Our Story
Acorn Community Birth and Wellness Center was conceived, gestated, and born out of a community's love for natural birth and a birthing person's right to choose their own birth story! It was serendipity that Karen and Cristi met and found in their partnership a common vision to empower birthing families and offer them a safe place to find respectful, affordable, evidenced-based care. Aided by a tribe of families, birth workers, and community members who believe in the power of natural birth, Acorn Birth Center came into being in just 4 short months, and we celebrated our first baby born at the center on Christmas Eve of 2016.
We welcome your family into our family!
Meet the Midwives
Cristi Lewis LM, CPM, CHom, Executive Director/Licensed Midwife
Cristi is a Licensed Midwife and Certified Classical Homeopath who has been professionally practicing holistic therapies and hands-on healthcare for more than 20 years. She received her homeopathy certification in 2003 from the Homeopathy School International in Boulder, Colorado, and holds a B.S. in Biology from Northern Arizona University. She went on to graduate in 2014 from Maternidad La Luz, a bilingual birth center and midwifery school in El Paso, TX. She is a NARM-approved Preceptor to mentor student midwives, and she is an Approved Preceptor for the National College of Midwifery, the Midwives College of Utah, National Midwifery Institute, and Mercy in Action. In 2020 she became an international midwife by earning her Certificado de Competencia en Parteria, becoming a Certified Midwife in Mexico.
After birthing her two children at home surrounded by her midwives, family, and community, Cristi realized that the process of becoming a mother was one of the most sacred and transformational experiences a person can experience in this lifetime. As a midwife, she strives to support this transformation for her families in a healthy and empowered way. Cristi's love of the natural world and a recognition of the Divine in all beings has shaped her philosophy in caring for people on all levels. She specializes in women's and children's holistic health care, and can provide services in both English and Spanish. It is extremely important to Cristi that her midwifery practice strives to end the socioeconomic and cultural barriers to quality, affordable, respectful reproductive health care for all birthing families.
After birthing her two children at home surrounded by her midwives, family, and community, Cristi realized that the process of becoming a mother was one of the most sacred and transformational experiences a person can experience in this lifetime. As a midwife, she strives to support this transformation for her families in a healthy and empowered way. Cristi's love of the natural world and a recognition of the Divine in all beings has shaped her philosophy in caring for people on all levels. She specializes in women's and children's holistic health care, and can provide services in both English and Spanish. It is extremely important to Cristi that her midwifery practice strives to end the socioeconomic and cultural barriers to quality, affordable, respectful reproductive health care for all birthing families.
Sedona Lercara LM, CPM, Clinical Director/Licensed Midwife
Sedona is an ardent and dedicated midwife, focused on individualized care and connection. She received her degree in Biological Physics from the University of San Diego with the intention of going to medical school, especially drawn to pediatrics. A shadowing experience illuminated how little time they were able to spend with their patients and altered her interest in allopathic medicine. After being introduced to the midwifery model of care by her chiropractor, she took her first step into the birth world and became a doula.
Shortly after certification, she was called deeper into the transformative power of birth, diving into the Nizhoni Institute of Midwifery and was enthralled with the holistic care that supports the journey of the mother/baby dyad and their unique needs as they arise. Her student path was swift as Covid shut down the world after beginning school and an internship with Acorn. Rapidly changing policies led to many women looking for support drastically different than the “new normal” and finding refuge in our center, most without previously considering unmedicated, out of hospital birth. Witnessing mothers having their babies in the way they felt safest and supported, while midwives and students were called to shepherd in the transition of care in such erratic times, laid the foundation for her trust in the birth process and call to service. Midwifery licensure in the state of California in 2023 marked one of many milestones on her midwifery journey. After supporting hundreds of births, and well over a thousand families through Acorn, she couldn’t imagine life any other way.
