MEET THE MIDWIVES
el tarver, LM, CPM
Primary Midwife
Pronouns: she/her/hers and they/them/theirs
Hi! My name is Emunah Elayla, but you can call me El. I bring over a decade of healthcare experience to my practice. I graduated from the National Midwifery Institute, and completed my clinical training at Pacifica Family Maternity Center in Berkeley, as well as with several incredible home birth midwives in the community. As a licensed midwife, I have worked in both home birth and birth center settings. Prior to becoming a midwife, I worked in abortion clinics as a counselor and medical assistant, as a reproductive health educator in medical schools, and as an abortion doula trainer/facilitator, working to establish doula support in clinics throughout the country. These experiences have all shaped my midwifery practice.
My favorite part of being a midwife is getting to witness the love and joy and transformation that comes into being as my clients grow their families. For me, the medicine and magic of midwifery is held in the relationship. My calling to this work came through years of organizing and activism in reproductive justice, racial justice, and queer/trans liberation movements. Yet, I longed for a more connected way to put my ideals into practice. I love the ways that midwifery care weaves together evidence-based practice with intuitive knowledge and connection.
When I’m not midwifing, I enjoy spending time by rivers and oceans, welcoming in Shabbat with singing and loved ones, and making weird art.
Amanda Kessner, LM, CPM
Assisting Midwife
Pronouns: she/her/hers
I have over a decade of experience working with mothers, newborns, and infants. I first started attending births as a volunteer at San Francisco General Hospital, and have been active with public health organizations including Homeless Prenatal Program and The Body Positive. I also have the privilege of serving on the advisory board of the Global Pediatric Alliance and Imeinu, a collective of Jewish birth professionals. I studied at the Midwives College of Utah, and completed the majority of my clinical training at the San Francisco Birth Center, under the supervision of the founding nurse midwives. I was born and raised in the Bay Area. I love to hike, pick wildflowers, and share a Shabbat meal with friends and family.
We would love to meet you!