The Sanctuary's Staff: Meet Our LA Midwives, Doulas and Birthing Advocates

Aleksandra Evanguelidi, LM, CPM Co- Clinical Director for Midwifery Services

Heather Wineland

Co-Owner, Director of Client Services & Parent Educator

At the age of 13 Heather watched in awe as her older sister gave birth with the support of midwives. The moment so profoundly inspired her that it would eventually shape not just her perspective on birth, but her career path as well.

Heather went on to give birth to 3 of her own children. One was a necessary hospital delivery and 2 were beautiful home births. After the delivery of her third child in 2003, Heather joined the management team at The Hollywood Birth Center, where she worked with midwife Aleksandra Evanguelidi to provide loving care to Los Angeles families.

Inspired by her Hollywood Birth Center experience, Heather founded the Nest Center & The Nest Family Foundation, a community center and non-profit organization designed to support growing families. As a parent educator and lactation peer counselor, she organized community events & workshops including; Birth Options, Quality Parenting, Prenatal & Postpartum Nutrition, Attachment Parenting Skills and Baby Wearing. First 5 LA, a California family funding group, awarded The Nest a grant for its work.

In 2006 Heather again teamed up with Aleks Evanguelidi to create a much needed birth center for Los Angeles. Her vision for the Sanctuary Birth & Family Wellness Center was born out of her experience as a client merged with her passion for sustainability, birth options, and empowering families.

Kimberly Durdin James, IBCLC Director of Lactation Services

Maura Moynihan

Chiropractor & Cranial Sacral Practitioner

Racha Gossett, LM, CPM
Certified Professional Midwife

Web Designer

While reading ‘The Red Tent’ in 1999, Aleks had a vision for what was possible for women and families when the sanctity of the birth process is honored. Through this vision she was inspired to become a midwife. She began her midwifery training at The Hollywood Birth Center in 2001 and completed it by August 2005. During this time, she was an herbal educator for Gaia Herbs. She simultaneously completed a three year midwifery curriculum from The National Midwifery Institute in Bristol Vermont from which she graduated in March 2006. She also received a bachelor's in English from UCLA in 1997.

Aleksandra Evanguelidi, LM, CPM, has been a California Licensed Midwife and Certified Professional Midwife since July 2006. After she received her midwifery license Aleksandra co-founded a home birth practice and midwifery training program. Aleks has also been a nutritionist for the last 10 years and has spent many moons holding sacred space for women and couples during Blessing way ceremonies and wedding rituals.

The work Aleks does as a spiritual counselor is interwoven into her unique style of midwifery. Aleksandra is passionately committed to bringing knowledge of self-care to families such that they experience radiant health and an empowered sense of self.

Through her many years working with families, Aleks has seen the possibility of serving the larger community while providing products and services from some of the finest practitioners in the birth & wellness fields. Her vision for The Sanctuary Birth & Family Wellness Center is to create a new model of integrated care that meets the complex needs of today’s family.

Gretchen Goddard

Director of Operations & Executive Director of The Sanctuary Non-Profit

As the Director of Operations for The Sanctuary and as Director of The Sanctuary’s Non-Profit, Gretchen brings her 10 year background as a commercial producer. She has produced in many arenas including television commercials, network branding, travel documentaries, photographic art, events, music videos, and more. She has worked all over the world on multi-million dollar projects with some of the biggest names in film and television. Through educating herself about her own birth options during her first pregnancy, Gretchen became motivated to educate and inspire others regarding the option of natural birth. What she learned during this time not only propelled her toward the beautiful home birth of her daughter, but toward a career supporting and educating new and expectant families.

Fueled by her belief that all people should have the opportunity to choose an alternative natural approach to their families’ healthcare, Gretchen also co-founded The Sanctuary New Family Foundation. This nonprofit organization is designed to improve the health of new and expectant families in Los Angeles County through a community-based, multidisciplinary, collaborative approach. In providing more families these choices, The Sanctuary New Family Foundation hopes to advance the ethical and sustainable development of alternatives to standard care.

Kimberly is an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Birth and Postpartum Doula, Speaker, Trainer and aspiring Midwife. A mother of five breastfed children, Kimberly first began helping women breastfeed shortly after the birth of her first child over 16 years ago. Since then Kimberly has helped thousands of families create powerful connections with their children guiding them with her wisdom and intuitive knowledge throughout the birthing, breastfeeding and postpartum experiences.

Kimberly is a former La Leche League Leader, and has served families in New York City, Washington, DC metro area (where she was named one of 2004 Best Lactation Consultants by Washington Families Magazine) and Los Angeles.

Kimberly has worked with families from a wide variety of socio-economic and cultural backgrounds and has discovered that all families yearn for and are worthy of experienced and loving assistance in the demanding, yet gratifying path of parenting.

Maura Moynihan graduated from Southern California University of Health Sciences with her Doctorate in Chiropractic in December 2004. She has studied extensively with the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association with over 100 hours of practice treating pregnant women, infants, and children, and is certified in the Webster Technique for turning Breech Babies. Maura is also certified to practice Craniosacral Therapy and continually trains with the Upledger Institute to broaden her skills and techniques which she utilizes regularly in treating infants, children and adults. In addition, Maura recently received her M.A. In Spiritual Psychology and is completing the degree with emphasis on Consciousness, Health and Healing.

