Abigail Eaves – Executive Director & Founder, CNM

I was born and raised in Albuquerque and attended the Albuquerque Academy. I went on to UNM and received both of my nursing degrees — a Bachelor’s in 2000 and Master’s with a concentration in nurse-midwifery in 2002. I knew from a very young age that being part of natural childbirth was my calling and I realized that I was to be a midwife by the time I was 16 years old. The path has been difficult and long, but midwifery is my passion, my life’s work and worth every minute that it took to get here!

Birth is one of the most important moments in a human’s life and I believe the caregiver, whoever the birth attendant may be, should nurture and empower you in that moment. I am passionate about all people receiving care that strengthens them as individuals and gives them the power to make informed health decisions about their own care, as well as their family’s care. I attended deliveries at Lovelace Women’s Hospital from January 2004 through July 2009, but have always had a desire to attend birthing people in a birth center. I fiercely believe that families need as many options as possible to birth their babies, and the birth center option has been missing too long and is greatly needed in our community.

I have three sons who give me infinite joy and ongoing strength as I continue to work on growing this incredible organization. I am privileged to be their mama. I also have various furry critters who currently reside with me.

Alisa Henning, Clinical Director, CNM

I returned to Dar a Luz in April of 2018 and cannot tell you how overjoyed I am to be back home. It is a homecoming of sorts for me as I was a co-founder of Dar a Luz with Abigail in 2007. I have now taken over the Clinical Director role and do so with joy. This center is so much more than a job for every single one of us that have the privilege to serve here. It fills my heart with gratitude to work alongside so many phenomenal women to provide our families care that feels genuine and sacred.

I was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. I became a labor and delivery nurse in 2000 and received my Master’s in midwifery from UNM in 2005. After leaving Albuquerque in 2009, I lived in Asheville, NC, and worked at a wonderful midwifery practice that attended births at home and in the hospital. I have been lucky to have lived in and traveled to many places in the U.S., including traveling from Maine to Oregon from 2015-2018 with my wife and our triplet sons, with many stops along the way. During that time, I worked as a travel nurse in labor and delivery and as a fill-in midwife. We loved traveling and I feel so very privileged to have served women in many different states, in a variety of capacities, and to attend births at home, birth centers and hospitals. We moved back to Albuquerque in April of 2018 and we are very happy to be back planting roots and calling ABQ home.

Out-of-hospital birth has always been my true passion. I love providing all aspects of women’s healthcare and believe that providing women with respectful, compassionate, evidence-based care is of the utmost importance. I have a great reverence and trust for the birth process and truly believe that how a woman experiences her birth has a ripple effect on the rest of her life. I see it as my role and privilege as a midwife to help each woman experience her unique birth journey in a way that is safe and empowering.

In my free time…wait, I have triplets so there is no “free time!” However, when I’m not working, my family and I love to hike, travel and explore. If you have some favorite hiking spots, let me know!

Susan Moore Daniels – CNM, MSN

I was raised in Albuquerque and decided I wanted to become a midwife during a Renaissance assignment in a high school English class, although my pursuits then were in theater and music. Stumbling across a reference to midwives, I became enchanted by the topic. The things I learned changed the course of my life and have provided an extraordinary path to pursue many passions. I received my undergraduate degree in 1983 from UNM after studying a number of things, but ultimately majoring in nursing and minoring in psychology. I worked in a local birth center as a midwife’s assistant while building my resume for graduate school, and caught my first baby there when I was only 21 years old. I attended midwifery school at Yale University where I received my Master’s Degree in 1988.

When I moved to the east coast to go to midwifery school, I never expected to move back to New Mexico. Yet during my training I learned what a progressive place New Mexico was regarding access to birthing options and midwifery care. I returned to Albuquerque where I have attended somewhere approaching 3000 births over 30 years, mostly in hospitals, but covering the spectrum including some home births, and many water births in various birthing locations. New Mexico has the highest rates of midwifery-attended births in the U.S., and I am proud of my influence over the years of my career in building this success.

For me, midwifery is a rather perfect blending of the artistic with the natural sciences. It has proven to be a career in which I have the opportunity to do many things I love, in service to those finding strength, courage, and creativity they never knew they had. My professional interests and passions attend to the psychological and quite remarkable transformations faced through pregnancy, parenting, and other brave and ingenious acts. My hobbies and personal interests include a strong involvement in many aspects of community arts, a love of astronomy, and studies in clinical musicianship.

I have been married a really long time to the same wonderful man. We have two daughters who were born at home. I fed them at my breasts long through their toddlerhood; they were cloth-diapered and homeschooled, and they are now successful women in the world.

Yelena Baras, CNM, MSN

I was born in Samara, Russia and immigrated to Philadelphia, PA, with my immediate family when I was 4 years old. I became interested in the sciences at a very young age; I spent my childhood exploring the natural world. I always knew that I wanted to work with women, to be an advocate for reproductive rights and contraceptive choices.

