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, 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, Licensed Midwife
Sedona is an ardent and dedicated student of midwifery, 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 doctors 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.
Getting certified opened her eyes to the magic that new life brings to those who welcome it while becoming disheartened and burned out by the protocol-based care found in hospitals. Knowing there had to be a more honoring way to tend to the growing families, she dove into midwifery at the Nizhoni Institute of Midwifery and was enthralled with the holistic care that supports the expanding family unit and their unique needs as they arise.
Getting certified opened her eyes to the magic that new life brings to those who welcome it while becoming disheartened and burned out by the protocol-based care found in hospitals. Knowing there had to be a more honoring way to tend to the growing families, she dove into midwifery at the Nizhoni Institute of Midwifery and was enthralled with the holistic care that supports the expanding family unit and their unique needs as they arise.
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.
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.
Kyra Skylark, Intern Midwife
Greetings, my name is Kyra. I am a dancer, a reader, a tree hugger, and soil lover. I pursued my bachelors education with Cal Poly Humboldt of Northern California, I hold a BS in Environmental Science and a BA in Journalism and Dance. While pursuing my degree the world shifted and many of us became isolated during the pandemic; during this time of quiet I felt a whispering towards midwifery.
In 2022 I officially began my journey into the birthworld through the Earthwise Birthworker program, an herbalism and emergency austere doula program with the Human Path School. At the recommendation of a fellow doula, I also pursued grief and bereavement doula training with the Stillbirthday program. Today, I am thankful to be a student midwife with Acorn.
I am here to listen to the stories of wombxn, to witness your fears and celebrate your joys. I am ardently dedicated to learning my own body and supporting others in investigating and tending to their womb and life cycles.
I believe in choice. That each of us has the right and power to choose how we enter this life, how and when we give birth to new life, and how we exit this embodied life. It is my intention to provide evidence based information, individualized care, and unwavering support so that each birthing person may confidently make decisions for their unique being and expanding family.
It is an honor to be walking alongside you during this sacred transformation.
In 2022 I officially began my journey into the birthworld through the Earthwise Birthworker program, an herbalism and emergency austere doula program with the Human Path School. At the recommendation of a fellow doula, I also pursued grief and bereavement doula training with the Stillbirthday program. Today, I am thankful to be a student midwife with Acorn.
I am here to listen to the stories of wombxn, to witness your fears and celebrate your joys. I am ardently dedicated to learning my own body and supporting others in investigating and tending to their womb and life cycles.
I believe in choice. That each of us has the right and power to choose how we enter this life, how and when we give birth to new life, and how we exit this embodied life. It is my intention to provide evidence based information, individualized care, and unwavering support so that each birthing person may confidently make decisions for their unique being and expanding family.
It is an honor to be walking alongside you during this sacred transformation.
Sally Wright, Birth Assistant
Hi, I’m Sally. My journey into birth-work began with the pregnancy of my first child as I was encouraged by a family member to become educated about childbirth and routine hospital practices. Three hospital births and three homebirths later, I was blown away by how much better I was cared for by my midwives in contrast to the OB model of care. I desire to give all moms the same care and education that my midwives gave to me. I strive to help mothers make informed decisions about their own births and to have confidence in their own bodies and the pregnancy and childbirth process. I encourage each family to make evidence-based decisions for themselves so that they can feel the strength that comes from autonomy and accountability. I believe that caring for and educating a mother doesn’t just help her have an empowering birth experience, but affects the way she will mother her child, and therefore can change the world, one mother and baby at a time. I feel called to help families approach childbirth as a positive, fun, exciting and happy experience.
I have been assisting a local midwife in her homebirth practice for three years and I’m grateful for the privilege I have to continue learning with the knowledgeable, fun and committed women at Acorn.
I have been married to Stephen for 29 years and we have six children. We find purpose and peace in our faith and our family. I enjoy exercise, journaling, nourishing food, and striving to live an abundant life.
I have been assisting a local midwife in her homebirth practice for three years and I’m grateful for the privilege I have to continue learning with the knowledgeable, fun and committed women at Acorn.
I have been married to Stephen for 29 years and we have six children. We find purpose and peace in our faith and our family. I enjoy exercise, journaling, nourishing food, and striving to live an abundant life.
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 to Acorn Birth Center and is continuing her education also in mental health services. She now has 3 other babies and one more on the way. 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 to Acorn Birth Center and is continuing her education also in mental health services. She now has 3 other babies and one more on the way. She looks forward to connecting with mamas and loving people and their littles here at Acorn for some time.