I have been on a JOURNEY!

This year, I celebrated a quarter of a century serving birthing families as a midwife. What a wild ride it has been. Along the way, I opened three incredibly successful midwifery practices—and now a law firm. Each one reflects a different chapter of my life.

My original baby — Global Midwifery

The first ten years were a period of incredible growth as I transitioned from world traveler, humanitarian worker, and quasi-missionary to putting down roots and serving families in my hometown.

Those early years were amazing. Families chose home birth because they knew their power, owned their power, and wanted to express that power by giving birth at home. I was simply along for the ride.

It was the era of paper charts and long prenatal visits spent playing with toddlers. It was family picnics where we watched babies grow into children. It was mentoring brilliant students and watching some of them—Sarah Blum-Sheller, I’m looking at you—become partners in the practice. It was a time of tremendous growth in community birth, fueled in part by The Business of Being Born. I miss those simpler days.

My second baby — Freedom and the Seed (FATS)

I always wanted a true business partner, and I spent much of my career searching for that person. But here in very red Arizona, it was difficult to find someone who shared my left-leaning views on social, racial, and reproductive justice. By this point, I wasn’t just a midwife—I was an activist.

Then in walked the only radical activist I could find: Marinah Ferrel.

Together, we created Freedom and the Seed. The name came from a Malcolm X writing—how appropriate.

Marinah and I built a practice out of the cutest turn-of-the-century home in downtown Tempe, serving families of every background. It was a true partnership. We shared on-call responsibilities, creating balance in what had become my very busy life.

FATS matured me in ways I didn’t fully appreciate at the time, but for which I now have tremendous gratitude.

As Marinah and I became increasingly involved in local and national activism, FATS eventually reached a crossroads. Marinah moved on, and I continued the practice on my own. While caring for families, I built an incredible team and remained deeply involved in advocacy. Eventually, that activism led me to law school.

While completing law school in just two years and passing the bar on my first attempt, I continued attending births, supporting families, and teaching students.

Then COVID hit.

I was pulled deeply into the greatest public health crisis of our lifetime. Suddenly, no one wanted to give birth in hospitals, and every available midwife—including me—was busier than ever. FATS continued to grow, but I also knew I wanted an exit plan so I could devote more time to legal work.

My brilliant idea? Open a birth center.

My third baby — Tempe Birth Center

Kate Paxton, CNM, and I were friends before we became business partners. We shared a building while operating separate practices and truly enjoyed working alongside one another.

When the opportunity came to lease the adjoining building and create a birth center, it seemed too good to pass up. So we took the leap and built Tempe Birth Center together.

My goal was to spend less time in clinical practice and more time in administration so I could grow my legal career.

What I didn’t fully appreciate was that a birth center is a beast.

Just over two years later, I was burned out. I made the difficult decision to sell my share to Kate, who has done an extraordinary job as the sole owner.

My fourth baby — Cleckner Law

After stepping away from my third baby, I gave myself time to reflect on what came next.

I realized two things remained true: I wanted to continue supporting families, and I wanted to continue supporting midwives.

Those two passions became the foundation of Cleckner Law.

Today, I guide families through estate planning with Family Path Children’s Guardian Plans, Family Path Wills, and Family Path Trusts.

I also advocate for birthing people and families who have experienced injury, trauma, mistreatment, or violations of informed consent during pregnancy, birth, or the postpartum period.

For community-based midwives and other birth workers, I provide solid legal support—whether you’re facing a lawsuit, responding to a licensing board or state agency, navigating a difficult client situation, or dealing with a hospital. I also help with legal guidance, contracts, policies, and document reviews to keep practices protected before problems arise.

I support and stand beside midwives, doulas, and birth workers, as well as the families they serve.

Cleckner Law is the culmination of my life’s work. It brings together twenty-five years of birth, advocacy, education, and now law. I could not be more excited about what comes next.