Meet the Midwife
Lori Hedlund LDM CPM
My journey into midwifery began with the birth of my 3rd child, my first home birth with Betty Griffith, LDM. My first two births had left me feeling as if I had no say in my birth of experience, things were done to me and my baby, without including me in decisions, or respecting I may have a different philosophy concerning some aspects of my care. I longed for my husband and children to be welcomed and involved in my care, we were all welcoming a new member of the family! After much research, we decided birthing in our home with the skilled and competent support of a licensed midwife might offer what we were looking for. The difference in care I received with my first home birth was transforming. I felt empowered! I was encouraged to educate myself and make informed choices about the care that was best for my family. My husband and children were not only welcome at my visits and birth, but they were also encouraged to be active participants. I was hooked and knew that someday, I wanted to care for women in the same way.
We welcomed 5 more children into our family and grieved the loss of two precious babies, all with the caring support of our midwife. I entered the birth work world by serving as a breastfeeding counselor and supporting pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. I eventually became a doula, childbirth educator, and placenta encapsulator while raising and home educating my family.
When I decided it was time to pursue my bachelor’s degree in Midwifery, I knew exactly who I wanted to learn alongside, my own midwife that lovingly cared for me through 8 pregnancies. I graduated from Midwives College of Utah with my Bachelors of Science in Midwifery, magna cum laude, passed the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) licensing exam, and am a licensed midwife with the Oregon Health Authority. My education and training have been diverse including out-of-hospital VBAC, breech, and multiples births. I am honored to have Betty Griffith, my own midwife, as my mentor and to now assist her as a 2nd midwife on her birth team, and have her as my 2nd midwife serving my clients as well.
In my free time, you will find me hanging out with my husband, our children, and 2 grand-daughters on an outdoor adventure, working around our farm, or with our feet kicked up and everyone on their favorite instrument and singing along.
Children are a gift frm the Lord, They are a reward from him.
Every birth is attended by Lori and her team
Meet the team
Betty Griffith LDM
My introduction to childbirth occurred in the 1960s while I was a student nurse at a teaching hospital. I found a lot of the medical intervention that was considered necessary at that time to be very frightening, so I determined to spend my career finding a better way for women to give birth.
After graduating from nursing school in 1968, I spent several years teaching childbirth education and assisting a chiropractor that was doing births in his clinic. In 1974 I became an obstetrics nurse at a small hospital where I was given even more responsibilities and was able to learn how to handle a greater variety of circumstances involved in the birth process and to improve my skills in labor management.
In 1980, I began assisting a few friends and relatives who chose to give birth at home, and I realized that I was ready to fulfill my true calling, that of Home Birth Midwife. Since then, I have attended hundreds of births, and each birth teaches me something new. I still find my career to be stimulating, uplifting and fulfilling. I am enjoying delivering many second-generation babies in the Salem area.
On a personal note, I am widowed with four grown children and six grandchildren
Hannah Payseno
The third oldest of eight children, I was raised on a small farm in Salem, Oregon. In 2008 I attended my first birth as a Doula and I was so mesmerized by the beauty of birth! During the next 9 years while working as a professional Nanny I assisted at a few more births and in 2013 I jumped into the Birth world with full enthusiasm.
I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Midwifery at Midwives College of Utah in 2021.
I have been a birth assistant to Betty Griffith, LDM since 2014.
Assisting at over 250 births, my experience is in a wide range of births from Home Births and Conventional Hospital Births, to Birth Centers, VBAC’s, multiples, and Breech deliveries.
I enjoy staying active by participating in local sports and outdoor activities such as; biking, hiking, camping, and boating. I enjoy working with pregnant women, learning with them about natural ways to improve their health, and getting ready for their birth experience.