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Gem Wellness, Spokane, WA (2026)

02/16/2026

Emma Joy’s Birth Story 🤍✨ - a redemptive, fast homebirth at 42+wks with a peacefully managed newborn resuscitation & hemorrhage.
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Often, birth doesn’t come with perfect dates or tidy timelines. With sweet Emma Joy, we had about a two-week discrepancy in her gestational age. So we waited. We prayed. We trusted. And when mama felt ready to nudge things along (at ~41.5-43wks) we had thoughtful conversations about her options.
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We began with a membrane sweep and some homeopathic support. Two days later, she tried a castor oil smoothie — and things picked up quickly after that.
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I had just wrapped up my own daughter’s first birthday party when labor began building. This was her second baby (and second babies are often much quicker), so although she said she wasn’t quite ready for me yet, I decided to head her way sooner rather than later. Emily, her steady and faithful doula, was already there supporting her.
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When I was still about ten minutes out, Emily texted: “She’s feeling pushy.” My foot hit the pedal and I prayed the whole drive there!
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I walked in just as Emma was crowning. Seconds later, her water released — heavily stained with fresh meconium — and immediately, Emma Joy entered the world.
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Those first moments required swift teamwork. It was the first time Emily and I stepped into a resuscitation together, as my assistant Dishawna was still on her way. Calm. Clear. Prayerful. The Lord’s mercies were so evident in that room. Emma responded beautifully.
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As Emma was coming around after quite a shocking entrance, mama began to hemorrhage. We administered Pitocin and monitored her closely. Again — steady hands, watchful eyes, and the quiet covering of prayer. Her body responded well.
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This mama’s first birth ended in a long labor, transfer from home to hospital, and an epidural. She had been praying for a peaceful, redemptive home birth this time.
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And even with the intensity… even with the unexpected moments… she still says the Lord answered every prayer. She birthed her daughter at home. She had peace. She was supported.
Redemption writes the most beautiful stories. 🩷

12/16/2025

✨ What a Prenatal Appointment Looks Like With Me ✨

Prenatal care in the community setting is unhurried, personal, and deeply relational. A typical visit with me is focused on caring for you and your baby as a whole.

🕊 We start with connection
We talk about how you’re really feeling— physically, emotionally, and mentally. Sleep, stress, nutrition, family life, spiritual wellbeing, and the questions that have been sitting quietly in your heart. There’s space for all of it.

🤍 Then we check in physically on you and your baby
• Baby’s heart tones
• Growth and positioning
• Your blood pressure, weight (as desired), temp, & pulse
• Urine screening when indicated
I explain what I’m assessing and why, and you’re never rushed.

🌿 Clinical care + holistic support
As a licensed midwife, I can order ultrasounds and draw labs in clinic as needed, allowing us to monitor both routine and specific concerns while keeping your care streamlined and personalized.

📍 A calm, home-based clinic setting
All prenatal visits are currently held in my home clinic—a dedicated clinic room in my house in central Spokane. It’s a peaceful, comfortable space designed to feel safe and welcoming, not clinical or rushed.

🤲 Hands-on, individualized care
As pregnancy progresses, visits may include belly mapping, gentle palpation, comfort measures for common pregnancy discomforts, and guidance to encourage optimal fetal positioning—all done collaboratively and with consent. We also work through a six part prenatal education booklet together during the third trimester.

👨‍👩‍👧 Family is welcome
Partners and children are encouraged to attend visits. Prenatal care is a space to build confidence and connection as a family.

🌸 Unhurried, relationship-based care
Appointments typically last 60-90 minutes, because trust takes time… And thoughtful care does too.
I aim for how I practice midwifery to honor God’s design of pregnancy and birth while blending skilled clinical care, evidence-based monitoring, and compassionate support.

If you’re looking for prenatal care that is personal and rooted in relationship, I’d love to connect.🤍

