Herstory

Herstory

For many years, several ladies have gathered together on different occasions to discuss the climate of birth in the Rolla area.  These talks have taken on many forms, from a chat at the park while kids played to scheduled meetings with agendas.  In 2011, the timing finally seemed to right to form an organization and bring together as many different birth people as possible, all with the common goal of providing, encouraging and supporting healthy birth options for women and families in the Rolla community.  Those who attended this first meeting found themselves energized, excited, inspired with what the future could hold for women here.  With that meeting and that energy, Rolla Birth Network was formed.

Meet the Team:

image

Kimberly Collins

Helping women and their partners to embrace the childbirth experience with informed decisions regarding their pregnancies in conjunction with preserving these prenatal, birth and newborn moments through artistic photography are Kim’s life passions. As a doula she supports mothers and their partners through the maze of labor and delivery with education, trust and compassion so they can participate in the birthing process according to their desires for their baby and their birth experience. As a birth photographer she supports mothers and their partners by preserving these amazing physical and emotional changes from prenatal maternity portraits to modest labor and birth photography and then after with newborn portraits. Her experience extends beyond her 18 years in the photography industry and the many couples she has supported through labor and into her own five births, all of which were completely unique-starting with emergency cesarean and ending with successful vaginal deliveries.

Kim has shared her experiences in birth with the St. Louis chapter of ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network), an organization that offers resources for and promotes awareness of vaginal birth after cesareans (VBAC). Kim continually furthers her expertise and skill with many issues relating to pregnancy, birth, postpartum and newborn care through mentorships, classes and seminars. Kim is the creator of BebeWithin pregnancy bowls, maintains The Birthing Room and also serves families through her portrait studio and doula services at Kimberly Collins Birth Services.

Kim is a mother of five children, three boys and two girls, was brought up in a small Kentucky town, married her high school sweetheart and is a free flowing follower of Christ.

Trisha Goodridge

Trisha is passionate about unassisted birth, midwifery, and birth empowerment, which has led to a strong activism role in many forms, including Area Coordinator for the Rolla Area Friends of Missouri Midwives since 2006. Trisha works part time at The Public House Brewing Company, which she co-owns with her husband and friends.  She enjoys gardening, cooking, touring wineries and an array of other things she can never seem to find time for.

  Trisha lives with her husband of 12 years and their 4 wonderful children. Her oldest was born at PCRMC, the three younger ones were both born at home, two attended by a midwife and the other unassisted.

2015 Dr AnniseDr. Annise Neidrich

Dr. Annise Neidrich began her lifelong yearning for knowledge at home, where she was inspired by childhood chiropractic care to pursue human function and wellness as a career.  She has a Doctorate in Chiropractic and a Bachelors of Science in Human Anatomy, as well as additional training from International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, Standard Process, Quantum Neurology, Advanced Nutrition, Webster Technique, Activator, Thompson and BEST techniques.  She is fulfilling her life goal by serving the community, with a passion for pregnant women and families.

   Dr. Annise is married to her best friend, they have one son (proudly delivered with their midwife Amy).  She was blessed to attend the birth of both of her sisters (one at home, one at a birthing center), and two of her nieces.

Molly 184Molly Remer

Molly taught private birth classes in the Rolla area from 2005-2013 and is certified by ALACE, ICEA, CAPPA, and Sacred Pregnancy. She has also trained as a prenatal yoga teacher, a prenatal fitness educator, postpartum doula, and as a birth art facilitator. Molly is the author of several books and has had essays published in various journals and magazines, including Midwifery Today, the International Journal of Childbirth Education, New Beginnings, and Pathways. Molly holds a master’s degree in social work with an emphasis in family and children’s services, a master’s degree in divinity, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She has also been a La League Leader since 2005.

Molly is married to her wonderful husband Mark and they have three living sons and a daughter.  Her oldest child was born in a freestanding birth center and the rest were born at home. She has a special interest in women’s spirituality, red tent work, and Goddess traditions and is currently a doctoral student at Ocean Seminary College. Molly blogs about birth, motherhood, and women’s issues at Talk Birth and she and Mark co-create birth art and jewelry at Brigid’s Grove.

Summerbirthservices 077Summer Thorp-Lancaster
Summer has been fascinated with birth and women’s health since childhood. She has studied pregnancy, birth, and midwifery for over 10 years. After training as a doula in 2007, Summer’s passion for birth took off even further. She has experience attending births in a variety of settings and a special heart for working with postpartum women and families experiencing loss through her doula agency, Summer Birth Services. Summer is involved with statewide activism in her capacity as president of Friends of Missouri Midwives. She has been co-coordinator for the Rolla Area FoMM since 2006 and writes about all things birth (and some things not birth) at Midwives, Doulas, Home Birth, OH MY!, as well as contributing pieces to other woman/childbearing sites such as The Birthing Site and Woman, Uncensored.
 On a personal level, Summer is a ballet enthusiast, wife to a gamer and mother of four spectacularly wild children, one born at PCRMC and three born at home with midwives.  She spends her days in (mostly) happy chaos and her nights thinking about cleaning her house.