Thank you for taking the time to get to know me better. 

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I have always had a longing for new experiences and places, and connecting with other cultures and people. My curiosity and love for human connection brought me to study midwifery - an independent, dynamic and intuitive profession.

 

Throughout my education and my first jobs as a home birth and clinical midwife, I fell in love with the beauty and power of birth. As my work experience grew, I sought to find the best methods of care for my clients, and I went on to pursue my Masters of Science in Evidence Based Practice and apply this to my work. I enjoyed working in a bustling hospital with a team of experienced colleagues, which allowed me to further develop my skills as a midwife, and I felt ready to expand my work horizon.

 

With Doctors Without Borders, a humanitarian aid organization, I led a team of midwives to bring accessible and safe comprehensive birth care to refugees in Ethiopia and Uganda. The environment and the ways of working were completely different, and I was challenged to use my creativity to improve birthing conditions.

Birth education and empowerment for the local midwives under my supervision, and for the patients in the communities we served, were tools that never failed to improve both birth experience and outcomes.

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I gained a new perspective on how birth education, (birth) advocacy for yourself and others, and evidence-based care are a powerful combination, and with a more tender heart I returned to work as a midwife and mentor of midwifery students.

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Last year my world was transformed as my husband and I became parents. My own pregnancy, birth and the infinite postpartum period have gifted me an even deeper understanding and ability to relate. Each road to parenthood is a unique and deeply personal adventure, and it is a privilege to be witness to any part of it. 

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My career and path of life have cultivated my passion to help expecting parents and birth professionals align their efforts in reaching a common goal: a positive and satisfying birth experience. Undeniable and institutionalized racism and discrimination is preventing many communities from receiving equal and just health and birth care. Specifically Black people, communities of Indigenous and other Persons of Color in the United States and folx that are LGBTQ+ worldwide are disproportionally burdened in our society. By continuing to educate myself and taking anti-racist and anti-discriminative action, I aim to provide equitable access to birth care. Right now, I work to equip both parents and birth professionals with evidence-based information, essential skills for optimal care and communication, and I provide empowering mentorship to support both groups to advocate for their needs.  

 

I hope that through continuous learning and exploring, through deep human connections and conversations, and through listening, supporting and taking action, I can expand my knowledge and skills of midwifery to contribute to a better health and birth experience for everyone. 

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- Ineke

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I would love to connect with you through email or face-to-face virtually. Feel free to send me a message with any comments, questions or concerns.

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