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12/14/2025

This birth marked my final “planned” doula birth! It feels so right to be moving into a season where I focus solely on being a midwife. Although, I know “doula-ing” - serving - will always be at the heart of my presence in birth work. As is the case in every birth that I attend, this labor humbled me & left me with lessons & new insight. It reminded me of the vast nuance & individuality of how birth can play out. I was encouraged by this client’s disposition, joy, & trust– even when the process looked much different than she envisioned.
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This mama is a naturopathic doctor who also trained in midwifery (attending 50+ births). We had fun chatting about our birth support experiences during prenatals! She has dealt with a number of long-term health challenges after having long-Covid, which has led her body to react in a heightened response to pain. Due to this, she felt the hospital would be the best place for her to give birth. After 10+ years of marriage, she and her husband were excited to welcome their first baby.
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At her 39wk prenatal, her blood pressure was elevated, and her midwives recommended she be induced that evening. She monitored her blood pressure at home throughout the day, and continued to see more spikes. We discussed her options, and she decided to go in for a slow induction (of misoprostal/cytotec). After nearly 22hrs at the hospital and 3 oral doses of miso & 1 vaginal dose– she started experiencing intense cramping and then contractions began every 2mins (around 7pm). She requested IV pain medication, and then had an epidural placed 1hr after her contractions had began. She rested through the night, and I joined her around 12:30am when she was already 8cm!
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She pushed just under 1.5hrs in various positions– squatting (w/bar), fire hydrant side-lying, and semi-reclined. Her son was born & placed on her chest! He did need some CPAP support shortly after birth (for about 30mins). Dad enjoyed some extra skin-to-skin time with baby while mama needed a bit of support after the intensity of birth! It was a joy to support this sweet family! It was also wonderful to work alongside the Rockwood Midwives 🫶

12/10/2025

UPDATED MIDWIFERY AVAILABILITY —
What a joy this year has been to serve so many lovely families in North Idaho & Eastern Washington! Navigating my first full year of motherhood and midwifery solo practice has been quite the adventure. It’s been so fun to grow this practice and to welcome new team members– more details on that soon!

I am so grateful to be FULLY BOOKED for midwifery clients due now through July! ♥️
I am planning to be taking August and the first part of September off call entirely to refresh after a very busy spring and early summer. Feel free to reach out if you’re due August-early September, and I can share referrals for other amazing midwives in the area! Or if you’re the planning type… Maybe don’t be getting *too* cozy this holiday season. (At least until later in the month lol) 😆

I plan to continue taking 2-4 clients each month for the fall and winter of 2026! Please reach out sooner than later for a consult if you’re interested in having the Gem Wellness team for your support! You can inquire via email or text (info in bio). Repeat clients get priority, so please let me know as soon as you get that positive test!! (Lots of repeats so far for this coming year!)

Happy Hollidays! 🫶

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12/03/2025

We spend a lot of time in pregnancy preparing for birth, but your postpartum care matters just as much! The first 4 weeks are a huge transition for both baby and parents. As your midwife, I continue care in your home postpartum so nothing gets missed and you feel truly supported every step of the way. Rather than quick check-ins or rushed appointments, I’m able to see more of the full picture, how feeding looks in your real life. 🏡🤱✨
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What I help with in breastfeeding during those first weeks:
• Latch + hands-on positioning support (and giving you space to practice with gentle feedback)
• Identifying normal vs. concerning feeding patterns
• Milk supply guidance + realistic expectations
• Pumping, hand expression, + bottle help when needed
• Calm, practical solutions for ni**le soreness, breast engorgement, or challenges
• Monitoring baby’s weight changes + assessing for adequate diaper output
• Helping you find ways to nourish yourself to ensure recovery and maintain a healthy milk supply
• Emotional encouragement (because confidence matters and I know firsthand how intensive the start of a difficult breastfeeding journey can be 🤍)
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And if we need additional help? You’re already connected. I collaborate with incredible CLCs + IBCLCs, pediatric chiropractors, CST practitioners, myofunctional therapists, and pediatric dentists who specialize in oral function — ensuring the right care, at the right time, from trusted providers.
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This is the beauty of continuity of care! No feeling lost in the system. Just ongoing support from someone who knows you, knows your baby, and is invested in your success. And you can text or call me anytime you need it!
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You and your baby were designed for this. Even so, it can be hard! I’m here to bridge the gap and walk with you through it. 💛✨

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11/20/2025

There’s something so sacred about the newborn exam in midwifery care. ✨
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Instead of whisking your baby away, we bring the exam to you— right on your chest or right beside you in bed. This keeps baby calm, keeps you connected, and lets that beautiful golden-hour bonding continue uninterrupted.
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A couple hours after birth (once you’ve soaked in that first skin-to-skin, initiated breastfeeding, and had a chance to settle), we gently move into the newborn exam. This timing honors the physiology of birth and gives you and your baby the unrushed start you deserve.
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During the exam, your midwife is assessing all the things that reassure us your baby is transitioning well:
🩶 Heart and lung sounds
🩶 Reflexes and tone
🩶 Temperature and breathing
🩶 Cord, anatomy, and skin assessment
🩶 Birth weight, measurements, and overall well-being
🩶 Feeding cues and latch observations
🩶 Any findings we want to keep an eye on together
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One of my favorite parts? Your family gets to be part of it all. Siblings or grandparents can peek over your shoulder, partners can help weigh baby or feel those tiny reflexes, and mothers get a front-row seat as we walk through what’s normal, what’s unique about your baby, and what to watch for at home. You learn how to confidently monitor your little one, and what to contact the midwife about for support.
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This is care that invites you in, teaches you, and treats your baby like the precious, whole person they are.
This is midwifery care. 🤍✨

