Dina Fraize, Certified Professional Midwife
I have been serving birthing families in Central Masschusetts for many years, starting as a La Leche League leader and Breastfeeding Counselor in 1998, and now as an independent midwife since August 2012. As a home birth midwife I attend 3-5 births a month, along with a variety of conferences, courses and educational programs to keep my skills growing & current.
My start in birth work...
In 1998 I became an accredited La Leche League Leader. I began leading meetings on breastfeeding, parenting and nutrition; while providing individual breastfeeding counseling. I began training to become a birth doula through ALACE (Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators) and started supporting women through the birth process in hospitals, birth centers and home settings in 2001.
- Dina Fraize, CPM
Becoming a midwife...
I completed a Midwifery Education Program with Woman Craft Midwifery in Amherst MA, while attending an average of 3-5 births a month as an apprentice midwife. I was fortunate to apprentice with 3 different midwifery practices over 5 years giving me a diverse knowledge base. I began attending home births as a first year apprentice midwife in June 2007 with New Life Midwifery, and in early 2009 continued with a second apprenticeship with Black Stone Valley Midwifery. In October 2009 I opened my own supervised home birth midwifery practice under the supervision of Birth Services.
I sat for and passed the national exam/requirements to become a Certified Professional Midwife in August 2012 and work as an independent midwife in Central Massachusetts.
I am the mother of 5 wonderful boys who have each given me extensive and diverse personal birth experience. I am married to a supportive engineer, musician and kind soul, John. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Business Finance from Clark University, and had a brief career in the field before deciding it was not my calling.
I hold current certificates in the following:
Local and global birth work...
I have a heart felt passion in international midwifery care, particularly in Haiti, and I am involved with an organization that helps to train local Haitian midwives and provide continuing education to OB’s and Midwifery/nursing students in the Central Plateau. In addition to teaching midwifery education through the Mass Midwives Alliance and Womancraft Midwifery, I love spending time with my grown up kids, being by the ocean as much as possible and immersing myself among the flowers, herbs and veggies in my gardens.