Maura is the loving mother of two boys; Caden, 4 and River, 2. Maura had a natural hospital birth with Caden. This birthing experience inspired her to claim her ideal birth experience, which she had with River, as a home water birth with The Sanctuary’s midwives. She is excited to be serving the natural family community of Los Angeles and to be working with the amazing midwives and practitioners of The Sanctuary.

Luree Nicholson, C.Ht is a Master Certified, Clinical Hypnotherapist, specializing in medical and childbirth hypnosis. She is a graduate of the only nationally accredited school of hypnosis with over 1000 hours of education and training. Luree is a co-founder of a childbirth hypnosis program and has over 12 years experience with childbirth hypnosis. More than a hundred couples have benefited from her childbirth hypnosis program. Using hypnosis, Luree has stopped/reduced extreme morning sickness, stopped premature labor, turned breech babies, started stalled labor, and helped mothers to produce more milk. She has also helped new mothers overcome post partum depression without medication. In the case of unavoidable cesareans, Luree has helped mothers to use less medication and heal faster with hypnosis.

Luree is a mother of five and is both personally and professionally familiar with unavoidable complications of pregnancy, labor and birth. Luree’s children were all born in a hospital "naturally" (without drugs), one was breech, one posterior, and 2 were premature. These experiences motivated Luree to begin down the path of learning natural ways to prevent and address these birth issues. Luree is excited and inspired to be working with The Sanctuary to support families down their path to parenthood.

Luree Nicholson, C.Ht

Hypnotherapist

As an advocate and defender of free choice of birth environment, Racha is a proponent of safe, responsible birthing practices, informed consent and a birthing woman's right to choose her caregiver and birthplace. She passionately believes that birthing women have the absolute ability to make decisions for themselves- and should.

Several years before the birth of her own children, Racha left her serious, suit wearing, no fun job to work in the women’s wing at the local hospital. There she witnessed medical birth and saw how women and their babies were treated throughout the hospital experience. While working at the hospital, Racha was able to gain her midwifery foundation with a local wonderfully-skilled community midwife. She is forever grateful for this valuable training.

After attending many different kinds of births, she decided to receive a more formal midwifery training in El Paso, TX at Maternidad La Luz. She gave birth to her first son, Zahn at home in water after 36 hrs of labor. She attended her first homebirth as a Texas licensed midwife with him on her back 6 months later. Racha continued to serve in the community and gave birth to her second son, Sol at home in water after 2.5hrs of labor. During her midwifery journey she has also reconnected with the midwives in her family. Her Grandmother, Mary, Great-Grandmother, “Gammie,” and aunt Althea are all midwives supporting the community, whether in the home or in hospital

She has recently begun her journey towards completing her Bachelors in Midwifery Science while raising her two beautiful boys with the love and support of her family & community. She also recently joined the Sanctuary’s midwifery staff and is grateful to be a part of The Sanctuary team.

Katharine (Katie) McCall was born at Pomona Valley Hospital in Southern California by scheduled c-section as a frank breech due to the current medical system insistence that breeches should always be delivered that way. Katie's father's family was filled with teachers, her mother's family was filled with healers. It is no surprise then, that she went on to have her own two children and spend her adult life involved in a combination of teaching and healing through midwifery, childbirth education, doula work and serving families in Southern California.

Katie attended USC for her general education and then went on to study with the American Academy of Husband Coached Childbirth to become a certified childbirth educator. Shortly thereafter, she certified as a birth doula (labor assistant) with the Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators. Katie was also mentored through a pregnancy and birth support business called The Birth Connection in Glendale, CA, which Katie later purchased and expanded to include a 1500 square foot education facility, retail store and birthing center. She enrolled in midwifery school and apprenticed with the midwives who ran the birth center as well as with midwives who attended homebirths. She sold her business to pursue her midwifery education full time in 2006 and passed her midwifery (NARM) exam to become a Certified Professional Midwife

in 2008.

Katie has received supplementary education in lactation to become a lactation educator, vaginal birth after cesarean support, support of sexual abuse survivors, aromatherapy and is neonatal and CPR certified. She has assisted over 500 couples through childbirth education and has attended over 450 births as of the end of 2009. As a Southern California native, she has a wide range of experience, serving mothers from divers backgrounds. She believes her job is one of empowering women to develop their own trust and connection with their bodies and their babies during their own unique journey into motherhood. If she has learned anything through her experience with birth, it is that every birth is as different as the women who are laboring.

Katie McCall, LM, CPM

Certified Professional Midwife

Dr. Stuart Fischbein has been in private practice of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Century City , California , since 1986. He graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 1982. He has a long history of support for Certified Nurse Midwives and Licensed Midwives. This interest began during his Cedars-Sinai residency, as he was rotating through LA County-USC Medical Center, where he had the good fortune to be exposed to the midwifery model of obstetrical care.

