Birth Roots Community Midwifery

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Oak Park, IL
Birth Roots Community Midwifery

Corinne Westing, CNM (they/them), providing inclusive, affirming, and empowering home birth, family building, and reproductive wellness care in Chicagoland.

Schedule a consultation here: https://birthrootscommunitymidwifery.as.me/?appointmentType=78530493

01/22/2026

“I love getting my Pap!”
Said no one ever!!!!

Why do we even get Paps?
It’s prevention.
Cervical cancer is caused by an
So it’s important for anyone with a cervix to get this screening starting at 21:
💫 Every 3 years from 21-29
💫 Every 5 years from 30-64; with an HPV screening added in
💫 Stop screening at 65 if you’ve had adequate screening
(Note: HPV screening alone may be just as good, but may have some limitations compared to checking the cervical cells with the Pap)

Why do Paps suck so much?
Well, usually because of the speculum.
You may hate speculum exams because of past sexual trauma, or because so many clinicians kinda suck at placing them!

But guess what? Excellent research supports self-collected Paps, and major health organizations such as the American Cancer Society and the support self-collection for routine screening.

So happy this option is becoming more widely supported in literature and practice; and I’m proud to offer it. Are you up to date on your cervical cancer screening? I’m taking new clients for so book now if you need this care from your local ***rmidwife

01/19/2026

Ever need a nervous system balancer?

Breathwork is my most commonly used method, and I love to teach it to clients because it’s free and portable and easy to use and share.

Box breathing is extremely simple and easy to do on the go—it’s my go-to for when I’m en route to a birth or the office (and frequently when I’m heading home as well), to help me get grounded so I can show up and be more present with clients.

So simple—
💫 Inhale for 4, though the nose
💫 Hold for 4
💫 Exhale for 4, through the mouth
💫 Hold for 4
💫 Repeat!

The more you practice it when you’re already feeling calm, the more easily you’ll be able to draw on it when you’re feeling activated. So practice frequently, and see what you notice about your breath and mood.

Do you use box breathing? Or do you have another go-to that you like?

01/17/2026

It’s that time of the year—so important for community accountability—that midwives and birth attendants share our stats. Share how we are taking care of the folks that entrust us with their care.

Our second year attending births brought so many wonderful individuals and families into our care, and we are proud to share how it went!

We are so incredibly grateful for the trust and support we have received since opening. Though I have been practicing as a CNM in many settings before launching Birth Roots, this venture has helped me grow and learn and deepen so much in the art and science of midwifery. I always strive to provide the highest standard of home birth midwifery care, and I am thrilled to have the privilege to continue to offer this care in the Chicagoland area into 2026.

With love and humility,
Corinne for Birth Roots

Photo credit:

01/16/2026

Being invited to someone’s birth journey could not be more of an honor. To hold space for someone for months and then walk through one of the biggest events in someone’s together…it’s such a privilege. And then to hear such lovely feedback about that work…it’s the best.

Feeling so ready to keep serving up the best evidence-based, loving home birth care in Chicagoland 💕

If this is the kind of care you’re looking for, hit us up for a free consultation!

01/15/2026

Hola!
Did you know that your midwife speaks Spanish? Today, I share a bit about how midwives use the wonderful tradition of the rebozo, which comes from indigenous Latin American birth workers, and give a taste of it en español.
I love to share the wisdom of using these simple and beautiful scarves/shawls/wraps prenatally, during birth, and postpartum, and it’s always important to acknowledge the origins of this tradition. If you are looking to add the rebozo to your pregnancy or birth (or practice, if you are a birth worker), it’s important to purchase from the artists and to learn from traditional birth workers.
Captions for the first part of the video are only en español. I don’t typically do Spanish translation for my English videos, so it’s only fair (plus I have my technical limitations). Most of the video is in English though.

01/13/2026

Birth Roots honors the life of our fellow CNM Dr. Janell Green Smith, who died from postpartum surgical complications on Jan. 1 in South Carolina, several days after delivering her first baby.