11/07/2025

🌿 Herbal Support for Immediate Postpartum Bleeding 🌿
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Right after birth, as baby settles into your arms and we wait for the placenta to detach, I love offering a warm cup of Heavy Bleeding Tea — a gentle, preventative herbal remedy to support healthy uterine tone and minimize bleeding in those first golden hours.

This blend is traditionally used to support heavy or erratic bleeding at many stages of womanhood- menstruation, miscarriage, perimenopause, and postpartum. Some of the beautiful herbs inside:
✨ Partridge Berry (Mitchella repens) — long used by Indigenous women to ease menstrual cramps, labor pains, and support the reproductive system.
✨ Marjoram — calming to the digestive system and supportive for the cramping, nausea, and abdominal discomfort that often come with heavy flow.
✨ Shepherd’s Purse — one of my favorite uterine astringents, traditionally used for various types of hemorrhage, especially darker, clotty, or excessive bleeding.
✨ Yarrow & Cinnamon — both astringent and anti-inflammatory; yarrow especially shines when bleeding is bright red and brisk, while cinnamon brings warmth and steadiness.
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And beyond tea, I keep several herbal tinctures close by for additional support if bleeding needs more focused attention:
🌿 Angelica
🌿 Shepherd’s Purse
🌿 Erigeron + Cinnamon
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I also carry Carbo vegetalis homeopathic… and when truly needed or desired… medications such as Pitocin, Misoprostol, Methergine, TXA, and of course IV fluids.
Herbs are often my first line of defense; gentle, time-tested allies that pair beautifully with physiologic third-stage care and an unrushed, supported postpartum.
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✨ I’d love to hear from you: Do you have any favorite herbs or homeopathic remedies that help slow postpartum bleeding? Share below so we can learn from one another.
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You can buy my favorite Heavy Bleeding Tea from !

11/05/2025

✨The Golden Hours ✨
The moments right after birth hold so much beauty– the soft cries, the skin-to-skin snuggles, the scent of new life, the warmth of oxytocin, and the awe that fills the room. These sacred hours are never rushed in our out-of-hospital midwifery care.
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One question I often get is, “How long do you wait to cut the cord?”
The answer: we wait… until baby has received every last bit of their rich, oxygenated blood; until their cord is white, limp, and done pulsing. Until they’re transitioning beautifully in the arms of their parents.
This time is theirs. Uninterrupted, unhurried, and fully honored. We dim the lights, keep baby on mom’s chest, support early feeding, and quietly observe the miracle of connection unfolding. We don’t cut the cord until you’re ready to… Sometimes that means we wait multiple hours! It’s a gentle transition and a sacred severing of the cord that has served the baby in nourishment for many months. Did you know that stem cells and other nutrients are still passing to the baby long after they are born??
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Dad’s hands are often the first to help catch, to steady, to comfort, to rest on mom’s shoulder as tears fall and hearts expand. And it’s often dad’s hands that make the ceremonial “cut” of the cord. It’s a sort of “right of passage” for many dads. 😊

These are the golden HOURS - where bonding, regulation, and lifelong attachment begin.
This is the beauty of midwifery care, where time slows, intuition leads, and love fills the room.

09/20/2025

✨ Gestational Diabetes Screening – Informed Options ✨

In my midwifery practice, you won’t find the bright orange glucola drink. Why? Because while it does the job, it also contains artificial dyes, flavorings, and additives that don’t align with the holistic care I provide. 🌿

Instead, I offer The Fresh Test® (at no additional cost to my clients) — a cleaner, natural alternative made with just three simple ingredients (non-GMO glucose, organic lemon, and organic mint). It gives us the same diagnostic information, without unnecessary chemicals.

My clients have 3 options when it comes to testing:
1️⃣ The Fresh Test – a one-time blood draw after drinking it
2️⃣ Home monitoring – tracking diet & blood sugars with a glucometer over several days
3️⃣ Declining testing – with informed choice

Why test at all? Gestational diabetes matters because it affects how your body processes sugar during pregnancy, and unmanaged blood sugars can impact both you and baby. But how you screen is flexible. My role is to provide safe, evidence-based options while respecting your values and preferences. 💛

🤰 Did you try glucola, The Fresh Test, or a glucometer in your pregnancy?

