Aloha!
My name is Yvonne Gray and I am a passionate birth professional who has served families as a doula, birth photographer, and childbirth educator, and now I am finally able to be their primary care provider as a midwife.
I am currently in the end of my studies which I started in September 2020. I can’t believe after 3 years and a good bit of sweat and tears I am finally at this point. On one side it feels a long time coming but then on the other side, it seems to be moving so fast. I guess…
…TIME FLIES…when you are on call!
We currently live on the beautiful island of O’ahu, Hawaii, and call the Windward side our home.
In 2014 I started with lactation education to become a certified lactation counselor, then a certified Doula and a Placenta Encapsulator, after that I added Evidence Based Birth Instructor, Certified Childbirth Educator, and Certified Birth Photographer…
However, none of this seemed enough. It didn’t feel like I was able to make enough of an impact on the families I served.
After careful consideration, I chose the Midwives College of Utah, because their rigorous education program along with earning a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery made them stand out! As a military spouse, it was my goal to find a school that is flexible and supports the sometimes very hectic lifestyle the military brings, and MCU allows just that: high didactic requirements, along with the flexibility to learn anywhere in the world, and in-person clinical guidance and instruction by highly qualified preceptors in my community.
The births of my four children – all boys – have led me to find the path to midwifery. My first three were all surgical births – they were born via cesareans. The very first one was unplanned and hit me like a ton of bricks and the subsequent ones were more or less my own decisions. My last birth however was supported by a local midwife and from the very moment I met her in person, she told me that she is convinced I can really do this – IF I WANT TO – it was up to me not to her.
This was a very different approach from my previous maternity care experiences, where the pregnancies were managed for me and I felt more like a vessel carrying these babies, but not as someone who could make the best decisions for their own body. That the doctors had authority over my body and the pregnancies was never put into question – they determined what was best for me.
After my homebirth in 2015 – a HBA3C – I started my journey to birth work which ultimately brought me here…
MIDWIFERY.
Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about my student progress and if you want to know more about me outside the classroom please head over here!