Dr. Green Smith had attended over 300 other births as midwife, and should not have had to fear for her life to have her own baby. She should be home recovering from birth with her baby and husband.

Yet for Black women and birthing folks of all statuses—even professionals—maternal mortality is all too real a threat, something Dr. Green Smith was herself a fierce advocate to change.

Fighting anti-Black racism, white supremacy, and misogyny; and listening to pregnant and birthing folks, especially BIPOC and marginalized folks, is the duty of all birth workers and perinatal/maternal health advocates. Deaths like that of Dr. Green Smith are a stark reminder of how much work is to be done.

Over 80% of maternal deaths are preventable. Providers, systems, and social factors must shift to center the safety of our most vulnerable and marginalized.

We renew our commitment to centering our clients’ voices, especially the most marginalized. We continue to dedicate ourselves to holistic safety, preventing and addressing birth complications, and closely monitoring and supporting our clients and their babies in the postpartum time. And we vow to continue to show up as allies and comrades against racism in all its forms.

12/31/2025

Happy New Year, beloveds 💗

Looking back on this second full year of Birth Roots supporting incredible individuals and families has me in my feels.

While the world has felt so heavy, being in community with beautiful humans and having the privilege of supporting folks bringing new life into the world and meeting their health goals has been such a gift.

I’ll be putting together 2025 birth stats in the coming weeks, but for now I’ll be over here basking in the glow of the last handful of births for the year. (No Christmas babes this year, but one babe did decide to be born on the longest night of the year, so that was sweet.)

As ever, I’m so grateful to all the folks that have entrusted me with the most intimate and impactful moments. I learn so much from each of you, and you keep on being my heroes as I witness you on your journeys.

Big love for 2026 💗

Photo credit:

12/10/2025

I’m so curious which Birth Roots babe and fam I will get to spend Christmas 🎄with this year! There’s almost always a Christmas birth, and as I wait on my December births, I’m just wondering who it will be…

A cornerstone of physiologic birth is waiting for spontaneous labor. So you won’t find us messing with nature to add to the disproportionate numbers of birthdays that occur just before Christmas because of non-medical inductions of labor!!

So grateful to my family for supporting me doing what I love, and accepting that they get to share me with my beloved clients, and always saving me leftovers.

12/03/2025

My heart burst this week getting this message from a beloved former client. 😍 (If you’re wondering…I said yes!)
When your people find you, it’s just the absolute best!!
And yes! I will 💯 drive the distance for the families I’m meant to serve. It’s a huge honor and privilege to be on the path with the most incredible birthing people and their sweet babes.
Plus I love an adventure and seeing the Chicago area along the way. It’s so cool to be in a town or neighborhood and be like—hey! That’s where I caught that babe!

11/24/2025

Love this!
(And of course would word it gender-neutral myself, but the message is still solid.)

11/23/2025

So much sweetness today at the workshop hosted with today!
Two babes in arms and two on the way—wonderful to see parents-to-be prepping for parenthood as much as for birth 🥹
Chats about the history of infant massage, newborn attachment, and parent and baby emotion regulation. Big stuff!
Many thanks to for providing the lovely space.

11/21/2025

My heart is so full today!!!!!

Overnight I had the privilege of supporting an incredible woman welcome new life and receive her baby into her hands in a beautiful birth, then I took an amazing sleep, and woke up, caffeinated and refueled—

Then I got to present to a fabulous group of Oak Park River Forest High School students for a career class about being a . Teaching young folks a brief history of the colonization of birth work and birth; the paths to midwifery in the US; and what being supported by a midwife across major life events is so fun!!!!

Forgot to ask the teacher to capture the moment, but hopefully you can see here the joy of bringing this info to super engaged young people (boy were their questions great, especially about placentas 😂), and the special bit of ***rjoy when a young q***r and trans person wanted to chat about being q***r in the health provider world. 💗🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Have I said it enough lately?? I have the best job. And is the best drug.

Address

115 N Marion Street, Suite 13
Oak Park, IL
60555

Telephone

+17086694013

Website

http://www.birthrootscommunitymidwifery.com/, https://www.amcbmidwife.org/

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