator and doula Lorie McCoy of The Orchid Nest and (pun intended) The Palms Birth House was born.
Clearly your business is filling a need for mothers in our community. What else sets it apart?
Not only is The Palms the only licensed birth center in Palm Beach County, it is also an oasis of pregnancy services!
Our clients not only have access to safe and effective care, but also services designed to keep them in shape both body and mind. From our childbirth education to prenatal yoga and massage, our services are designed to make our mamas feel healthy and confident.
What is the #1 reason MBMoms-to-be should check out The Palms?
Statistics show that low risk pregnancies have better outcomes when cared for by midwives. Infant and maternal mortality rates drop as well as an increase in patient satisfaction, long term breastfeeding, and mother/baby bonding has less interruptions.
While ‘out of hospital’ birth is not for everyone, I encourage women to research their providers, place of birth and the cesarean rate for both. The World Health Organization calls for a 15% cesarean rate and in our community, the average rate is over 48%.
What exciting things are coming up at your business?
The Palms celebrates our families every year with a visit from Santa. This year, he will be stopping by with gifts for all our babies as well as stories, sing-alongs and one-on-one photographs.
We believe “it takes a village” and we like to think of ourselves as the community hut.
What do you love about living and working in South Florida?
I am one of a rare species known as a “native Floridian.” My travels around the world for both work and pleasure have proven this girl is made up of sunshine and saltwater!
I always come back for the weather and stay for the people. South Florida provides my family with exposure to so many cultures, that a walk around the block feels like a trip around the world.
So, MBMoms-to-be…..will you be looking into several ways (or places) to have your baby before the big day arrives? Comment below!
You can also follow The Palms Birth House on Facebook.
