OUR STORY
Tree of Life for Healthy Birthing and Parenting was created from the vision of Founder and Midwife, Susan Melnikow. In 2006, after practicing as a Certified Nurse Midwife for 25 years, Susan found herself restless and dissatisfied with having to provide maternity care within a broken and often heartless system. Susan's midwife career had spanned diverse settings and communities. She provided home birth services in the hill country of Texas, practiced at Martin Luther King Hospital in east Los Angeles, as well as birth centers in Houston, Los Angeles and San Diego. She also had the opportunity to participate in maternity care in Latvia, Mexico and Puerto Rico. The dearth and wealth of these varied experiences had given Susan a broad view of what women want and need, and how our maternity care system has sorely failed. What if society placed human needs as the priority, rather than economic profit?
Susan founded Tree of Life with a vision to create a birthing space that was separate from the hospital, but not too far, should it be needed; and one in which midwives could practice "physiologic birth," but also continue being the primary care provider at the hospital, should that be necessary. She visualized a place where pregnant families would come to a beautiful environment throughout the pregnancy, participate in classes and groups with others, creating community. Then when it was time for labor, they would come to the same familiar place to give birth, thus putting everyone at ease, allowing calm to prevail, and thus facilitating the labor and birth to unfold as nature had planned. Through an integration with the hospital system, and utilization of risk criteria, families would benefit from the "best of both worlds." The birth center would serve as a "bridge" between two worlds. As an integrated system of care, families would be able to utilize their health insurance coverage, and the center would be accessible to all. And most importantly, the birthing woman would be at the center of all.
Between 2014 and 2020, Tree of Life for Healthy Birthing and Parenting operated a birth center that beautifully embodied Susan's dream. Due to both economic and Covid-19 challenges, we were forced to close our facility after having birthed almost 500 babies. During this time, we provided a wide variety of groups and classes, and created a thriving local community. We have taken the past year to reflect, and have come to realize that we still have much to offer the world during this time of incredible change and transition. We believe that "peace begins with birth," If we can start life surrounded by joy and love, we have a much better opportunity to create a world that continues to reflect and operate that way, Although we can no longer provide a physical space where that concept is honored, we CAN educate parents before and after birth, in order to facilitate their ability to consciously birth and parent in love, with joy and peace. We can also continue what we started, by expanding and transforming into a virtual community. We welcome you to join us!
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO WITNESS HOW BIRTH CAN UNFOLD in JOY, LOVE and PEACE
A Tree of Life Family Birth.....
Susan founded Tree of Life with a vision to create a birthing space that was separate from the hospital, but not too far, should it be needed; and one in which midwives could practice "physiologic birth," but also continue being the primary care provider at the hospital, should that be necessary. She visualized a place where pregnant families would come to a beautiful environment throughout the pregnancy, participate in classes and groups with others, creating community. Then when it was time for labor, they would come to the same familiar place to give birth, thus putting everyone at ease, allowing calm to prevail, and thus facilitating the labor and birth to unfold as nature had planned. Through an integration with the hospital system, and utilization of risk criteria, families would benefit from the "best of both worlds." The birth center would serve as a "bridge" between two worlds. As an integrated system of care, families would be able to utilize their health insurance coverage, and the center would be accessible to all. And most importantly, the birthing woman would be at the center of all.
Between 2014 and 2020, Tree of Life for Healthy Birthing and Parenting operated a birth center that beautifully embodied Susan's dream. Due to both economic and Covid-19 challenges, we were forced to close our facility after having birthed almost 500 babies. During this time, we provided a wide variety of groups and classes, and created a thriving local community. We have taken the past year to reflect, and have come to realize that we still have much to offer the world during this time of incredible change and transition. We believe that "peace begins with birth," If we can start life surrounded by joy and love, we have a much better opportunity to create a world that continues to reflect and operate that way, Although we can no longer provide a physical space where that concept is honored, we CAN educate parents before and after birth, in order to facilitate their ability to consciously birth and parent in love, with joy and peace. We can also continue what we started, by expanding and transforming into a virtual community. We welcome you to join us!
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO WITNESS HOW BIRTH CAN UNFOLD in JOY, LOVE and PEACE
A Tree of Life Family Birth.....