.png)
About Wisdom Within
Elizabeth Mendoza
Midwife, Educator, Doula
pronouns: she/her
I love pregnant bellies, baby coos, and helping people find their inner strength.
I have been supporting pregnant and laboring people and their families since 2010. Outside of birth work, I also have a background in helping people reach their fullest, healthiest potential via health education programs at various non-profits. When I caught the birth work bug, I founded Wisdom Within with the goal of making high-quality childbirth education and doula support more accessible to families in my community. In that same spirit, I also founded and organize Tucson's annual Birth and Baby Fest to help connect families with like-minded resources.
Through years as a doula and an educator, I witnessed way too many expectant families be excited, supported, and well-prepared for birth - only to have their plans crushed by routine policies at their birth place or by the whims of individual healthcare providers. These families needed better options. They needed care that would genuinely respect their wishes. After enough of this, I decided that change was not going to descend on Tucson magically and if I wanted to see some changes for birthing families, I needed to do more. So I went back to school to become a midwife.
I wrapped up my midwifery education in 2020 with Midwives College of Utah, and now have two degrees: one in Midwifery and one in Psychology. I am credentialed as a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) through The North American Registry of Midwives and am a Licensed Midwife through the Arizona Department of Health Services. Since 2010, I have also been a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator and trained as a birth doula through DONA International.
When not meeting with clients or attending births, I can often be found barefoot in my garden, snuggled up with a book, or being disgruntled by some sort of patriarchy somewhere. My two kiddos - born in 2012 and 2015 - help round out my days and keep me on my toes!
My Philosophy
This midwifery practice was founded with the belief that when pregnant people trust in themselves and their body’s abilities, it helps to create an empowered person and a powerful birthing experience. Within pregnant people is the innate wisdom of how to birth and care for their child, but then with encouragement, education, and effective support, this strength can be magnified. Through our work together, I support people to have the confidence necessary to make the appropriate pregnancy and birth decisions that are right for them and their families.
Mission
Wisdom Within's mission is to empower families by providing comprehensive, compassionate, and safe midwifery services. Care is provided in a manner that is evidence-informed, trauma-informed, and recognizes each person’s exceptional journey and unique contributions that they bring to their own care. Our work together aims to help create a path through pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood that is filled with both profound strength and a deep sense of achievement.
Statement of Ethics
Recognizing the unique and intimate role that a midwife encompasses within a community and within clients’ lives, it is crucial that midwives adhere to a statement of ethics as a guidepost in practice and as a communication tool to the public at large. As such, the ethical principles upon which this practice is built include:
-
Care will be provided free from any sort of discrimination. Intolerance and bigotry of any sort from staff, students, associated professionals, clients, or their support people are not tolerated in this practice.
-
Every client has the right to make a variety of choices that are right for their body, self, and family without judgment or retribution of any sort.
-
The aim of midwifery care is for harm to be reduced as much as humanly possible, but this is done with the understanding that there is still inherent risk in birth and in the childbearing year. Harm reduction strategies will be applied to each client through a thorough discussion of risks and benefits in the process of education and shared decision-making and through staying within an appropriate scope of midwifery care.
-
This practice strives to promote the welfare and optimal physical, emotional, and holistic wellness of all clients, staff, and students involved.
Still curious about what midwifery looks like in Arizona or what a Certified Professional Midwife's scope of care is? Read more here.