Shortly after certification, she was called deeper into the transformative power of birth, diving into the Nizhoni Institute of Midwifery and was enthralled with the holistic care that supports the journey of the mother/baby dyad and their unique needs as they arise. Her student path was swift as Covid shut down the world after beginning school and an internship with Acorn. Rapidly changing policies led to many women looking for support drastically different than the “new normal” and finding refuge in our center, most without previously considering unmedicated, out of hospital birth. Witnessing mothers having their babies in the way they felt safest and supported, while midwives and students were called to shepherd in the transition of care in such erratic times, laid the foundation for her trust in the birth process and call to service. Midwifery licensure in the state of California in 2023 marked one of many milestones on her midwifery journey. After supporting hundreds of births, and well over a thousand families through Acorn, she couldn’t imagine life any other way.
Margo Kennedy CNM, MSN, Clinic Midwife
Margo’s love for children brought her to midwifery. After graduating from nursing school in 1975, she worked in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, and there she began to notice that moms that reported a more positive birth experience seemed to have a closer relationship with their children. So she started working in Labor and Delivery in 1980 to help moms with that transition to motherhood. While there she discovered that the journey that brought families to that moment really began much sooner. At that point she went to midwifery school and became a Certified Nurse Midwife in 1993 so she could be present for the entire journey that families take. Since 1993 Margo has worked at four different LA hospitals; opened a home birth practice in 2001 and then a Birth Center in 2013.
Since becoming a midwife, she has delivered over 3000 babies. She believes that pregnancy and birth present a blessed opportunity for a woman and her family to realize their own strength, as they become a family. She finds such joy and honor in accompanying them on this amazing journey and she is confident that she has the skills to provide the safe space they need to realize their dreams. To ensure that midwifery care remains an option for birthing families and their future children she is dedicated to educating future providers in medicine and midwifery.
She is the proud mother of three wonderful sons and has also been blessed with four amazing grandsons. After retiring in 2023 she moved to Temecula to be closer to family. She loves morning walks and gardening but missed being with pregnant women and their families. Fortunately, Acorn Community Birth and Wellness Center had a space for her to practice what she loves, midwifery.
Since becoming a midwife, she has delivered over 3000 babies. She believes that pregnancy and birth present a blessed opportunity for a woman and her family to realize their own strength, as they become a family. She finds such joy and honor in accompanying them on this amazing journey and she is confident that she has the skills to provide the safe space they need to realize their dreams. To ensure that midwifery care remains an option for birthing families and their future children she is dedicated to educating future providers in medicine and midwifery.
She is the proud mother of three wonderful sons and has also been blessed with four amazing grandsons. After retiring in 2023 she moved to Temecula to be closer to family. She loves morning walks and gardening but missed being with pregnant women and their families. Fortunately, Acorn Community Birth and Wellness Center had a space for her to practice what she loves, midwifery.
Deborah Eakes LM, CPM, Staff Midwife
My name is Debbie, I am a wife of 35 years and we have 7 children (3 by birth and 4 by adoption), 7 grandkids, and 2 great granddaughters! My calling to midwifery started with my great-grandmother in Mexico. During one of her 10 births with a partera (Mexican midwife) she was introduced to Christ. She shared that faith in God with my grandmother. After the death of her husband, her family immigrated to the US to begin a new life. My grandparents met and were married in San Diego and raised their family here. I learned from my grandma and mom how to care for moms and babies, how to use herbs for healing and how to depend on God. My grandma and mom supported me during my own journey to motherhood which started at 16. My first two deliveries were in the hospital and I lived first-hand through many pregnancy complications and a NICU stay with my second baby. Four years later, I met and married my husband who was in the Navy, so we moved all over the US. We struggled with
secondary infertility for 11 years. During that time we adopted a baby boy, who I re-lactated for. My calling came full circle following the birth of my miracle “rainbow” baby. After months of interventions and memories of my past births, I made the decision that “there was no place like home” to have my baby. I had a wonderful empowering pregnancy and home birth with a midwife that believed in me and worked hard to keep me home. I delivered with 12 of my closest family and friends surrounding me. After that experience I couldn’t shake the call to midwifery.
