Education & Training
I believe we’re never done learning, no matter what our profession is. As a midwife it’s important to stay up to date on current research & expand our knowledge to best serve the diverse and ever changing needs of our clients & community.
Birthwise Midwifery School – 2017-2019
Senior student BirthHaven Midwifery – 2018-2019
Assist/ primary student with WomanWise Midwifery – 2016-2018
Primary student midwife at Luna Tierra Birth Center – 2018
Primary student midwife at Shiphrah Birthing Home – 2018
Breech Without Borders - 2023
Craniosacral Fascial Therapy Training (Adults & Infant) -2024
B.E.S.T (Birth Emergency Skills Training)- 2024
BLS for Healthcare Providers – 2024
NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program) – 2024
Childbirth Educator Training – 2013
Birth & Postpartum Doula Training – 2012
Hi I’m Samm! (Owner, Midwife)
I’d like to think that I did not choose to become a midwife, but it chose me. When I say that an internal light bulb turned on during my doula training in 2012 it sounds cliché, but that’s exactly what happened. From that day forward I became obsessed with birth and everything related to it. By 2013 I was running my own doula/ birth photography business and was attending anywhere from 4-6 births per month. After attending my first home birth I immediately fell in love and was determined to become a home birth midwife.
I had my first attempt to start midwifery school in 2014, but a few weeks after enrolling I found out I was pregnant at 21 years old & 41 weeks later had my first baby at home in April 2015, read my first birth story here. His birth shaped me in so many ways, a 9lb baby boy & an intense shoulder dystocia. The way my midwife calmly handled his birth and assured me that everything was okay made me feel empowered instead of traumatized.
I know that if I had I given birth in a hospital setting, my perception & birth experience would be a completely different story. I wanted to be able to provide others with the same level of care I received throughout my pregnancy, birth + postpartum.
One year after my son was born I was determined to get back on the path to becoming a midwife, so I started apprenticing with my own midwife, Karen Webster of WomanWise Midwifery. I attended births with her as a student all over Pennsylvania, Delaware & Maryland for 2.5 years. In 2017 I had finally began the academic portion of my midwifery training at Birthwise Midwifery School to supplement the hands on clinical training I had been receiving while apprenticing with Karen.
In the fall of 2018 me, my partner, our 3 year old & our dog packed our bags & drove down to El Paso, Texas in order for me to finish my clinical requirements to become a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM). As a woman of color, it was important for me to train with midwives of color, so I choose to apprentice at Luna Tierra & then flew around the world 20 weeks pregnant & spent an intense 5 weeks at Shiphrah, a high volume birth center in the Philippines. In early 2019 I came home to New Jersey & worked with home birth midwife Rebekah Panagos & Karen to complete my clinical requirements. I graduated from Birthwise at 3 months postpartum.
Magpi Midwifery began when my daughter was born in 2019. I started attending births on my own, with my baby girl on my back, at 8 weeks postpartum. I originally intended on having a low volume solo midwifery practice, but that quickly changed a few months later. In March 2020 due to Covid I quickly became into a moderate- high volume practice- what felt like overnight.
Over the last few years I have started to transform into a midwifery collective instead of being a solo midwife to handle the high demands of homebirth midwifery. I am beyond grateful to now have cultivated a team of trustworthy midwives & assistants that provide a high level of compassionate, individualized care. I am also a preceptor for Midwives College of Utah and supporting student midwives on their journey is a new passion of mine.
In the last decade I’d say I have come full circle. I’ve attended close to 300 homebirths as the primary midwife in addition to over 200 births I attended prior to starting my practice, in various settings (as student midwife/ doula). I have had the privilege of learning from several midwives (both CPM & CNM). While I have a deep passion & trust for home birth, I also respect & admire the incredible hospital based providers I’ve developed relationships with for when transfers are needed.
When I think about the windy road it took me to get here, I wouldn’t have done it any other way. Working first as a doula allowed me to gain experience in running my own business, seeing birth in all settings, become part of the birth community, build connections with other health professionals (chiropractors, acupuncturists, pelvic floor therapists, psychologists, lactation consultants, massage therapists, etc.) and work with and develop relationships with hospital-based providers.
As a homebirth midwife who is essentially on call 24/7 I have learned the importance/ art of implementing boundaries & self care. I receive body work regularly, debrief/ peer review with other midwives in the area, love going out to new restaurants, doing reformer pilates and regularly schedule time off to travel the world with my family. I’m raising 3 wild children with my wilder high school crush. Our 3 kids are homebirthed a& homeschooled. Balancing motherhood & midwifery is no easy task, but I strive to be as present as possible for both.
I am thrilled to be able to serve the Philadelphia area as a traditional home birth midwife! I strive to cultivate a community of like minded families to grow together & create a better future for all, one birth at a time. I enjoy getting my clients together for potlucks, playdates, skills sharing, etc. Many of my clients are like family to me, and as your midwife, my door will always be open for you!
Check out what my clients have to say about me here. (If you’ve worked with me please leave a review! Always much appreciated.)
