Who We Are

Barbara LaheyBarbara Lahey, CPM
I am a Certified Professional Midwife and have been practicing since 1979 assisting couples in home delivery. My vision for childbirth is that the Midwifery Model of Care will ultimately become the American standard. My goal is to be diligent in helping women experience their God-given natural process of childbirth. Mama’s and babies have a language all their own. We’ve lost that, and I intend to be a part of bringing that back through support, education and encouragement. Women need to surrender to the ways of nature. Babies in utero and newborns need to be treated lovingly and gently and talked to as intelligent beings. Dads need to be united with their wives and newborns throughout the childbearing process.  I am dedicated to bringing this dream to fruition as much as possible, according to God’s will.

Jennifer Moyer, CPM, LMT
For years I have researched the childbearing year in preparation for my own children. My own children didn’t come along so I redirected my energy becoming a licensed massage therapist and, eventually, a birth doula. I enjoyed helping mothers through their labors and births but realized that there was a more humane side to the process than what the medical community was offering. Somehow, I knew there was a better way and that women needed faith in their body’s ability to birth, a faith that they weren’t getting in the hospital setting. So, I started researching midwifery and home birth. I completed a 5-year apprenticeship with Barbara and graduated from Birthwise Midwifery School (Bridgton, ME) in June of 2017. I became a Certified Professional Midwife in July 2018.

Nan KopinaNan Kopina, CPM, LM, NRP
I’ve been with Toledo Midwives since 2018. I find it thrilling to work with expectant mothers. In my path to midwifery and natural birth I trained as a Certified Doula (DONA), Certified Placenta Benefits Specialist (CPBi), Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC). I personally believe in alternative health care, which is how I chose to raise my children. I also believe in Emergency Medicine and took the rigorous course of a paramedic (NRP), which I feel mixes well with midwifery. I continue to work as a paramedic at my local fire department. I also actively teach CPR and Basic Life Support in my community. My goal for each mom is to establish well-balanced maternity care. This includes providing a safe and satisfying home birth so dad, mom, and baby can bond naturally, along with gentle and wise postpartum care. I am honored to meet each family at Toledo Midwives. I look forward to meeting you!

Caroline Strzesynski, CFCP, Apprentice
I have been working with women, providing reproductive health services in Northwest Ohio for over 20 years. I have personal experience with natural childbirth, raising two children, and breastfeeding. I’m a Certified Creighton Model FertilityCare Practitioner and specialize in NaProTechnology, a pro-life women’s health science. Now, I am pursuing midwifery to bring my work full circle—helping couples achieve pregnancy using Creighton or other natural methods, providing care throughout pregnancy with a focus on education and problem prevention, and supporting couples through their homebirth experience.

 

“So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. 
And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.”
Exodus 1:20-21
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:13

What is a CPM? A Certified Professional Midwife is a midwife who has specialized training in home birth and has passed an examination administered by the North American Registry of Midwives (www.NARM.org) which establishes her skills and knowledge regarding safe midwifery practice.