Services

Connie’s birth and lactation services include: prenatal care, home birth, birth center birth, postnatal care up to 6 weeks for mother and baby, water birth, well woman care including labs and physicals, primary care for women of all ages, menopausal support, ultrasound services, mother to mother support, lactation consultation, breastfeeding classes, bra fitting, breast pump & accessories sales and rentals, private newborn care and breastfeeding classes, herbs and homeopathy.

Education and Experience

Connie Blokkum is a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) with a Master of Science Degree in Nursing from the University of Cincinnati in Midwifery. She is a Certified Nurse Midwife and Advanced Practice RN in women’s health. She is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and a Registered Lactation Consultant.

Connie has dedicated over 27 years of combined experience working with mothers and babies.  After graduating from Houston Baptist University School of Nursing in 1981 with a BS in Nursing, she began working in oncology and medical surgical nursing. Since 1985 she has worked extensively with mothers and babies in the newborn nursery, the NICU, as a midwife assistant, a doula and as a lactation consultant.

In 1998 she began teaching breastfeeding and baby care classes. In 2000 she became the Lactation Counselor for Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital and started their first lactation program. She received her IBCLC Certification in 2001 and is a Registered Lactation Consultant.

In 2003 she began private practice Lactation Consultation and began attending home births as a labor/birth assistant for Cathy Rude LM, CPM. Connie has given support in labor for over 230 births, including her own Doula and midwifery clients.

Services

Natalie offers the following services: prenatal care, nutritional counseling, labor and birth care, postpartum care, newborn care and breastfeeding assistance. In addition to home birth, Natalie provides services at the newly opened Katy Birth Center.

Services

Cathy offers prenatal care, laboratory services, referrals, post delivery and newborn care, water birth, backup services, childbirth classes, herbs, labor and delivery care, equipment at births, and post partum care.

“I believe  midwifery is a calling and I feel privileged that God has directed me on this path. I trust in Jesus Christ for every birth and for each of the women I serve. I pray for each one and truly feel that I am a handmaiden of the Lord. He is so faithful to lead and direct in every situation and I praise Him for it.” – Cathy Rude LM, CPM.

Education and Experience

Cathy earned her  high school diploma in 1970 at Plainview H.S. in West Texas. She completed over sixty hours of pre-nursing courses at Stephen F. Austin State University, University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University from 1973 through 1977. She completed the Texas Department of Health Basic Midwifery Course and Test in 1993, The Association of Texas Midwives Graduate Midwife Study Course in 1995, and apprenticed with midwife Deborah Perry from 1993-1995. Cathy is licensed by the Texas Department of State Health Services and reapplies every two years for relicensure. Cathy took and passed the North American Registry of Midwives Exam in 1999.

Cathy has attended over 600 births and was the primary midwife for 538 as of February 2010. In order to give each woman the time and care she needs and deserves, Cathy tries to limit her practice to about 4 births per month. She is experienced with hospital births, home births, birth center births and water births.

Professional Afflications

The Association of Texas Midwives – Executive Board Member

The Association of Texas Midwives – Executive Board Secretary

The Association of Texas Midwives – Regional Representative – Region 4

Greater Houston Midwifery Alliance – Vice President

Midwives Alliance of North America

Hope Pregnancy Center (Westheimer) – Former Board Member

Philosophy

Our fundamental philosophy is that pregnancy and birth are normal, healthy events in the life of a family. Birth is an opportunity for personal growth and the strengthening of relationships. It is a unique process that belongs to the pregnant woman and her family. Benefits of a natural birthing route can include:

• Fewer Interventions: When your body is working well, it does not need any help! Interventions such as IVs, constant fetal monitoring, and being attached to a blood pressure cuff restrict your movement, which can slow your labor.
• More Choices: You don’t have to ask permission to eat, drink or go to the bathroom. There are no machines to unhook or move around.
• Pain can be Lessened: When a woman feels safe and secure, her body works more efficiently. Endorphins (the body’s own “morphine-like” substance) flow readily, helping the mother to relax, decreasing the overall pain and time she is in labor.
• Family can be Involved at Your Wish: They can be present throughout labor and birth or just close by. They can cut the cord or actually catch the baby (with a little coaching). Many siblings “help” with the newborn exam and dressing the baby for the first time.
• Higher Satisfaction: Over 99% of women who have had a home birth or birth center birth will choose to do one or the other with the next pregnancy.
• Less Risk of a C-Section: Nationally, the c-section rate is over 32%. Birth center and home birth c-section rates are less than 10%.
• Less Risk of Injury: We assist you in gently controlled pushing thereby reducing the risk of tearing or needing to be cut.
• Continuity of care: We will be with you throughout the entire process. No shift changes!

Services

Services include: Childbirth Classes, Prenatal Care, Two Birthing Rooms, Water Birth, Nutrition Counseling, Herbs & Homeopathy, Lactation Consultations, Breast Pump & Accessories Sales, Breastfeeding Classes, Postnatal Care.

Midwives

Cathy Rude, LM, CPM

Cathy has over 18 years of experience in home birth services in the Katy area. She is an Executive Board Member, Executive Board Secretary, and Region 4 Representative of the Association of Texas Midwives. Cathy is also Vice President of the Greater Houston Midwifery Alliance.

Connie Blokkum, MSN, CNM, IBCLC

Connie has over 26 years of experience working with mothers and nursing babies. In addition to home and birth center birth services, Connie offers a wealth of information in lactation consultation and breastfeeding product sales.

Natalie Wommack, RNC, LM, CPM

Natalie has worked with birthing mothers in a variety of settings for over 30 years and has held an active home birth practice serving 8 Texas counties for the past 6 years.