Jessica Mairs

When I was eighteen, I came upon a homebirth and water birth website, and immediately understood my clear calling to be a midwife.  At that moment of first exposure, it made complete sense to me that being a midwife would be my life’s work.  At that time, I was enrolled at Humboldt State University and I decided to complete my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and French, with an emphasis on women studies, child development, and human sexuality. 

After graduating from Humboldt State in 2002, I enrolled at Birthingway College of Midwifery, a three-year, comprehensive, homebirth midwifery training program.  Birthingway is a top-quality school accredited by MEAC, the Midwives Education Accreditation Council. My education at Birthingway was didactic, combining lecture and theory with hands-on skill building.   I received extensive and comprehensive training covering both normal and complex situations during the childbearing year.  In addition, I have had in depth training in herbal medicine and other alternative therapies. 

In my third year of midwifery studies, I gave birth to my daughter Clara Star at home, in the water, experiencing firsthand the transformative and powerful nature of birth.  Since then, I have been refining the art of balancing mothering with midwifing: my two blessed jobs.

After completing my education at Birthingway in 2006, I moved back to California to begin my apprenticeship.  The following year, I became pregnant with my second daughter, Emma, and had another sweet, smooth, intense home water birth.  This time, I was also attended by my two-year-old daughter, who climbed into the tub just after her sister’s birth, as we all soaked together in what was the most moving and glorious moment of my life.  There, I experienced a profound wholeness that deeply influences my commitment to offering “family centered” midwifery services.

I had the opportunity to train with four different midwives, witnessing various practice styles and strengths. In 2011, I obtained my certified professional midwife (CPM) and California state midwifery license (LM), and opened Sierra Homebirth, a full-service midwifery practice in Grass Valley, fulfilling a long-time dream of mine. I have offered extensive prenatal and postpartum care and have attended over 300 births, most of which occurred at home. In addition, I love offering compassionate and gentle well-person gyn care. I am a member of several professional organizations: MANA, CAM, and CALM, and am certified in adult, infant, and neonatal resuscitation.  In addition, I helped found and and am a board member of the non-profit Nevada County Midwives Collective. Most recently, I am excited about the opportunity to work with the Women’s Circle clinic in Yuba City, offering prenatal, postpartum, gyn, and homebirth care to women and families in this region.