In this episode of Mom to MORE™, host Sharon Macey is joined by Melissa Dean, homeschooling mom, midwife and founder of Casa Natal Birth and Wellness Center, in Los Gatos, CA.
As a functional and integrative medicine practitioner, Melissa combines her expertise in women's health with her midwife practice. She provides care with an emphasis on holistic health modalities to bring wellness to women in every stage of their health journey, including childbirth, transition to motherhood and beyond.
Melissa’s expertise has been featured in leading publications such as The Bump, Today’s Parent, and The CheckUp. She has been a featured guest on leading podcasts such as Dear Doula, The Hypnobirthing Podcast, and The Go Deeper Podcast by Floka. And now she can add Mom To MORE!
Melissa serves as an inspiration to other moms through her journey of personal and professional reinvention. As a stay-at-home mom who chose to homeschool her 4 children, Melissa exemplifies dedication to family while also showing that motherhood can be a springboard for personal growth. Her decision to incorporate a part-time career as a doula into her family life, and later become a certified midwife, is a powerful example of how balancing family life and a personal calling is not only possible but incredibly rewarding, as it benefits women in her local community and beyond..
Melissa’s journey proves that it’s never too late to follow a passion, and that motherhood can be an incredible foundation for achieving professional success and making a lasting and meaningful impact on others.
[00:00] Introduction
[01:30] About Melissa Dean and her background
[02:59] Melissa's Family and Homeschooling Journey
[04:32] Homeschooling approach and benefits
[08:12] Practical education and teaching life skills
[10:52] Transition from homeschool to high school and college
[11:53] Skills learned from being a stay-at-home-homeschooling mom
[16:27] Melissa's path to becoming a midwife
[19:26] Founding Casa Natal Birth and Wellness Center
[21:00] Comprehensive care provided at Casa Natal
[23:37] The importance of supporting mothers postpartum
[24:43] Involvement of Melissa’s family in Casa Natal
[26:23] Melissa's MORE
[28:16] Where to Find Melissa Online
Learn more about Melissa:
Website: https://casa-natal.com/
Instagram: @casanatalbirthcenter
Looking for MORE? Follow @momtomore on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. @Sharon Macey on LinkedIn.
Keep an eye out for episode #23 of the Mom to MORE™ podcast where Sharon is joined by women’s health expert Erica Libby Humbert - Coming soon - you won’t want to miss it ♥
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