Shanna Cloyd, CPM

Languishing Undone Birth Services

Hi! My name is Shanna Cloyd (pronounced Shawna), and I own Languishing Undone Birth Services.

Mamatoto. That’s the title of the first pregnancy book I ever read and where I first saw mention of modern day midwives. It was 1993. I was twenty years old, pregnant, and nervous about my future but excited to become a mother. Little did I know that in six short years I would enter midwifery school and my adventure into the world of natural childbirth, home birth, birth center birth, water birth, and supporting mamas & babies would begin. 

My first pregnancy & birth was a mixture of fear of the unknown (thank you culture) and surprising confidence in my body and its design (thank you God).  I read all the books, saw my OB regularly, took the prescribed childbirth class and believed that I could, without a doubt, have my baby naturally.  

At forty-one & a half weeks I was induced with Cervadil and Pitocin. The battle for normal was on! Struggling to dilate while being restricted to the bed proved difficult. I fought verbally with my nurse, Mim (I’ll never forget her.), begging to be allowed to squat by the bed only to be told that if I did my baby would die. She informed me that because my “waters” were ruptured my baby’s umbilical cord would fall out if I stood up. Holy manipulation Batman! Even in my naiveté, I knew that a cord prolapse was a rare event and felt that not only did I have a tight cervix to contend with but also a medical model of care that was unsupportive of allowing me to labor in any position other than on my back, in a bed. Needless to say, as we drove away from the hospital a couple days later, I knew I would not be voluntarily having any more babies there. 

Fast forward a few years and in walks an OB that would change the course of my life. This man was humble, wise and surprisingly willing to admit that the birth culture in America has some deficiencies. We would talk at length about how to best change things. He shared stories of positive experiences he had had in his residency with midwives; how they were professional, well-trained, excellent providers of maternity care to low-risk women and how they even taught him skills that he still uses to this day. I was intrigued! I always knew that at some point in my life I wanted to work closely with pregnant women and babies. Was this the way?

In 1999, I took a huge leap of faith and enrolled in a midwifery education program. I fell hard and fast into the industry, loving every module of study and every class/workshop I attended. This calling resonated deeply within me and I haven’t looked back since. At last count, I have attended over one thousand out-of-hospital births as either the primary midwife or as an assistant. I am extremely honored to be a guardian of the rich, life-changing experience of natural birth. 

My story comes full circle when in 2001, I birthed my second baby at home under the loving care of my OB friend and my midwife. Labor progressed quickly as I walked around my house and squatted to my heart’s content. I delivered my daughter on my hands and knees and have never forgotten the relief these different positions brought me; they truly were the difference makers in my quest for a natural birth. I am so grateful for my two birth experiences and the perspective they have given me.

Now a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) for 21 years here in Midland, TX, my goal is to take the wisdom from them and the wisdom from each of the births I have attended and share them with you. And I just dare nurse Mim to try and pull one over on me now! Give me a call at 432-556-5518 to schedule a consultation!