Whole Mother Show – Whole Mother

Trish Perkins, CNM, & Catrice Harris, CPM

“Trish” Perkins is a Certified Nurse Midwife who began her career as a Labor and Delivery nurse at Jefferson Davis Hospital. She is the mother of 4 children all brought into this world into the hands of midwives. The first 2 were born in the hospital and the last 2 at home with Pat Jones! After raising her own family, she realized her lifelong dream of studying midwifery. She has worked as a midwife at a free-standing birth center and for Baylor College of Medicine at The Centers for Children and Women. Her experiences also include working as a Lactation Consultant at St. Joseph’s hospital, helping them achieve Texas Ten Step status. She is now the owner of a beautiful free-standing birth center just north of The Woodlands, Bliss Birth Center. Trish is passionate about providing quality, woman-centered, compassionate care and has the unique knowledge, skills and experience to provide comprehensive, evidence based midwifery care that women deserve. Encouraged to support women after the birth of her own daughters, Catrice Harris has been helping families with childbirth education, labor & birth, postpartum and lactation support since 1992. Her initial Lactation training was through the University of Texas Health Science Center and City of Houston WIC Programs. She continued to embrace caring for women and children by becoming certified as a birth and postpartum doula. After observing many challenges faced by women who did not feel enabled to advocate for themselves during childbirth, it seemed that the only next step was to pursue midwifery. Taking the leap away from Corporate America in 2012, she embraced birth work full time. Growing into a midwife has been a journey that constantly presents new opportunities for growth in many beautiful ways. Currently, with a solo home birth practice, Catrice also trains and mentors doulas through a grant funded program seeking to provide birth support to underserved communities in Houston, TX. Having supported over 365 families with the births of their babies as of 2023, she is truly grateful that this work found her. Trish Perkins, CNM, & Catrice Harris, CPM https://wholemothershow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/20251215-Whole-Mother-Show-Bliss-Birth-Center.mp3

Kathleen Vandegiessen, CNM, MN

Kathleen Vandegiessen, CNM, MN, founder of North Houston Birth Center since 2005. A Certified Nurse Midwife since 1994, Kathleen Vandegiessen has been a CNM for nearly three decades, indicating her expertise in providing healthcare and support to pregnant women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. She has a Masters in Nursing since 1995 and she has been a Registered Nurse for 25 years. She worked as a staff midwife at Baylor College of Medicine for 4 years. She started a Midwifery service at a small community hospital for 6 years. She started a free-standing Midwifery service at North Houston Birth Center in 2005. Kathleen Vandegiessen’s dedication to full-scope midwifery means she provides a wide range of healthcare services to expectant mothers, from prenatal care to delivery and postpartum care. Her extensive experience, education, and career achievements suggest a passion for women’s healthcare and a significant contribution to the field of midwifery. Website: www.made4birth.com Instagram & Facebook @Made4Birth The Made For Birth Podcast: https://themadeforbirthpodcast.buzzsprout.com/ (Also found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, etc.) Book links: Autographed copy : Amazon Print copy: https://a.co/d/g570t7W Amazon EBook: https://a.co/d/8Df9wQP Kathleen Vandegiessen, CNM, MN https://wholemothershow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/20251208-Whole-Mother-Show-Kathy-VanDeGeissen-001.mp3

Katherine Stephens, doula, & Jackie Griggs, CNM

Katherine Stephens is a doula, childbirth educator, and the warm-but-unfiltered voice behind the Made for Birth podcast. Based in Southwest Louisiana, she’s dedicated to supporting women through pregnancy, birth after cesarean, and postpartum with compassion, clarity, and a whole lot of truth-telling. She’s a homeschool mom of six—ages six months to nine years—which means she brings a very real, very lived-in perspective to the families she supports. Katherine has been through inductions, cesareans, medicated and unmedicated births herself, and she pulls from that experience to guide moms with both heart and authority. Jackie Griggs, is a certified nurse midwife who practices at Birth Center of Beaumont in Beaumont, Tx. Shes been a nurse midwife for 25 years and still loves her work as much as ever. Shes also the mom of 5 grown sons and 3 small grandkids. She is active with the American Association of Birth Centers and wants to make it easier for more women to use birth centers. She got to help Katherine with her birth this year in May. Website: www.made4birth.com Instagram & Facebook @Made4Birth The Made For Birth Podcast: https://themadeforbirthpodcast.buzzsprout.com/ (Also found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, etc.) Book links: Autographed copy : Amazon Print copy: https://a.co/d/g570t7W Amazon EBook: https://a.co/d/8Df9wQP Katherine Stephens, doula, & Jackie Griggs, CNM https://wholemothershow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/20251124-Whole-Mother-Show-Jackie-Griggs-and-Kaatherine-Stephens.mp3

Rachel Jones, student midwife and doula, nerds.org

Rachel Jones is a student midwife and doula, homeschool consultant and founder of the cool nerds.org. Rachel is a Memphis native with a B.A. in African and American Studies and a minor in Philosophy, as well as an M.A.T. in Instruction and Curriculum Design from the University of Memphis. As a lifelong learner and passionate educator, she brings a wealth of knowledge to her role as an educator, herbalist, doula and student midwife. Rachel is committed to nurturing healthy individuals from birth through adulthood and is rooted in the belief that healed people heal people. Rachel is dedicated to supporting families in establishing strong, thriving individuals who build strong, thriving communities. Rachel Jones, student midwife and doula, nerds.org https://wholemothershow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/20251117-Whole-Mother-Show-Rachel-Jones-Homeschool-and-Doula.mp3

Georganne Chapin, MPhil, JD, Executive Director of Intact America

Georganne Chapin, MPhil, JD, Executive Director of Intact America, author of award winning memoir, “This Penis Business: A Social Activist’s Memoir.” In addition to her executive positions, Georganne taught health law and bioethics at Pace University School of Law, and bioethics to doctoral-level nursing students at Dominican College. Her opinion pieces have appeared in the New York Daily News, HuffPost, The New York Post, and Minneapolis Star Tribune, and she has been interviewed by The New York Times, the Economist, the Guardian MSNBC, NBC10 (Philadelphia), WPSU radio, AskMen.com, SheKnows, First Time Parent, Mel Magazine, and South China Morning Post. Fluent in Spanish, Georganne also has been interviewed by Telemundo, Univision, and La Voz con Mariel Fiori. Numerous podcasters have featured Georganne on their shows, which include Armchair Expert’s Flightless Bird, The Holistic OBGYN, Chicana Chisme, Sex Out Loud, Depths of Motherhood, The Baby Pro Podcast, Curiosity with Jon and Mike, The Mountaintop Podcast, and Informed Consent, among others. Georganne earned a BA in Anthropology from Barnard College and an MPhil in Sociomedical Sciences from Columbia University. While chief executive of Hudson Health Plan, she earned a JD from Pace University School of Law, with certificates in Health Law and International Law. A life-long art collector, Georganne lives near Woodstock in New York’s Hudson Valley. She invites listeners to learn more about keeping baby boys intact at IntactAmerica.org. Georganne Chapin, MPhil, JD, Executive Director of Intact America https://wholemothershow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/20251110-Whole-Mother-Show-Georganne-ChapinMPhilJD.mp3