After college I worked as a research assistant to a renowned expert in infertility and reproductive endocrinology. I became fascinated with the reproductive system, placentas, uterine microbiomes, and epigenetics. In 2012, I was accepted to and began the Accelerated Nursing Program at the University of Pennsylvania, where I completed my RN-BSN and a combined MSN in Midwifery and Women’s Health. During the program, I had the opportunity to be mentored by midwives in homebirth, birth center, and hospital settings. I cared for low-risk women in inner-city as well as rural communities, in addition to collaborating with physician colleagues on higher-risk clients. For my final integration clinical, I worked full-time at the oldest freestanding birth center in Los Angeles, CA.

I am excited to be part of the family at Dar a Luz. I come from a background of wellness nursing, and I am interested in supporting our clients in making positive and informed healthcare decisions. I am committed to learning ways to support safe and empowered birth in the out-of-hospital setting.

For the past ten years I have been studying several types of yoga, including Vinyasa and Acroyoga. I belong to the Shambhala Center and practice meditation both in individual and group settings. I enjoy spending my weekends on hikes and camping. I also have many-a-succulent plant that I brought all the way from Philadelphia to Albuquerque.

Meagan Morse, CNM, WHNP

I grew up outside Washington, DC and studied the history of medicine in college, focusing on gender and racial justice. After graduation, a homebirth midwifery practice generously took me under their wing, and I realized I had found my path! I was struck by the partnerships these midwives built with clients, and by the autonomy-centered, personally connected, and deeply respectful care they provided — this is how I wanted to be in the world as a human and as a healer. 

In the years that followed, I grew my love for midwifery and built my toolkit while working as a sexual health educator and full-spectrum doula. In 2017, I began my training as a student midwife at the birth center Maternidad La Luz in El Paso, TX, providing care mostly in Spanish. I continued my studies at the University of California San Francisco, and graduated in 2020 with a Master’s degree in Midwifery and Women’s Health. During the program, I had the great joy of completing a majority of my clinical hours at the local birth center in Berkeley, CA.

I am over-the-moon excited to be a part of the Dar a Luz team. I believe that pregnancy and birth are a time of transformation with potential for healing and empowerment. It is an honor and joy to accompany people on these journeys, whatever path they take. I am committed to building a healthcare system that addresses health disparities faced by marginalized communities and is inclusive of all people and families. I am a member of the American College of Nurse Midwives Transgender Care Working Group, and facilitate a virtual support group for LGBTQIA+ families from preconception through parenting.

My partner and I live in Albuquerque, where we enjoy hiking, gardening, and spending time with our pet cockatiels, Sweetcheeks and Moe.

Kate Jones, CNM, MSN

 am so honored to join the amazing and dedicated Dar a Luz family in providing birth and health care to the ABQ community!

My journey to become a midwife and work in community-based birth has continuously been guided by the belief that the experience of birth, pregnancy, and reproductive/sexual health care is sacred, and that people should have access to health care providers who honor that space with the utmost trust and respect.

I started working in birth in 2015 as a labor and delivery nurse. Then, I received my midwifery training and doctorate from the University of Utah in 2020. During my program, I had the opportunity to work in both a small, rural practice with low-risk pregnancies and a large, busy practice in Salt Lake City in which I frequently collaborated with physicians in caring for higher-risk patients. After I graduated, the midwife practice that trained me adopted me with open arms and continued to mentor me in the art and science of midwifery.

The birthing room is where I feel most at home. My favorite moment of every birth is the expression on someone’s face the first time they hear the voice of their newborn!

I am here to support you in making informed health care decisions, and I am committed to providing access to safe, evidence-based out-of-hospital birth. I acknowledge the power women and birthing persons hold to birth and to make choices about their body and healthcare. I believe that my role as an advocate for reproductive rights and justice is an integral dimension of my practice as a midwife.

I am originally from the Midwest, but have discovered a new home here in the Southwest. My partner and I recently moved to Albuquerque from Utah, and we have joined my sister and her children to build a life and community here. I love to connect with nature through hiking and camping with my loving partner and energetic corgi, and occasionally take on the excitement of climbing, canyoneering, or backcountry backpacking. I enjoy creating whimsy illustrations and home-made greeting cards. Out of all the adventuring I’ve done, my favorite place to be is at a table with good food and my inherited/chosen family.

Looking forward to connecting!

Eliza Serna, CNM

Being a midwife at Dar A Luz Birth & Health Center brings a huge smile to my face and a glow to my heart. I have worked long and hard to be here, and there is no place I’d rather be! I’ve been to a lot of school: I have a Master’s degree in Nurse-Midwifery, a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, and a Master’s degree in English – all from the University of New Mexico. I also hold a Bachelor’s degree in Literature from American University in Washington, DC.

As a mother of two, I was forever changed by my own birth experiences which called me deeply to midwifery, out-of-hospital midwifery specifically. Prior to becoming a midwife, I helped people have their babies as a midwife’s assistant and doula in home, birth center, and hospital settings in both Oregon and New Mexico for 14 years. The bulk of births I have attended have been at home. I am a childbirth educator trained in Birthing From Within, and for a few years I co-ran a birth cooperative, providing doula care and birth-related classes to families in the Santa Fe area. I view birth as a rite of passage that is rooted in relationship and affects the entirety of a person. I seek to meet clients exactly where they are at, helping them tune into their own knowing while providing holistic and meaningful care, which includes presence, action, support, guidance, information, and advocacy as the situation dictates. Often my most important work is listening and not getting in the way of the dance of a woman’s own rhythms. Honoring personal autonomy and choice throughout the childbearing year (and all other years before and after) are fundamental human rights that I work to ensure for all birthing women and people.

