I’m Joni.

I’ve been attending births since 1992.

I’ve done this work inside hospitals and outside of them.
As a doula.
As a labor & delivery nurse.
As a mother of six.
And now, as someone who works alongside women during pregnancy and birth outside the medical system.

That perspective matters.

Because when you’ve seen birth from every angle, you stop mistaking protocol for wisdom and fear for safety.

What I Believe About Birth

Birth is a physiological process — not a medical emergency by default.

That doesn’t mean complications never happen.
It means fear should not be the foundation of care.

Over the years, I’ve watched women slowly hand over their authority without realizing it. Not because they wanted to — but because they were never taught how to ask different questions, how to slow things down, or how to trust what their bodies were already doing.

My work exists to interrupt that pattern.

Not with confrontation.
With clarity.

My Role

I don’t manage birth.
I don’t direct it.
I don’t override women’s intuition with my own.

My role is to:

• protect physiological birth when it’s unfolding normally

• provide grounded, experienced support when things become complex

• and help women stay at the center of their own decision-making

I trust women more than systems.
And I trust bodies more than timelines.

Why I Work Outside the System

I didn’t start here.

I trained, worked, and participated fully inside the medical model before stepping away from it.

Leaving wasn’t just rebellion.
It was discernment.

I saw where routine intervention replaced individualized care.
Where speed replaced patience.
Where compliance was rewarded more than understanding.

Working outside the system allows me to practice in a way that aligns with physiology, informed consent, and respect for women as the primary authority in their own births.