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.

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.

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.”

Meredith Braudaway Certified Professional Midwife

MEREDITH BRAUDAWAY BIALAS
Founder & Certified Professional Midwife

MEET MEREDITH

Certified Professional Midwife and Founder of Birth and Wellness Center of Arlington

Her journey to becoming a midwife began years ago when she attended her first birth as a photographer at a freestanding birth center in Fort Worth. She was already pursuing nursing as a career with a focus in Oncology and after witnessing a birth, she decided to pursue a future of working in women’s services.

She worked in labor and delivery at a North Texas hospital while in school. Seeing the vast differences in birth settings during her years of working in-hospital, she made the decision to become a provider in the out-of-hospital birth setting. Her time in midwifery school was divided between Dallas Fort Worth and Seattle, WA, providing her with a wide variety of knowledge and experience.

In her free-time she enjoys going to the movies with friends, outdoor activities, attending concerts and educational conferences and visiting Washington when her schedule allows.

A note from Meredith:
Working in the hospital, I grew more and more aware of the issues surrounding patients not being fully informed, not being given all of their options and not being allowed to exercise their right to make decisions regarding what happens to their bodies and babies. My passion is guiding families through a healthy pregnancy, birth and postpartum, providing them with a space to make the decisions that they feel are best for their family, ensuring they are heard, supported and protected. Midwifery is the model of care that I want to spend my life providing. I truly love everything about it.

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!”

SARAH COUCH
OFFICE 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!

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.

GAIL WOOSTER
Student Midwife, Childbirth Educator, and Birth Assistant

MEET GAIL

Student Midwife, Childbirth Educator, and Birth Assistant

Gail is a mom to 4 grown kids and 3 fantastic grandkids. Before becoming a midwifery student, she taught high school Biology and Anatomy & Physiology for 10 years but after the birth of her first grandchild, she was drawn into the birth world. She became a doula and a childbirth and breastfeeding educator and loved it, but found that she really wanted to be more involved in her client’s care. After encouragement from her family and other birth workers, she finally started on her path to midwifery. While Gail is primarily a student midwife, you will also see her around BWCA teaching classes or doula-ing at a birth here and there! When she's not at client appointments, a birth or reading a textbook, you can find her enjoying time with her family, friends and Goldendoodles or planning her next traveling adventure.

A note from Gail:
"A note from Gail: I love seeing the continuity of care and watching the clients become more confident in their choices throughout their pregnancy, their determination and strength through their labor, and then their euphoria when they deliver their newborn. I’ve learned that so many women don’t know that they have options in their birth experience. I felt the same way when I had my babies, but I want women to know that birth is natural and they are able to make the decisions that affect their experience."

Lavondria Foreman
Student Midwife

MEET LAVONDRIA

STUDENT MIDWIFE

MEET DR. MICHELLE

CHIROPRACTIC CARE DOCTOR

Dr. Michelle is excited to serve and support the families of Birth and Wellness of Arlington! Serving in various clinical settings over the last 8 years led Michelle to begin her house call practice in 2017. Her vision was to serve families whose busy schedules may not fit with traditional office hours. She designed her practice with working parents, new moms, and active kids in mind, providing care in home or office settings. She holds certifications in Webster, acupuncture for pregnancy, labor and postpartum. She continually works on building her tool box with continued education in perinatal and pediatric classes and seminars.

She spent her childhood traveling the world with her family as a military child. She planted her roots in Dallas after marrying her college sweetheart and beginning their family. She has 3 little ones 13, 9 and 7, that keep her busy outside of practice.

A note from Dr. Michelle:
Coming Soon!