Background
Who am I?
My name is Lisa Thomas. I was born and raised in southwest Missouri. From a young age, I had a fascination with pregnancy and birth, but it was not until my mid-teens that I began to be interested in midwifery. I was introduced to the subject because of a program offered by the Advanced Training Institute, a home education program that I was enrolled in for my elementary and secondary education. As I began to investigate the topic further, I realized that, though I was intrigued, I did not feel capable of being a midwife. Following this, the Lord began to show me that I was incapable of doing anything without Him. By pursuing midwifery, I would realize how dependant I was on Him because I could not do it myself.
Through a series of events, I witnessed my first birth, a homebirth attended by a doctor, at the age of 17. I enjoyed it immensely. This doctor kindly offered to allow me to shadow him as I began to pursue my studies. This training allowed me to learn the mainstream medical model of care while simultaneously studying homebirth midwifery. This greatly aided me in receiving a well-rounded perspective on birth. Throughout my training, I have witnessed many hospital, freestanding birth center, and home births and developed the realization that birth, and where it should take place, is as individual as the woman herself. My desire is to help families safely achieve the birth that they desire in the environment where they most are comfortable.