Midwives
Jennifer Gallardo, CPM, LDM
Carrie Duncan, CPM, LDM
Carrie was called to midwifery in 1996 after the homebirth of her daughter, Sierra, in Canby, Oregon. She attended homebirths with her midwife for two years before apprenticing at Andaluz. She graduated from Birthingway College of Midwifery in 2003. She practiced in Portland as a home birth midwife and has lived and practiced in rural Jamaica. Carrie believes that informed choice is a corner stone in quality healthcare and is proud to facilitate women’s choices as a midwife. She has two children, loves the outdoors and enjoys traveling, although only on her months off call!
Tracy Lawson-Allen, CPM, LDM
Tracy recognized after the birth of her first child that birth is a profound rite of passage in a woman’s life and that she wanted to do for others what her midwives had done for her. She arrived at Andaluz as a pregnant student midwife in the Fall of 2001 and it has been a home to her ever since. She apprenticed in a rural homebirth practice as well as another birth center during her studies between 2005 and 2008, but came to land back at Andaluz as a primary midwife in 2008. Tracy has been teaching childbirth education classes at Andaluz for over a decade now. She is passionate about holding the space for families to feel empowered by and in charge of their births, while offering evidence-based care. Native Oregonians, Tracy and her very musical husband are enjoying raising their five children in Oregon’s natural beauty.
Tracy is also a Mamalates Instructor and is the Vice-President of the Oregon Midwifery Council.
Patricia Couch, CPM, LDM
Patricia was called to midwifery through the birth of her first son in a rural California hospital in 1995. She moved to Oregon shortly after that in 1996 and began her midwifery studies. She has had the opportunity to learn the art of midwifery from several midwives, midwifery study groups, workshops and through self-study for more than a decade and has been immersed in birth work since 1997. Patricia went on to birth her second son at home with the care of a midwife in 1999. With experiences ranging from homebirth, birth center and hospital birth, she has witnessed over 700 births and has learned a healthy respect and trust in pregnancy, labor, and the birthing process. She is passionate about gentle birth for both mother and baby and her goal is to help the people that she works with have an experience that is respectful, safe and empowering. Patricia began attending births as a primary midwife in 2006 and has attended over 300 births in that capacity. Patricia and her husband have a large blended family with five children. She enjoys fitness, especially CrossFit, nutrition, traveling, camping, gardening and taking care of her backyard chickens.
Patricia is also a Certified Nutrition Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, a Birth Arts International Birth Doula Trainer and a Mamalates Instructor. She teaches classes and workshops throughout the year at the Andaluz locations.
Marilyn Milestone, CPM, LDM
Marilyn has been a midwife for over thirty years, assisting women on their birthing journeys. In 1980 she answered her calling by attending and completing a midwifery program in her hometown of Portland. From the beginning, Marilyn partnered with like-minded midwives and went on to be a part of several busy homebirth practices. Continuing education has always been at the forefront of Marilyn’s ability to bring current information to her clientele. In 2010 Marilyn added the credentials of Lactation Consultant to her repertoire, enabling her to round out her skills as a midwife and caregiver. She has worked in this capacity at Andaluz and the Birthingway Breastfeeding Clinic, supporting moms and babies. She has also worked as a clinical supervisor at Birthingway College of Midwifery. She now joins a wonderful blend of midwives at our birth center, where she will continue to bring her great passion, determination and compassion to the mothers she attends. At home, Marilyn is as active as she is at work. Country living, horseback riding, camping, gardening, dancing, knitting for the grandbaby, and the occasional good book. Life is good!
Mary Strubhar, CNM
Mary grew up on a small farm in the northern Willamette Valley. She accomplished her dream of becoming a nurse, graduating with a BSN in 1998 from Walla Walla University. During nursing school, Mary sensed God calling her to commit her life to medical mission work. She worked as a labor, delivery, and postpartum nurse at Providence Newberg Hospital for 10 years while pursuing her midwifery studies through Frontier Nursing University, graduating in October 2008 as a Certified Nurse Midwife with a Masters in Nursing. She then went on to work at mission clinics in Paraguay, South America, and Haiti, where she was the Clinical Midwife Director at Andaluz’s busy non-profit birth center, MamaBaby Haiti. Mary especially loves the miracle of birth and working with mothers, babies, and families. When not at work, Mary enjoys interacting with family and friends, traveling, gardening, reading, singing, and observing God’s wonderful handiwork in creation. Her goal in life and greatest joy is serving God by serving others.