Jennifer Nash, CNM

Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation Tuba City, Arizona (928) 283-2460 tchealth.org/ob

Experience: I have been a nurse for 9 years and a midwife for 5 of them.  I always knew I wanted to be a midwife and worked hard in my early years to prepare for midwifery as a maternity nurse and childbirth educator.  I have worked in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas in every setting from rural hospitals to a birth center to a tertiary care center with very high-risk women.  I have loved it all! I have also worked for the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers performing site visits of birth centers across the country. 
Why did you become a midwife? I saw midwifery as a combination of everything I wanted to do: provide education, build relationships, and empower women through healthcare.
What do you wish women knew about pregnancy or birth? Education, nutrition, exercise, and choosing your provider are the only things you can control in pregnancy. Focus on them and learn to let go of what you can’t control, it is an important lesson for birth and parenthood.
What were your own birth experiences like? I have one son, Howie, who is almost 2 years old.  Unfortunately, things didn’t go quite as planned with his birth. I had to be induced for preeclampsia and it was a long and hard process. However, I think that the greatest lesson from the experience is to surround yourself with people you trust and who know your wishes, so they can advocate for you and support you when things get hard.
​If you could change one thing about women's health care, what would it be? Cost! Healthcare is a right! ​

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