Lucina is new to Andaluz. Before she came to this midwife group she had a private practice called “By Her Side Midwifery”. Since she is new, her biography isn’t on the Andaluz webpage so I went snooping and found out how truly awesome she is!
Lucina is dedicated to preserving women’s right to choose their birth experiences. She believes that birth is a natural and profound experience for women, babies and their families and understands the power and confidence that women can gain through giving birth. Her interest in midwifery began in 1998, when she worked with midwives in Costa Rica, while earning her BA in public health. After graduating she and her husband, Andy, moved to Venezuela, where she did Fulbright research on the demise of traditional midwifery and its effect on women’s health and gender roles. During her two years in Venezuela, Lucina attended many births in hospitals, private clinics and homes and witnessed the loss of control and power that women experienced when they gave birth in medical settings. This loss combined with high rates of medical interventions often resulted in negative outcomes for moms and babies. Lucina returned to the United States with a deep passion for women’s reproductive rights and a strong commitment to protecting normal birth as a sacred rite of passage.
After moving to Portland, Lucina attended Birthingway College of Midwifery for the core of her education, while working as a doula. She did her hands on training as an apprentice at Andaluz Waterbirth Center, where she had the opportunity to work with a variety of skilled midwives. Since finishing her apprenticeship, she has been practicing here in Portland as a homebirth midwife, and recently spent a month in Peru, working at a waterbirth center.
In her practice, Lucina maintains a balance between the ancient, woman-centered art of midwifery and the most recent evidence-based best practices. Her desire to provide women with high quality care based on informed choice drives her to constantly update and enhance her knowledge and skills. Lucina loves working with women and their families and is committed to serving them throughout the sacred and transformational journey of pregnancy and birth. She and Andy welcomed their new baby boy into the world this summer and are enjoying their new roles as parents.
Besides being super knowledgeable in her field and having a general aura of calm, I love that Lucina gives me a hug at the end of each appointment. It’s a hug that says, “I know what you are going through and I’m going to be here every step of the way.”