Birth With Hope

                   About The Midwife

Tori Dennis, CPM

*Certified Professional Midwife (Certified by NARM)

*CPM-TN (Licensed midwife in Tennessee)

*Registered Nurse

*Bachelor of Science in Nursing

*Graduate of University of Pennsylvania, Magna Cum Laude, 3.7 GPA

*Certified Labor Doula

*Certified Childbirth Educator

*Certified Lactation Educator 

*Waterbirth Practitioner/Consultant

My name is Tori Hope Dennis, and I attended my first birth in 1989!  In 1990, I worked as a nurse extern on labor & delivery. At this time, I attended my first C-section, breech delivery, and adoption birth.  I caught my first two babies under Dr. Zelley's watchful hands and eyes.  I chose obstetrics as my specialty in nursing school. During labor and delivery rotations, I saw forcep deliveries, episiotomies, stirrups position, and restrained hands of birthing mothers with vaginal deliveries; I knew there had to be a better way to birth.  In 1992, I completed my Bachelor's of Science in Nursing, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Pennsylvania.  Upon graduation from the Ivy League University, I worked NICU at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.  At this high tech facility, I saw an anencephalic baby, twin births, triplet births, quadruplets, and many preterm babies.  I gained many skills while understanding that I was being exposed to a birthing environment which represented a high risk portion of the population.  I witnessed not only births of babies, but also deaths from complications of prematurity. 

As a Registered Nurse and Lieutenant, I served in the United States Army as an officer for several years. I took care of the casualties from Somalia after the Black Hawk went down.  I received the mass casualties at Fort Bragg when the planes collided and debris fell onto the paratroopers (1994).  As a Lieutenant, I worked in the surgical recovery room, recovering women after C-sections, miscarriages (D&C), hysterectomies, tubal ligations and ectopic pregnancies.  I received an honorable discharge as a Captain in 2001.

After the military, I worked in the NICU as a Registered Nurse (civilian).  In addition, I worked as a doula for military wives from 1997 until 2001 (Fort Bragg).

Upon leaving Fort Bragg, we moved to a 130 acre farm in Tennessee.  In 2003, I worked as a Registered Nurse at a local birth center; it was refreshing to see peaceful births.  I assisted Certified Nurse Midwives during prenatals, labors, births, and postpartums.  I was able to gain many skills from my direct supervisor, a Certified Nurse Midwife.  It is at this birth center that I experienced my first waterbirths.  I am a whole-hearted believer in gentle birth, whether it is a water birth, bed birth, or floor birth. 

I received hands-on clinical midwifery training at Casa de Nacimiento, a birth center in El Paso, Texas- see www.casamidwifery.com.  I also completed the Advanced Midwifery Workshop taught at the Farm Midwifery Center in Summertown, TN (August 2006).  After finishing 1,350 clinical hours of training/working (from 2003-2006), I passed the required written examination administered by the North American Registry of Midwives.  I successfully completed all requirements necessary in order to practice midwifery as a CPM (see North American Registry of Midwives-- see www.narm.org).  I am licensed as a CPM-TN in the State of Tennessee to practice midwifery.