Two certified nurse midwives have joined Gifford’s Birthing Center team: Ali Swanson, who comes to Randolph from a practice in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Vermont native Susan Paris. Established in 1977, Gifford’s Birthing Center was the first in Vermont to offer an alternative to traditional hospital-based deliveries, and continues to be a leader in midwifery and family-centered care.
Ali Swanson grew up just north of Chicago and received a BA from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her clinical interests include adolescent health and waterbirth. After working as a midwife in the inner city of Chicago for two years, she was attracted to the Canadian midwifery model (where midwives function as autonomous providers who assist in childbirth in homes, hospitals, and free standing birthing centers) and obtained her Canadian licensure. She most recently was a registered midwife at the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. Wanting to relocate to Vermont, she is excited to have found a community hospital where she can draw on her experiences in both hospital and out-of-hospital settings.
“Birth is a life-changing event and a very unique experience,” says Swanson. “It is all about trust and a woman’s relationship to her body, her family, and her midwife. I want to help a woman experience it in a way that is supportive and comfortable for her.”
Susan Paris, raised in Jeffersonville Vermont, always knew she wanted to help women with labor and delivery. “Midwifery is in my bones,” she says.
She received a BS from Johnson State College, an Associate in Nursing from VTC, and a Master of Science in Midwifery from the Midwifery Institute of Philadelphia. She most recently worked as a labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum nurse at Martin Memorial Health Center in Florida, and has also worked at Copley Hospital and the University Medical Center of Vermont. Paris says she brings a supportive and friendly approach to her work, and also a sense of humor—“It’s supposed to be fun too!” Her clinical interests include the prenatal and birthing experience, well-women care, and adolescent care. She is pleased to be back in Vermont and part of a team that offers women a broad skill set and choices in style as well as personality.
“With childbirth you need to have many ‘tools,’ available and consider many options –you never can predict how the process will go,” said Swanson. “I want to help women along the path they’ve chosen, but I’m always prepared to adapt and be ready to move in a different direction when needed.”
The Birthing Center team brings extensive knowledge and skill to their work: four licensed midwives and three board-certified obstetricians/gynecologists with expertise in high-risk pregnancy and birth collaborate when needed to provide compassionate, 24-hour care. At each step of the process they work to personalize the process, helping women choose their best options for a positive and rewarding birth experience.
Ali Swanson and Susan Paris are currently accepting new patients. To learn more about the Birthing Center please call 728-2257.
