When I (Midwife Liz Derry) first moved to New Mexico, I thought I would just cover the small town I was living in. I had been a traveling midwife in Texas and was ready to quit driving so much. Little did I know that so many areas of this side of New Mexico did not have midwives close by helping them. Soon after arriving, as family after family reached out looking for a midwife, I found myself making the choice to travel once again. This later led to relocating our family to a town more central to the areas I serve.

During this time I discovered a new dream. I decided I wanted to help make sure that each of these areas had a midwife of their own. Now with a student in 3 of the main areas, this dream seems it will become a reality in a few short years. I am so excited to be helping even a little bit, to have midwifery care be more accessible all over Southeastern New Mexico.

Here are our current students, future midwives of New Mexico, and the areas they serve:

First up, serving Carlsbad area, we have Daryl Allen who has been with us since June of 2017. She is super close to being done with her training, but took a short break to add a new little boy to her beautiful family. Here is a quick bio for her: “Daryl Allen is a wife and mother to three little boys. She began her midwifery apprenticeship with Liz Derry in June of 2017 and attends Via Vita School of Midwifery. Since starting her apprenticeship she has been able to support many women. She is also a trained doula. Daryl is knowledgeable, compassionate, and easy to talk to, and is an asset to the Eastern New Mexico birthing community.“

Next up we have Emily Poynton. Emily is living in Roswell and will be licensed soon. She has been helping in all of the areas that Otero Birth covers. Once licensed she will be starting her own business, and we will provide back up and assistance for each other this side of New Mexico. Here is her bio: “Hi, I'm Emily and I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, IL, the eldest of 4 siblings and the only one not born at home. After graduating from Loyola University Chicago in 2015 I spent a year working with high schoolers and learning Spanish at Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. I came home to hang out with my youngest brother during his last year of high school and began working as support for families expecting babies, first as a case manager and then as a child birth educator and DONA certified doula for first-time teen moms with Healthy Families of Illinois. Based on those experiences I decided to become a midwife to provide more personalized, respectful, and encouraging care where the entire family feels supported and included as they prepare to welcome new life. I began my midwifery training and experience in March 2019 at Maternidad La Luz, a busy birth center in El Paso, TX, and am so excited to be completing my training with Liz and serving the community of Southern New Mexico! Thank you for having me here!”

Serving Clovis, Cannon Air Force Base, Portales, and Hobbs, is Kiara Egerton. Kiara has been working with us since July of 2019. Here is more info about her: “Hey!!! My name is Kiara Gonzales, I am certified doula ,certified placenta encapsulator, hospital based breastfeeding peer counselor,and now am so happy to announce a student home birthing midwife!❤ When i was first entering the birth world as a doula 10 Years ago i would’ve never imagined i could be a midwife , and now here i am and I’m super excited to help empower ,educate and support you. I have pretty much always lived in new mexico and plan to continue to stay here to help to grow a positive birth community ! I have had a strong passion for Birth and everything in between and following since i was a young little girl !!i am so excited to be joining this amazing team!!”

Finally, our newest addition is Kate Pults who will currently be helping in Roswell, Ruidoso, and Artesia. Here is her bio: “My name is Kate Pults, and I was born and raised in Moses Lake, Washington. After moving from Washington, to North Carolina, and then to Oregon, my husband and I have finally settled in Roswell, New Mexico. I have 3 wonderful sons that are all under the age of 6. Two of which were born at home, and have sparked my love for homebirth. I am a Full-Spectrum Doula and Certified Childbirth Educator, and I am currently certifying in Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support and Advocacy. I’m ready to embrace this journey of being a Student Midwife, and I plan on learning everything I can about midwifery. I am looking forward to being a Midwife in this community!”