Meet Hayley Oakes | Midwife Provider and Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hayley Oakes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hayley, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I recently relocated from Los Angeles to the Santa Barbara area with my husband and two young children. We moved in with my mother-in-law as we transition to finding something more permanent. After years of juggling work, family and personal life, I feel like I have finally struck a nice balance. Being amongst family and their support is helping me reset my nervous system which makes me feel like a better person, wife and mother. Living close to the ocean and in more direct contact with the natural world is a humbling human experience. I feel as if I don’t ‘sweat the small stuff’ so much anymore ie I am easily reminded that there are greater forces at play in this world. Ironically, I also feel more inspired to work but in a better and more authentic way — not from the adrenaline filled, rat race way. It has been incredibly inspiring and illuminating as to how to make life and work coexist in a harmonious and sustainable way.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a licensed midwife offering virtual prenatal and postpartum midwifery care for families planning hospital births.

In the United States, it is customary to give birth in a hospital with an OB-GYN. However this model of care is based in pathology and high risk (and in many other developed/western countries in the world obstetric care is reserved for these higher risk cases) and most women are low-risk and will continue to have very healthy, “normal” pregnancies and births. With this high rate of doctors managing most pregnancies and births, we also have a very high rate of cesarean sections and rising rates of maternal deaths in this country.

This kind of integrative midwifery care serves to complement the medicalized model by providing more holistic education, discussion and informed decision-making for each family. Optimal preparation and support can lead to more physiologic births without much need for intervention—as well as more positive experiences. In fact, there was a study out of the University of British Columbia that found that access to midwifery care led to lower rates of preterm labor, cesareans and newborn deaths.

I also work within a collaborative health group called Akin (based in San Francisco and Los Angeles) to better support women and their families in the childbearing year. The team consists of midwifery care, acupuncture, pelvic floor physical therapy, mental health therapy, and a lactation consultant. The hope and the vision is that its a one stop shop for all of your fertility, pregnancy and postpartum needs outside of your primary care with your OB-GYN or midwife.

Then as a fun little side hobby, I make my own diaper/all-purpose cream for babies and their sensitive skin and baby t-shirts for the ones ‘Born At Home’. You can visit the store on my website to order more.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Because I am an LA Eastside gal, most of my recommendations are going to be in this area.

Kitchen Mouse in Highland Park for an insanely good (and cute) brunch.
Joy in Highland Park for the most simple, soul nourishing and delicious Taiwanese food.
Hermosillo in Highland Park for happy hour with the dogs and babies outside in their beer garden-esque patio seating
Proof Bakery in Atwater Village for the best ham and cheese croissants
Atwater Village’s Sunday Farmers Market for the sweetest flowers, fish, and veggies.
Dresscue in Atwater Village for a cool assortment of customer sold second hand clothing.
Millard Falls, Altadena for a beautiful hike
Dotter store in Highland Park to buy yourself or someone a gift for any occasion
Kumquat in Highland Park for a delicious matcha

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate this shoutout to my mentor midwives — Margo Kennedy and Sarah Obermeyer. Their time, love, trust, encouragement, wisdom, experience and insight have been and continue to be incredibly valuable. I would not be the provider (or person) I am today without them.

Website: www.hayleyoakes.com

Instagram: @hayleythemidwife