What We Believe

We believe in your innate intuition and ability to discern what is best for yourself and your baby.

We believe that you and your baby are one unit, and the health, safety, and care of one, strongly impacts the other.

We believe that midwifery care is a partnership between the midwife and the client. There should be open, honest communication within that partnership. Decision-making should be a collaborative effort and not dictated by the provider alone.

We believe in providing you with evidence-based education and resources, to give you the tools needed to make true informed decisions for yourself and your baby.

We believe in following not only evidence-based care, but listening to, hearing, and believing all birthing people’s experiences.

We believe that birth work is energy work. That birth is not just a physiologic process but is also a transformative, spiritual process.

We believe in your wisdom and strength.

Che Phifer, LM, CPM, BSM

Midwife

Che is a wife and mother of three grown boys. She has served the birthing community as a midwife, doula, childbirth, and breastfeeding educator. Che earned a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery degree from Mercy in Action College of Midwifery. She is nationally credentialed as a Certified Professional Midwife through the North American Registry of Midwives, as well as being licensed by the State of Arizona. She’s worked in emergency services as an EMT, 911 operator, and dispatcher for over 20 years. During that time she was honored to serve and care for people from many communities during the most challenging times of their lives. She also worked to organize programs to teach diversity and inclusion. At home, she enjoys spending time studying herbalism, as well as creating teas, tinctures, salves, and creams to support the health of families. She believes in education, evidence-based practice, true informed consent, bodily autonomy, and support for personal choice.

Morgann Burres, LM, CPM

Back-Up Midwife

Morgann is a wife and mother of four school-age children. She has been in birth work for the last ten years. Before becoming a Certified Professional Midwife, she served as an experienced birth doula and photographer, as well as a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator. Becoming a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) was a natural step in her career path. Her desire to be able to care for families in a more intimate and specific way led me to become a midwife. She is both nationally credentialed as a CPM and licensed by the State of Arizona (LM) and owns and operates Tree of Life Midwifery LLC. She absolutely loves being a midwife! In her free time, she enjoys hiking, spending time with family, going for walks with friends, sewing fun projects, and learning to build with wood.

Roxanne Barnes, CNM

Certified Nurse Midwife, Certified Bodytalk Practitioner, and Craniosacral Therapist.

Get to Know the Students

Audra Nelson, Student Midwife, Registered Dietician

Audra is a student midwife with Midwives College of Utah & founder of A Rae Doula & Birth Services. She is a birth doula, childbirth educator, and placenta encapsulator. Audra has her masters in Nutrition Science and has been a Registered Dietitian for over 17 years, specializing in neonatal and pediatric nutrition. She believes food is medicine and nutrition therapy can be used to treat the whole body and prepare you for your birth.

Her passion for helping families started at a young age, after witnessing her mother’s labor and the birth of her younger sister. Audra has a deep respect for the normalcy of birth and the uniqueness of each childbearing person and family. Audra is married and privileged to be the mother of 3 adventurous children. Audra is your source for all your placenta needs, including encapsulation. If you need a birth tub, she’s also your go-to resource for several different types of pools!

Audra is currently attending Midwives College of Utah and will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery. She will then become nationally certified through the North American Registry of Midwives to become a Certified Professional Midwife and Licensed Midwife (CPM, LM).

Malaura Ruizesparza, Student Midwife

Malaura is a Northern California native who is excited to now call the desert her home. She is a Certified Birth and Fertility doula whose journey into birth work began with the birth of her son. After a disheartening first birth experience, she decided that she wanted to help change the narrative around birth and support others in having a positive and empowering experience. Having given birth both at home and in hospital, she has the personal and professional experience to knowledgeably support clients wherever they decide to give birth.

Malaura believes that her hands, knowledge, and empathy are the most important things she brings to a birth. She also strongly believes in consent and feels that being fully informed is essential to a positive birth experience. She works extensively with her clients to ensure they feel confident about the choices they make during their pregnancy and birth. Malaura is a big-hearted empath and natural caregiver, who feels grateful to be able to support and be in the presence of incredibly strong and capable individuals during such a transformative experience.

Malaura is currently working on completing her clinical experience and requirements for PEP through the North American Registry of Midwives to become a Certified Professional Midwife and Licensed Midwife (CPM, LM).

Michele Teich, Student Midwife

Michele is a mother to 10 children. She has been involved in health and wellness for over 30 years. Her studies include holistic nutrition, doula services, natural family planning, breastfeeding, and childbirth. She enjoys snow skiing, road biking, hiking, sewing, remodeling homes, and gardening.

When her youngest child turned 18 years old, she enrolled in Mercy in Action College of Midwifery. Michele will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery. She will then become nationally certified through the North American Registry of Midwives to become a Certified Professional Midwife and Licensed Midwife (CPM, LM).