Meet our Midwives & team

The Birth Arlington team is committed to guiding you through a healthy pregnancy, birth and postpartum as well as life-long wellness for you and your family.

We are committed to:

Individualized care and informed consent, supporting you as you make the decisions that best fit your family, knowing that no two families are the same.

Honoring your traditions, respecting your beliefs, holding your birth space as sacred.

Only intervening when necessary, knowing that your body knows what to do and that you and your baby are safest following it's natural course.

FA0A6933

We will not only hear you but we will listen. We know that trust is earned and that this journey is safest when trust and respect are highest priority. We believe that these values are not privileges but basic human rights, and we honor that.

FB4A9295
LESLIE JACKSON
OWNER & Certified Nurse Midwife

MEET LESLIE

OWNER & CERTIFIED Nurse Midwife

Since Leslie was a little girl, she knew she wanted to spend her life helping others. It was when her mother was diagnosed with cancer, and living out that journey, that she decided to become a Registered Nurse. After having 4 children of her own, labor and delivery became the passion that drove her career as an RN. But she didn't want to stop there!

After all four of her own babies were born in the hospital and spending 7 years as a labor and delivery nurse, she decided to pursue a career in being an out of hospital birth provider and obtained her masters degree in Nurse Midwifery. In her downtime Leslie enjoys going to the movies with her family, hanging out with friends, boating and visiting Michigan whenever possible.

A note from Leslie:
“Becoming a nurse midwife has been so humbling. I believe I have truly been led down this path, to be with women as they labor and birth their brand new babies into the world. I am proud to be a nurse midwife and even more proud to be a nurse midwife in the out of hospital setting. As a midwife, I am dedicated to being the best midwife that I can be and ensuring that every woman receives the care that they deserve.”

FB4A9309
CRYSTAL STRAWN
CERTIFIED NURSE MIDWIFE

MEET CRYSTAL

certified nurse midwife

Crystal joined our team in May 2021, first as a student midwife and now as one of our Certified Nurse Midwives!
She’s married to her high school sweetheart and together they have 3 kids, Genevieve (9), Paityn (8), and Nolan (5). She’s been a midwife for the last year and a half but started her journey of birth work as a labor and delivery nurse for almost 10 years. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, crafting, reading, and traveling.

A note from Crystal:
“It is an absolute honor to walk alongside my clients throughout their birthing journeys. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to be apart of their birth team to support and empower them in bringing new life into the world!”

FA0A6875
Lavondria Foreman
CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL Midwife

MEET LAVONDRIA

CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL MIDWIFE

Midwife Lavondria is our newest addition to the Birth Arlington family! Well, sort of... She has been with us for many years in many different roles - from providing amazing doula services to our clients, to becoming a certified birth assistant, to taking on Midwifery school and doing her student preceptorship under our fabulous Midwives. But now, we are SO PROUD to welcome her to the team as a now licensed and Certified Professional Midwife. If you come into care at BWCA, you will definitely see her around often. She may become your Midwife (if you choose), she may be at your birth as an assistant helping to bring your precious little life into the world, she may be greeting you at the front desk when you come in for your appointment, or she may be the one teaching you all about how to prepare for labor, birth, caring for yourself after having a baby, or caring for your newborn, in one of our Childbirth Education Courses. We are blessed to have a team of women who care so much about each other and our clients and I know she would love the opportunity to get to know you!

A note from Lavondria:

Coming soon!

 

 

FB4A9291_1
SARAH COUCH
administrative director & Manager

MEET SARAH

OFFICE MANAGER

Sarah is the wizard behind the curtain at Birth & Wellness Center of Arlington. A Jack-of-all-trades, she keeps our birth center running and our Midwives happy. If you ever need anything (outside of medical care), she is your go-to-gal. Sarah loves Jesus with all her heart and also loves traveling. Combining those two things, she has been able to travel to 13 different countries and many states, spreading the love of Jesus with people from all over the world. If she isn't at work, she is most likely spending time outside and listening to music 24/7 (she's never without music). She also gives really great tours of our birth center, so if you're new to BWCA, be sure to come in and let her show you around!

FA0A6838

A note from Sarah:
Working at BWCA has been a *dream*. Having worked for the birth center in some capacity since it's inception, and having known the founder, Meredith, my ~entire~ life, I was so happy when I was asked to manage the non-medical aspects of running Birth & Wellness Center of Arlington. It has been a wild ride and I have loved every minute. The women I get to work alongside, our amazing clients, and the relaxing atmosphere of BWCA, all culminates in the best "job" I've ever had (it doesn't feel like a job at all). Meredith poured her heart and soul into this place and its clients, and built a beautiful legacy that she was able to pass on to one of our Midwives who has also been here since BWCA got it's start. I can't wait to see where our now owner, Leslie, takes BWCA and the heights we will reach. I am stoked for all the new mamas, babies, and families we are going to be able to provide support and care to over the years to come.