When my husband retired from the military in 2006, I started midwifery school and over the next 15 years I sat in apprenticeships under 6 different midwives. I also served as a doula, childbirth/parent educator and Certified Lactation Counselor, with additional training in tongue ties. I specialized in teen pregnancies and those with special needs like gestational diabetes, hyperemesis, twins, breech and VBAC. I was privileged to receive additional training in herbs and homeopathic remedies and sexual abuse survivors. During COVID, I passed my NARM exam and was licensed in both Minnesota and South Dakota as I served in the rural farm country along the borders of these two states. We now live with my parents after having been away for 28 years.
In honor of my grandparents, in 2015 I formed a nonprofit, El Nido Birth and Family Ministries. We provide resources and support for a better understanding of health that is relevant to families daily lives. Women have an inborn knowledge of how to give birth, as pregnancy and birth are “normal” physiological processes. But, as evidenced by my own three births, normal differs with each pregnancy, birth and baby. As a community midwife, my passion is to build relationships and strong partnerships steeped in communication. Health is shaped by many factors, so I teach to empower families as they make decisions that are right for them. My goal is to provide quality services, within a family-friendly environment, of respect and care that meets their needs and serve as a support base for them, whether physical, emotional or spiritual. I see the blessing of childbirth with the central idea that birth is a gift and as such is a blessed, natural, and empowering experience.
In my spare time, I enjoy working in my vegetable and flower gardens, making sourdough bread, and most importantly spending time with my grandkids and great grands and watching old movies with my husband and mom. I am excited to see what this next chapter in life, has for us.
secondary infertility for 11 years. During that time we adopted a baby boy, who I re-lactated for. My calling came full circle following the birth of my miracle “rainbow” baby. After months of interventions and memories of my past births, I made the decision that “there was no place like home” to have my baby. I had a wonderful empowering pregnancy and home birth with a midwife that believed in me and worked hard to keep me home. I delivered with 12 of my closest family and friends surrounding me. After that experience I couldn’t shake the call to midwifery.
When my husband retired from the military in 2006, I started midwifery school and over the next 15 years I sat in apprenticeships under 6 different midwives. I also served as a doula, childbirth/parent educator and Certified Lactation Counselor, with additional training in tongue ties. I specialized in teen pregnancies and those with special needs like gestational diabetes, hyperemesis, twins, breech and VBAC. I was privileged to receive additional training in herbs and homeopathic remedies and sexual abuse survivors. During COVID, I passed my NARM exam and was licensed in both Minnesota and South Dakota as I served in the rural farm country along the borders of these two states. We now live with my parents after having been away for 28 years.
In honor of my grandparents, in 2015 I formed a nonprofit, El Nido Birth and Family Ministries. We provide resources and support for a better understanding of health that is relevant to families daily lives. Women have an inborn knowledge of how to give birth, as pregnancy and birth are “normal” physiological processes. But, as evidenced by my own three births, normal differs with each pregnancy, birth and baby. As a community midwife, my passion is to build relationships and strong partnerships steeped in communication. Health is shaped by many factors, so I teach to empower families as they make decisions that are right for them. My goal is to provide quality services, within a family-friendly environment, of respect and care that meets their needs and serve as a support base for them, whether physical, emotional or spiritual. I see the blessing of childbirth with the central idea that birth is a gift and as such is a blessed, natural, and empowering experience.
In my spare time, I enjoy working in my vegetable and flower gardens, making sourdough bread, and most importantly spending time with my grandkids and great grands and watching old movies with my husband and mom. I am excited to see what this next chapter in life, has for us.
Yosselin Joaquin, Billing Manager
Hi, my name is Yosselin. I am blessed to be a wife and a mother of both a daughter and a son. First, I would like to thank God for finding an opportunity at Acorn Community Birth & Wellness Center. I believe that as women we have a great privilege that makes us worth more than precious stones; the great gift of being able to give birth.
As a woman of faith I love seeing the miracle of how everything from the mother’s womb is wonderfully made by God.
