Cami is the newest member to our American Midwife Group. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from Utah State University and continued her studies at the University of Utah where she graduated with a Doctorate Degree in Nursing Practice. She has been a registered nurse since 2011, and a Practicing Certified Nurse Midwife since 2017. She is Board Certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) and the National Certification Corporation (NCC). Cami is the mother of 4 children, 2 daughters and 2 sons, and enjoys being outside, skiing, swimming and running. She is very passionate about women’s health and midwifery. It was great to sit down with her and hope you enjoy learning more about her!

Why did you choose to become a Certified Nurse Midwife?

I chose to be a midwife through my own birth experiences and became very passionate about it. At the time, I was a nurse and knew graduate school was something I wanted to pursue. Through being a nurse and after having my own children I knew I wanted to become a midwife. During that time I worked in Labor and Deliver, then worked in the ICU for a little while. In the end it was a factor of many things, both personal experiences and my eduction.

Has there been a birth that was particularly memorable for you?

Definitely the birth of my first son!

As a student, the first time I delivered a baby was awesome! Our patient was laboring through the night and I gave her so much labor support. She worked so hard! I can’t even explain to you the feeling in the room when she finally delivered her baby. She was so happy after all that hard work. Her spouse was happy as well! It was a moment where I realized I had chosen the best career! For both our patient and for those of us helping her, it was so empowering! Because I was a student, my professor was watching and she started getting teary eyed. It taught me that delivering babies and this career never get old. Every experience is special!

Why did you choose to work with Valley Women’s Health?

After I graduated, a friend from school, that was a year ahead of me, started her own practice and recruited me. I worked with her for a while and also at Planned Parenthood as a Nurse Practitioner – I did the dual program. The goal was always to be with a group of midwives. Most practices are a couple of obstetricians with one midwife, but I knew I wanted to be with a group. When I saw this job, I thought it would be awesome!

What is your favorite thing about being a midwife?

My favorite thing is providing education and empowering women to have the birth experience they want, whether it be epidural, cesarean, unmedicated. Educating patients so they can make their own choices is important to me. I love when women feel confident about their choices.

What do you wish all women could know?

For pregnancy:

Your body is amazing! It’s very capable of birthing a baby, no matter what birth experience it is. Your body is amazing. Believe in yourself.

For lifetime:

It’s okay to struggle! Asking for help is the hardest thing, it’s the first step. We don’t judge you at all. We all go through trials and we’re here to treat you as needed. 

Has there been a specific time where you’ve connected with a patient or their family?

Yes! As a student, I delivered a baby that, unexpectedly, had Down Syndrome. It was really, really hard for the mom. They struggled with infertility, the baby was IVF and they had no idea. Her labor was a big process, but she had a successful vaginal delivery after 5 ½ hours of pushing. A few hours later, the nurses came in to tell her the news. We had developed a friendship during the pushing and during the pregnancy, so she ended up finding me on social media. She emailed me and we became friends. She didn’t like how she was treated and how her baby was treated after the diagnoses. She didn’t like how the nurses had talked about it or anything. People were saying “I’m so sorry!” and she didn’t understand why there were apologizing. Her baby is now 2, almost 3, and is so cute!

We ended up making a movie together for healthcare providers to help teach them how to better emotionally support patients in circumstances like this. In school, we aren’t taught what you should or shouldn’t say if you have a baby with down syndrome. We had multiple down syndrome families together, made a movie and presented it at a conference in Salt Lake. I still talk to her today! 

She really helped prepare me to help other patients with unknown diagnosis emotionally and help them find resources.

What can you do to help patients with loss?

The biggest thing is being transparent during delivery. Let’s say the baby’s heart rate is not looking great or there are other signs of concern for me, it’s important to be open with communication the whole time. Communication is a huge thing, especially with loss! Women want to know what happened and why their baby died, which is something we don’t always know. Communicating with them, validating their concerns and being there for them. It’s really hard!

Tell me about your family.

I have 4 kids—2 boys and 2 girls. We love to travel together, go new places and road trip. My kids love to get in the car. They love to go to the gas station because they get to get treats. That’s how they think of road trips. We love to be outside.

What is your favorite treat?

I prefer salty and/or fried treats over sweet. I’d prefer stuffed Mexi-Fries from Taco Time over donuts. I also like peanut butter M&Ms and Cadbury Eggs. My go-to is salt and vinegar chips.

What is something your patients don’t know about you?

I’ve been skydiving 4 times. I like to skydive and wish I could do it more. The best place to go is Hawaii. I went to BYU-Hawaii.

What are your hobbies and favorite things to do?

Once you become a mom, I feel like your hobbies just go out the window. I like podcasts. I also like running. I’m running the Boston Marathon. I also really love my job.

What is your favorite restaurant?

I love Thai food and sushi. My favorite restaurant is Teton Thai in Jackson Hole. It is amazing!

Learn more about Cami Bearnson