Meet the Monarch Midwives

Getting to know the people who will support you through birth matters.

Together we bring decades of experience, a shared commitment to informed choice, and deep respect for every family's birth vision.

A woman with blonde, wavy hair smiling at the camera, wearing a denim shirt, with a blurred, colorful background.

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.

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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. I live in Portland with my Spouse, teenage daughter and our very sweet elder dog. 

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A woman and a young boy sitting in a pumpkin patch surrounded by pumpkins and colorful flowers, smiling at the camera.

Kyra 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.

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Photo by Kimberly Kimble https://www.kimberlymariekimble.com/family/

 Photos by Portland Birth Photographer Natalie Broders (link to https://www.nataliebroders.com)