Christine Yentes, Midwife
Christine Yentes has been practicing midwifery since 1992. Her interest in midwifery began in 1981 when she had the good fortune of attending the birth of her best friend's daughter. Watching the role of the midwife and seeing the power of women during birth ignited a flame for being with women throughout their births which she has followed to this day.
After having three children Christine began pursuing her goal of becoming a midwife. She apprentice/worked with a midwife in Belfast before setting our on her own. The ensuing years have been full of many memorable families and their births. In 2003 Christine became a Certified Professional Midwife and continues to keep her certification current. Christine is a member of Midwives of Maine and Maine Association of Certified Professional Midwives and Midwives Alliance of North America.
Christine comes from a long line of women who have attended women as they birth. Her grandma, Bobby, was the nurse on duty that took care of her the day she was born and her great-grandma, Nonnie, was a midwife who had a 'home' for birthing women in Indiana.
Image courtesy of Breezy Photography
Julie Havener, Midwife
Julie Havener has been involved with midwifery since 1994. After graduating from the Evergreen State College, in Olympia, Washington, she attended courses at The Seattle Midwifery School. Thereafter she attended births as a Doula. Affirming her love for the work she furthered her commitment to midwifery and spent three years apprenticing in Belfast, Maine.
After many births, she completed her apprenticeship and followed it up spending a month in Jamaica working with midwives in a rural hospital. Returning with even more fire in her belly for working with women and families, honoring the beauty of birth, she completed the process of becoming a Certified Professional Midwife.
"The natural beauty of pregnancy and birth never ceases to amaze me. I feel blessed to witness this again and again, honoring the diversity and wisdom each woman and family bestows upon me."
Image courtesy of Breezy Photography
Anna McGuire, Midwife
Anna McGuire has been involved in birth work in Maine since 2015. She is a newly licensed certified professional midwife, having spent several years apprenticing with Chris and Julie and many other midwives. She birthed her babies at home and is a mom to four young children. Anna is passionate about supporting women and families as they go through the transformation of pregnancy and birth.
Anna is a graduate of the MEAC-accredited National College of Midwifery. She is a certified lactation counselor and experienced postpartum doula. She is honored to be providing midwifery care to families in Maine.
Image courtesy of Breezy Photography
Courtney Byers, Placenta Encapsulation Specialist
Courtney Byers is a labor and postpartum doula as well as a placenta encapsulation specialist. The births of her own two daughters (one in Pennsylvania and the other in Vermont) and the continued journey of parenthood inspired her to enter the world of birth workers. She began by leading La Leche League meetings and supporting mothers as they breastfed their babies and toddlers. In 2013, she completed training as a placenta encapsulation specialist with Placenta Benefits.info. Following her training has a labor and postpartum doula, she began attending births in 2015. Foundational to her work with birthing families is her spirit of calm, non-judgmental support and belief in the transformative nature of birth and the postpartum journey. For Courtney, she sees too many families go through this powerful transition without the full support they need to thrive. She believes now is the time to create a culture of nourishment, sacredness, and care surrounding birth and babies.
Courtney lives with her husband, two daughters, cats, and ducks on their family homestead in midcoast Maine.
More about Courtney’s placenta encapsulation services can be found here.
