Up until now, the nearest birthing center to Brainerd was 70 miles away; for Nicolle Uban, midwife and owner of Luna Women’s Wellness and Birth Center, this just wasn’t acceptable. She knew the women in the area needed a place to bridge the gap between hospital and home birth.

“Sometimes in a traditional birth when someone chooses to go to the hospital, that can be a little scary and nerve-racking for kids where mom and dad take off, and then all of a sudden, they bring home this new baby. Here they have the option of having their kids present at visits, understanding what’s going on with the pregnancy, participating in the care. Little ones really like to measure mom’s belly and help listen to the baby,” said Uban.

At Luna, families are welcome to the birth and to be involved throughout the process.

“I had my first midwifery birth with Nicolle: she caught my youngest and just, the quality of care I received and the education that I received to make informed decisions for myself really changed my attitude, not only on labor and delivery but through so many aspects of who I am,” said Shari Olson, the clinic administrator.

If they’re still unsure, Nicolle is there to help find the best possible care option for that individual.

“Part of the midwifery philosophy is a lot of education and helping women understand their options and their choices. Sometimes that includes not doing what I recommend, and that’s ok, because it’s part of the midwifery where it’s a joint decision, where every plan of care has to reflect what the patient is willing, capable and able to do,” Uban said.

The name Luna comes from the word moon, meaning that these ladies will help take care of the women going through many phases – not just pregnancy.

“I think Luna is a great community asset here in Brainerd. We offer a lot of education on all aspects of women’s healthcare including OBGYN and preventative care and education and I feel like that will bring a lot to our community and the patients that we serve to have them make good decisions,” Olson said.

Women can also come to Luna for care in other areas such as thyroid, blood pressure and transgender needs. So far, though, they are surprised about what patients are coming through their doors.

“We really thought the demographic we would see the most now is sort of the 18-30 range and we have had a fair number of women over 45 coming for a variety of reasons,” Uban said.

The ladies as Luna are hoping to continue to grow their business and most importantly educate the community.

By — Sarah Winkelmann