Meet the Monarch Midwives
Getting to know the people who will support you through birth matters.
Our three licensed midwives bring warmth, expertise, and over 1,300 births of combined experience to every family they serve in Portland and SW Washington.
Brittany Danielson, CPM, LM
I first discovered my passion for birth work when a close friend invited me to be her doula. Even as a mom myself, witnessing someone else give birth opened my eyes to an entirely new world and I knew from that moment that this was what I was meant to do.
I grew up in Olympia, Washington and graduated from Western Washington University in 2009 with a BA in Business Management. I became a mother for the first time in 2011, and after having my second child with a midwife, I felt called to pursue home birth midwifery with a biodynamic approach. I completed my doula training at Birthingway College of Midwifery in 2015, began my full-time midwifery studies in 2016, and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Midwifery in 2019. My third child was born (with the help of the Monarch Midwives) in 2025.
I live in Washougal with my husband and three children, and I bring both professional training and lived experience to every birth I attend.
She/Her
Sam Hawthorn, CPM, LM, LDM
My path to midwifery began through massage therapy. As I witnessed the profound benefits of bodywork throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, I found myself increasingly drawn to the birth space, first as a doula in 2006, then attending home births starting in 2007.
I graduated from Birthingway College of Midwifery in Portland, Oregon in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery, and have been a Certified Professional Midwife since that same year. I'm licensed in both Washington and Oregon and have attended over 500 births. After 23 years, I've retired from massage practice, though I still love offering hands-on support to clients during prenatal visits and at births.
Supporting families through this profound rite of passage is work I pour my whole heart into. When I'm not attending births, you'll find me in my garden, quilting, or spending time with family and friends.
She/HerKyra Marsico, CPM, LDM, Certified Doula
My path to midwifery began with a deep curiosity about how birth is experienced across cultures. With a BA in Anthropology and a BS in Midwifery, I've always understood birth as both a physiological event and a profoundly human one,and that perspective shapes everything about how I provide care.
I've been attending births since 2012, serving families throughout the Portland Metro area and parts of Washington State. I'm also a certified Oregon Traditional Health Worker Doula and teach childbirth education classes for families preparing for birth.
My approach is evidence-based, compassionate, and family-centered. I believe every birthing person deserves to feel informed, supported, and empowered to make choices that reflect their own values, whether they're planning a home birth or welcoming their baby in a hospital setting. Being invited into such an intimate space in people's lives is something I don't take lightly, and I'm committed to providing skilled, respectful, and personalized care every step of the way.
She/Her
Photo by Kimberly Kimble https://www.kimberlymariekimble.com/family/
Photos by Portland Birth Photographer Natalie Broders (link to https://www.nataliebroders.com)