FA0A6891
Tiara Grandison
Certified Labor, Birth, & Postpartum Doula; CERTIFIED BIRTH ASSISTANT

MEET TIARA

CERTIFIED LABOR, BIRTH, & POSTPARTUM DOULA; CERTIFIED BIRTH ASSISTANT

Tiara is a beloved part of Birth & Wellness Center of Arlington. When you join the Birth Arlington Family, you will see this face everywhere. When you walk in the door, you may see her in her Administrative hat, working the front desk. When you have your baby, she may be there in a certified Birth Assistant role, helping bring your little one into the world. Or if you need some extra support at home after your baby has been born, she will be there day or night to take care of YOU as a certified labor, birth, and postpartum doula.

To find out more about her doula services, you can reach out to her through her website here: TiaraTheDoula.com

A note from Tiara:

Coming soon!

 

 

EXPLORE OUR MIDWIFERY CARE & BIRTH CENTER
BC_Headshot
Jorilyn Tasker, IBCLC, RLC Certified Lactation Consultant

MEET JORILYN

CERTIFIED LACTATION COUNSELOR

Jorilyn is the mother of two beautiful, breastfed children. Having struggled with breastfeeding in more ways than one, Jorilyn has used her personal experiences to drive her passion into the world of lactation. After finding lactation care late into her breastfeeding journey, she has since then become a huge advocate for early intervention and education for mothers and babies. She has a degree in Maternal Health and Lactation, as well as proudly holds the title of IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), the highest standard of lactation credit available. Having taken numerous courses in specific lactation challenges such as tongue and lip ties, bottle refusals, low milk supply, and more, Jorilyn is equipped to handle many issues that mothers face on a day-to-day basis. She teaches our Breastfeeding 101 Childbirth Education group class every month, and has individual prenatal breastfeeding classes as well, to help equip you for the journey ahead, before baby arrives.

Jorilyn is also a certified Sign Language Interpreter and has been working with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities for 12 years now. She loves to merge her passion for ASL with the care of lactating mothers. When not working, she loves to spend time with her husband and two kids with all their activities. She also loves to act/work at local community theaters and enjoys ballroom dancing on the weekends.

If you would like to know more about how Jorilyn can help you get through the struggles of breastfeeding - and we all know it can definitely be a struggle at times, but also so beautiful - or even how to prevent a lot of those struggles with her personalized, individual, prenatal breastfeeding classes, feel free to check out her website (LoveToLatchLactation.com) and discover all the services she offers.
Services offered in English and American Sign Language

A note from Jorilyn:

The importance of the decision to breastfeed can start as early as the moment a woman becomes pregnant. It is at this point that lactation specialists can come in and pave the way for the breastfeeding journey that every mother hopes to have. We all have goals and concerns and I hope to walk alongside you to help you meet those goals (whatever they may be). While breastfeeding is “natural”,  our bodies naturally make milk, but this doesn’t always make it easy. Breastfeeding is still a learned process for both the mother and the infant and many challenges can arise along the way. The support you receive (or do not receive) can make or break your success. I hope to meet with mothers and babies from all walks of life to give them the tools they need to have the perfect breastfeeding experience they’ve always wanted. I absolutely love my job! Empowering mothers and snuggling cute babies every day is a dream.

Dr. Fant
Dr. Maima Fant Perinatal Mental Health & Wellness Therapy

MEET DR. FANT

MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY & WELLNESS DOCTOR

Dr. Fant is passionate about perinatal mental health and has over 15 years of experience working with women and families. As a neurodivergent woman of color, Dr. Fant deeply understands the importance of culturally responsive care, creating a safe space for clients of diverse backgrounds to heal and grow. She holds a License in clinical social work (LCSW), doctorate in social work (DSW), and perinatal mental health certification (PMH-C) ] and is an expert in maternal stress, postpartum depression, trauma recovery, and more.

Along with individual, personalized, therapy sessions, she also offers FREE group sessions here at Birth & Wellness Center of Arlington twice a month. The goal is to provide an inviting, safe space for expectant and new parents to connect and share their stories alongside other families who understand. For more information or to register for a group session, click here --> Hatch Life BWCA Group Registration

If you want to know more about Dr. Fant and the incredible services she offers, feel free to take a look around her website (HatchLifeWellness.com) and reach out to her for more info!

A note from Dr. Fant:

Hi! I'm Dr. Fant - though my clients just call me Maima 🙂 

I am a Perinatal Mental Health Specialist and the founder of Hatch Life Wellness in Dallas. My goal is to bring culturally informed, neurodivergent-friendly, and trauma-responsive care to individuals and families navigating pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum journey. I have extensive clinical experience, and partner with clients to support emotional well-being, strengthen family systems, and foster healing during life's most tender transitions.

 

 

EXPLORE OUR PROVIDER PARTNER SERVICES