I am a caring, empathetic and dedicated person. I take my job as the word says, “In all the work you are doing, do it heartily as if unto the Lord.” I see my job as a way of helping others with the talents that God has given me. I am happy to serve all the moms in this center.
As a woman of faith I love seeing the miracle of how everything from the mother’s womb is wonderfully made by God.
I am a caring, empathetic and dedicated person. I take my job as the word says, “In all the work you are doing, do it heartily as if unto the Lord.” I see my job as a way of helping others with the talents that God has given me. I am happy to serve all the moms in this center.
Melina Dunbar, Student Midwife
Hello! My name is Melina, and I am currently training as a student midwife. Before beginning this path, I worked as an Emergency Medical Technician in both ambulance and hospital settings, where I gained valuable experience in emergency care and learned the importance of staying calm and steady in intense moments. Those skills continue to serve me well, but it was my own pregnancy and birth that truly shaped my calling. Experiencing firsthand how transformative birth can be gave me a deep passion for walking alongside families as they welcome new life.
I believe midwifery is about so much more than clinical care — it’s about creating an environment where people feel safe, respected, and empowered to make the choices that are right for them. I am especially passionate about making sure families have steady support, encouragement, and knowledge so that they can feel confident and cared for throughout the entire journey.
What excites me most about birth work is witnessing the strength, resilience, and love that shines through during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period. It’s an incredible honor to be invited into these sacred moments, and I approach each experience with gratitude and respect.
Outside of my studies, I enjoy reading, learning new things, and spending time with my baby and family. In the future, I hope to continue serving families in community birth settings and contributing to a culture where birth is seen as both safe and empowering.
I believe midwifery is about so much more than clinical care — it’s about creating an environment where people feel safe, respected, and empowered to make the choices that are right for them. I am especially passionate about making sure families have steady support, encouragement, and knowledge so that they can feel confident and cared for throughout the entire journey.
What excites me most about birth work is witnessing the strength, resilience, and love that shines through during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period. It’s an incredible honor to be invited into these sacred moments, and I approach each experience with gratitude and respect.
Outside of my studies, I enjoy reading, learning new things, and spending time with my baby and family. In the future, I hope to continue serving families in community birth settings and contributing to a culture where birth is seen as both safe and empowering.
Savannah Bailey, Birth Assistant/Doula
Savannah began her career in birth work as a birth and postpartum doula in January 2018 following her entry into motherhood in October 2017. She likens her calling into the doula role as a divine gift, serving her soul’s desire to mother, as she lost her firstborn to stillbirth in the last days of carrying him full term. She describes her birth team of midwives, teachers, photography, and birth classmates as a catalyst for healing. Her journey into the love and safety of the birth working world opened her eyes to love in a new sense. Her aim became to love other moms and babies in the same ways she was loved - wholly.
In her work as a doula, Savannah has experienced many spiritual moments of what she calls “the meeting between heaven and earth”, as the sacred chasm closes in the nature of new life. It has become the most beautiful and special thing to witness moms in their divine strength and it is her honor to serve her sisters in each new discovery of themselves through the journeys of labor.
Savannah now serves as a birth assistant and Community Outreach Coordinator to Acorn Birth Center and is continuing her education also in mental health services. She has 4 other babies, 3 of them born with Acorn Birth Center! She looks forward to connecting with mamas and loving people and their littles here at Acorn for some time.
In her work as a doula, Savannah has experienced many spiritual moments of what she calls “the meeting between heaven and earth”, as the sacred chasm closes in the nature of new life. It has become the most beautiful and special thing to witness moms in their divine strength and it is her honor to serve her sisters in each new discovery of themselves through the journeys of labor.
Savannah now serves as a birth assistant and Community Outreach Coordinator to Acorn Birth Center and is continuing her education also in mental health services. She has 4 other babies, 3 of them born with Acorn Birth Center! She looks forward to connecting with mamas and loving people and their littles here at Acorn for some time.