At Origins Birth and Wellness Collective, co-founders and licensed midwives Gina Thomson and Kaitlyn Wages want to ensure a woman’s pregnancy experience is empowering.
“It’s really just about being able to preserve our bodily autonomy,” Thomson said. “I think that in Western medicine, it’s something that’s been missed. I think it’s something that has been missed with women, specifically.”
While many opt for in-hospital delivery, the increasing interest in natural labor has led to a rise in birth centers across the area, both midwives said.
“[A natural birth is] not scary because we educate them on what’s normal [and] what’s not normal,” Wages said.
Origins Birth and Wellness Collective provides services from preconception to postpartum and welcomes individuals of all backgrounds.
“We believe that all families deserve good, loving care,” Thomson said. “Normalizing it doesn’t matter what race you are, what religion or lack thereof, or your sexual orientation—if you are having a baby, you are welcomed here.”
The business began in 2013, and Thomson and Wages said the growth has been rapid, exceeding their own expectations. They also hope to expand their services.
Thomson and Wages both delivered their children through natural birth and became midwives to help women feel the same empowerment they experienced during labor.
“When you’ve given birth naturally, it feels like you’ve just climbed Mount Everest,” Wages said. “It feels like you have achieved something that only the elite can do. And shockingly, all of us are, in fact, elite and can do it.”
Origins Birth and Wellness Collective, 10345 Alta Vista Road, Keller. 817-562-2828. www.originsbirth.com Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