In the mid 80's, he was approached by Nancy McNeese of the Natural Childbirth Institute, formerly in Culver City , to provide back-up support for women choosing alternatives to hospital based birthing. In 1995 he co-founded, The Woman's Place, Inc., an innovative model of collaboration between Certified Nurse Midwives and Obstetricians, in Ventura County . In 2004, he co-authored, Fearless Pregnancy, Wisdom and Reassurance from a Doctor, a Midwife and a Mom, (Fair Winds Press, 2004) with long time associate, Joyce Weckl, CNM; and writer, Victoria Clayton.

He has twice been awarded Physician of the Year by the Doulas Association of Southern California and in 2008 received their first Lifetime Achievement Award. . A long time outspoken advocate of women's' rights to informed consent and refusal and the exercise of their free will, Dr. Fischbein is honored to be a founding member and medical advisor to the Birth Action Coalition and contributor to, "Ricki's Room" and “Your Best Birth”, a book published in 2009 and authored by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein.

Dr. Stuart Fischbein

MD, OB/GYN

Jacqueline Little

Apprentice Midwife, Childbirth Educator, Doula

Jacqueline is committed to empowering women through knowledge, support and advocacy. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Maryland with a Bachelors in Women’s Studies. Jacqueline is a leader in the local feminist community, and as an Undergraduate was awarded a scholarship to conduct original research in women’s health. Her final dissertation and accompanying short film received wide recognition across the University.

In March of 2008, Jacqueline joined The Sanctuary as Assistant Office Manager. Working in such a role allowed her a broad view of the practice, from insurance to postpartum, and proved valuable in her transition to Midwifery Apprentice a year later. She is an active advocate for reproductive rights, and in early 2010 co-founded the L.A. Doula Project, an organization that provides free, compassionate, emotional, physical and informational support to women across the spectrum of pregnancy.

Jacqueline, now a Senior Apprentice, is a childbirth educator, birth & postpartum doula, and placenta preparation specialist. She is passionate about women-centered reproductive care, and hopes to complete her Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Masters following her Midwifery license.

Leona West, C.N.

Nutritionist, Herbologist,

Birth Doula

Juli Anderson

Certified Massage Therapist, Midwife Apprentice, Doula

Ever since Juli was a young girl she knew that her life's work would center around female empowerment and "saving babies". Not knowing how this would come to pass in her adult life, she settled on becoming a Mom of two wonderful children. In 2002, she read the novel, "The Red Tent" and realized supporting women through childbirth would be the manifestation of her childhood dream. However, this was placed on the back burner in order to finish raising her children. Seven years later, after her children had moved out of the house and on to their own adult lives, she decided to change residence by moving to Turkey and contemplating her next steps to complete her dream. The thought of becoming a Midwife resurfaced, and upon returning to the United States she proceeded full speed ahead with this dream.

Also, Juli has been an accomplished massage therapist certified since 1998. She's been flown all over the United States and Europe for her healing hands.

Leona West is certified as a Nutritionist, Herbologist, Fitness Trainer and Birth Doula. She has also been an herbal educator, natural health educator and public speaker for the last 10 years. She completed a formal nutritional medicine and herbal medicine program through AUCM, The American University of Complementary Medicine, located in Beverly Hills, California. She has additional training and certification in Functional Medicine with an emphasis on Endocrinology, Womens Health and Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis.

Leona’s emphasis in women and family health range from working with women (and men) for optimal fertility and conception, optimizing pregnancy through nutrition, preventing and resolving anemia, mineral deficiencies, blood sugar issues and using food as medicine to improve symptoms that can accompany pregnancy like nausea, heartburn, edema, and extreme fatigue. After running comprehensive lab work, Leona develops customized food plans to encourage overall health of mom and optimal health, growth and development of her baby.

Leona takes a food as medicine, whole body, whole mind approach to health, favoring traditional modalities that look at the whole person coupled with cutting edge approaches in testing and diagnosis. She understands that even simple food and lifestyle changes can make a significant and positive affect on how we feel in our body and mind and how it reflects in our entire lives, our pregnancies, our children and family.

Heather Ann has been committed to a path of empowerment for women, especially birthing women, for 10 years. Her journey began when she was asked to be a doula for her closest friend. It was at this natural birth center birth that she began to see that birth could be a beautiful and empowering event in a woman's life. Since that experience, she has been inspired to educate herself and others about how to make the choices that are empowering for them as they become parents.

This has led her to take trainings of all kinds and as such, she has been trained in Birthing from Within childbirth mentoring, ALACE childbirth education, DONA's doula courses, and mentored with veteran doula Carmen Bornne-Gilman. She is a spiritual counselor and reiki practitioner who has taught women's circles and classes. She is also mother to two children, one born in the hospital and one at home in the water, who continue to be her biggest inspiration in all things. She is always expanding and learning how to find new ways to empower, educate, inform, support and hold space for pregnant couples, new parents and for those who wish to empower and support them.

You can find Heather Ann at the Sanctuary as a Student Midwife, as a Birth and Post Partum Doula, a Doula Trainer and Mentor, and as the Sanctuary's Doula Coordinator.

Heather Schwarz

Apprentice Midwife, Doula, Childbirth Educator