09/06/2025

🤰 Ultrasounds in Pregnancy: How many should you have?
One, two… or none at all?
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This is a big conversation (check out my highlight “Ultrasounds” for the full breakdown!), but here are the basics:
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🔎 The Benefits
20-week anatomy scan → one of the most helpful tools for families planning an out-of-hospital birth. It can identify major concerns, confirm placenta placement, and give reassurance that it’s safe to move forward with a home or birth center birth.
Can help monitor growth, fluid levels, positioning, and baby’s wellbeing if there are concerns later in pregnancy.
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⚠️ The Risks
False positives are common → something is flagged as a concern, causing stress and anxiety, but later turns out to be normal.
Growth scans are often grossly inaccurate and can predict a baby too “big” or too “small,” leading to unnecessary inductions or even cesareans.
Excessive exposure → while ultrasounds are considered safe when medically indicated, research is limited on frequent use, especially regarding subtle effects on the developing baby.
Overuse can lead to unnecessary interventions.
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💡 The Bottom Line
Ultrasounds are a tool — not a guarantee. One well-timed scan (often at 20 weeks) can be very valuable, especially if you’re planning an out-of-hospital birth. But more is not always better, and avoiding unnecessary scans can help reduce stress and protect your baby from unknown risks.
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✨ Want more details? Head to my “Ultrasounds” highlight where I go much deeper into the research and options.
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How do you personally feel about ultrasounds?
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09/01/2025

🌿 Postpartum healing isn’t just about rest — it’s about being truly cared for. One way I love to support moms is with sitz baths and “healing herbal burritos” that soothe, comfort, and speed recovery. 💛
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✨ Herbal Healing for the Postpartum Journey ✨
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Did you know that I exclusively see midwifery client in their own home for *at least* the first two weeks postpartum? One of the sweetest parts of my postpartum home visits is getting to nurture moms in their recovery.
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Something I’ve integrated into my care this year is more herbal healing modalities. In the pictures of this post, I’m making “healing herbal burritos” for a client — a soothing and effective way to help perineal tears heal. 🌿💛
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I use the Soothing Soak Tea from Wholistic Woman Tea , a blend of herbs that I’ve come to trust for postpartum care:
🌸 Lavender for calming and circulation
🧄 Garlic, Thyme, Yarrow & Calendula for their natural infection-fighting power
🌿 Comfrey & Shepherd’s Purse to support wound healing and slow bleeding
🌱 Ginger & Marshmallow to reduce inflammation and ease soreness
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Here’s how I bring this into my care:
💦 First, I prepare a healing sitz bath — steeped herbs with added Epsom salts to soothe, cleanse, and restore. Ready for the freshly postpartum mama to use in a hot bath, in a sitz bath basin, and/or in a peri bottle.
🌯 Then I wrap the leftover herbs in gauze with castor oil to make “herbal burritos” — cooling, comforting, and so healing for tender tissues.
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I first learned this from Tamy at Wholistic Woman, and it has become one of my favorite ways to serve moms. I’ve used it in my own healing and now I get to share it with others — watching women find relief, comfort, and quicker recovery in those tender first days.
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💛 When I walk into your home after birth, my care isn’t just about checking vitals — it’s about tending to you as a whole person. And sometimes that looks like standing at your kitchen counter, rolling up little “herbal burritos” just for you.

08/28/2025

A sweet client and new mama shared these slides today, and I asked her permission to reshare. I teared up reading this part of her story. I know this is relatable and true for many women– If that’s you, I hope this is encouraging for you. ♥️

How we birth matters. How a woman is treated and supported in the transition from maiden to mother matters.
Birth, like motherhood, can be intense and hard. But hard is not the same thing as bad.
It will show you strength and emotion that you never knew was possible.

Joy and love like you’ve never felt before can replace fear and anxiety when you trust, surrender, and accept the calling you’re being asked to step into.

You were designed for this.
He will equip you for the calling! 🫶

Thank you for sharing, .astapenko.7 🩷

Gem Wellness

02/16/2026

12/16/2025

12/14/2025

12/10/2025

12/03/2025

11/20/2025

11/07/2025

11/05/2025

09/20/2025

09/06/2025

09/01/2025

08/28/2025

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Monday	10am - 4pm
Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm