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Founding Members:

Terri Svendsen-Hewitt
Transformed by the birth of my children, I felt called to assist women on their special journey. I have been blessed with the opportunity to work with hundreds of women and their families over the past 14 years. I currently serve as a certified birth doula and a Hypnobirth childbirth educator. As a founding member of Partners in Birth, a professional networking and education group for birth workers in the Tidewater area, I am pleased to share resources in the community.  Along with Birth Matters Tidewater, I hope to educate, encourage and support women so they can birth with knowledge and confidence

Amy May
I am very passionate about childbirth because I have had two amazing and
very different births. The experiences have changed my life. I have seen
that the value of childbirth in our current culture is lacking. I want to
help change that through my work with Birth Matters. I hope to help women
see that birth can be one of the most positive and empowering events in
their lives.

Nicole Powell
From the moment I realized I was pregnant, I was ecstatic.  I knew that giving life to another human being was the most important thing I would ever do. I have always known I wanted to deliver vaginally, drug free and with minimal medical intervention (because I felt this was the right choice for me and my baby).  Luckily, I was able to do so without any complications.  I really feel that my Bradley childbirth education and my faith in my body empowered me to have the birthing experience I desired.  This is not to say I wasn’t terrified, but I trusted my body and believed I could overcome my fears.  My husband was a terrific support system and his strength throughout the pregnancy, the labor and delivery of our son added to my strength and belief in myself

Lori Hendrix
I have 3 children and therefore have had 3 unique birth experiences that have been so important in who I have become. I have learned something with each birth. I became involved with Birth Matters because I would like to help dispel the myth that birth is something to fear or dread. It is my wish that all women are able to look forward to their impending births with joy and excitement.

Kathy Hubbard 
I first came to birth after my son Zachary was born. I looked up at my husband, minutes after he arrived, and said, "Let's do it again!" I have been a childbirth educator since 1999 and have used my classes as an outlet for my beliefs regarding birth as a normal, healthy part of life. I hope that by being involved with Birth Matters I can help women in Tidewater reframe their belief systems to embrace the power of birth, and realize it can be a beautiful experience with little fear, and lots of love.

Danielle Kidwell 
I was born in Connecticut and moved to Virginia in 1996.  I finished my degree in English at Old Dominion University with an emphasis in Creative Writing. I am the stay-at-home mother of one-year-old Sophia. I worked as a sales trainer for several years and had originally planned to return to work after giving birth to Sophia, but my birth experience was a dramatic life change that I fully embraced. So, I ditched the corporate scene and happily get a nutritious dinner on the table by six PM sharp every day, smiling, immaculately dressed, and holding a happy baby (okay, maybe that's an exaggeration).