About
Our Philosophy
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We truly feel that becoming a mother is one of the most amazing life events and at Panhandle Birth Services, we want to help you learn, explore, and consider all of your prenatal care and birthing options. While not right for everyone, out of hospital births can be a great experience for low risk women and their babies, with many of the births we see requiring less interventions.
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When you birth at home or in a birthing center, you have the freedom to move, eat, drink, and enjoy the presence of friends and family you want to share this special life changing event with. We believe being in a comfortable, familiar surrounding while knowing the people who are taking care of you and your baby helps with the birthing experience.
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Parents should be encouraged to explore options, have information, and not have decisions made for them based solely on caregivers bias or opinion. This is why we also believe having a respectful care provider, along with education helps with informed consent. We strive to build that trust in an open, honest, and unbiased atmosphere to help encourage you to voice your needs, wants, concerns and desires in the birthing experience. We do this in an environment that maintains good health and safety.
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With Panhandle Birth Services, you can choose a private birth with just the midwife and your loved ones present or you may have our birth team there.
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Whatever your choices, we encourage you to know that those choices are yours to make, but we want you to be well informed of the risk and benefits of each birthing scenario to make the best choice for you and your family needs.
Our Team
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Midwife Sandra Elkins LM,CPM
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After the birth of her daughter, and seeing the need for change in birth settings, Sandra enrolled at Cameron University in Lawton Oklahoma to become a Labor and Delivery Nurse to make a difference in the lives of mothers. After 13 years and 4 more children, Sandra was called to Midwifery. She started by attending home births with a local Midwife while doing a self study program. When she was 6 months pregnant with her youngest son, she moved to El Paso, Texas.
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While in El Paso she attended an internship at Casa de Nacimiento. After completing the program, she became a Certified Professional Midwife in 2001. This year she will be celebrating 20 years as a CPM, 19 years as a Texas Licensed Midwife, and 12 years as a Registered Nurse.
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While she feels this is a huge responsibility, Sandra also knows what an honor it is to be entrusted with this beautiful life event and has always approached birthing services as a labor of love while assisting in approximately 400 births as primary.
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Daven Terrell
Student Midwife Daven Terrell
Daven may care for clients under supervision of her primary midwife only. If you are interested in having Daven as your primary midwife under supervision contact us today.
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Daven began birth work as a doula in 2014 after her first homebirth. She uses her personal experiences as a doula and mother, as well as her trauma prevention training, to deliver the safest birth possible. While her goal is to complete her Certified Professional Midwife certificate in 2021, she has always strived to learn more every day and to improve the skills she has practiced for years.
When not helping with births, you can find Daven enjoying her children and animals at home, running a natural bath and self-care business, and dabbling in photography and art.
She feels a strong connection to the clients we serve at Panhandle Birth Services as individuals, with a goal to ensure families have the most up-to-date and evidence-based help for their birth experience.
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Chrystal is a DONA Doula, a Littleton Colorado Native, and a graduate of Regis University where she studied for her Bachelors in Healthcare Administration.
Chrystal’s passion for all things Motherhood began in her early childhood. At 12 years old, she took babysitting seriously and received her first CPR certification through Red Cross - that was the conception of her passion for serving families and children through healthcare. Now, Chrystal has completed over 20 hours of childbirth specific education in addition to all DONA required education.
In her free time you can find Chrystal with a cup of tea and a book or out in the mountains hiking, identifying plants, and trying to keep up with her 5-year-old Springer Spaniel (called Fisher).
Check out her website at www.NaturalPathwaysDoulaCare.com