When not actively engaged in the birth-world, I enjoy reading, writing, knitting, watching women’s soccer, swimming in the ocean, laughing with my husband and kids, and snuggling my cats. I was born and raised in Santa Fe and am proud to be raising my own children in my hometown. Prior to midwifery, I was an English teacher, which I loved (but I don’t miss the grading and I’m not judging your grammar). I look forward to being your midwife.

Stephanie Sanchez, BSN, RN, IBCLC: Birth Assistant & International Board Certified Lactation Consultant

Claire Merritt, BSN, RN: Birth Assistant

I was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This lovely desert, full of culture and amazing skies, is my home and will always have a special place in my heart. My loving and supportive husband and I have two wonderful daughters who were born at home under the care of an amazing midwife. We love to travel together, and enjoy hiking, camping, rock climbing, gardening, and basically anything outdoors.

In 2013, I assisted in the delivery of my niece who was born at home. Ever since the moment I caught her in my arms, and placed her on her mother’s chest, I knew I had found my passion in life. I finished the year at the elementary school where I was employed taking care of medically fragile children, and applied to nursing school. I graduated from UNM College of Nursing where I focused my studies on women’s health. As a student I completed a clinical rotation at Dar a Luz, where I confirmed that birth work is truly my passion.

I am inspired by the holistic, compassionate, and empowering model of care that Dar a Luz provides. I feel incredibly thankful to be a part of the amazing team at Dar a Luz. I am honored to be a part of many stories to come!

Savannah Holloway, BSN, RN: Birth Assistant

I was born in Los Angeles, but I spent most of my life in the wonderful village of Corrales. I attended the Albuquerque Academy and then went on to attend the University of New Mexico. I was accepted into the College of Nursing where I graduated summa cum laude with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

By the age of two, I was certain about two things: I was going to be a mom and I was going to provide holistic health care to women and babies, though I’m sure I didn’t use those exact words. I am delighted to be starting my journey here at Dar a Luz. My amazing mom raised my sister and me with a holistic mindset and holistic healing from day one. I feel extremely blessed to have had, and to continue to have, her influence in my life. I strongly believe in a holistic approach to health and wellness. Our physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing are all intertwined, and, as such, I believe that good healthcare must encompass a person’s whole being. I fiercely believe in the power of a woman’s mind, body, and soul. I am passionate about the idea that pregnancy is not a sickness, but rather a beautiful journey, and I feel passionately that women should have the opportunity to birth their baby the way they choose.

I am married to a wonderful man who gives me confidence and encouragement to be my best self. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, snuggling my adorable cat, serving at church, dancing, learning new languages, gardening, cooking, and baking. Some of my favorite things are cloudy skies, rainy days, red bell peppers, and dark chocolate ganache. I am thrilled to be part of this wonderful team here at Dar a Luz, and I am thoroughly excited to be part of many beautiful births.

Olivia Herrera, BSN, RN: Birth Assistant

My name is Olivia and I live here in the beautiful city of Albuquerque. I have a wonderful partner and two dogs who bring me endless belly laughs and adventure. We feel most at home in the great outdoors or with our amazing families who live here in town. I have a deep love of nature and when I am not at work I love being in my garden or kayaking the Rio Grande.

My love of natural birth came to be at the age of 3 years old when I watched my mother roar my little brother into existence at home in Oregon. Witnessing her strength, trust in her body and in her midwife would send me flying into the world looking to be a part of birth work in some way.

I attended the University of New Mexico’s college of nursing in 2017 and focused my studies on childbirth and women’s care. Following nursing school, I spent a challenging and insightful year in a hospital setting as a postpartum nurse soaking up as much as I could. I established my fierce advocacy for my patients and honored my journey in becoming a self-assured nurse, but I knew that the hospital was not my home. Being in a natural birth center felt important to me and I wanted to be part of a team that focused on holistically loving and healing through evidence-based care. I feel deeply honored and grateful to be a part of this birth center.

Krystal Davis, BSN, RN: Birth Assistant

I grew up in Flagstaff, AZ — a place in Arizona where it snows! I spent the later part of my childhood with my dad, who always made us spend time outside, eat our vegetables, and drink tea whenever we were sick. We drank so much tea!

After several years of working in healthcare in multiple roles, I decided to go to nursing school. After school my husband and I moved to Albuquerque with a five-year plan; it has now been six years, and we aren’t going anywhere! While I loved working as a nurse, I felt like I didn’t have a “why” for what I was doing, and I felt myself losing passion for the work. Flash forward… I had my first child at Dar a Luz, and suddenly, I knew that birth work is what I wanted to do as a nurse. I wanted to be there for families in the same way that the Dar a Luz community and team was there for me during pregnancy and birth. I wanted to be in a setting where pregnancy and birth were viewed as a normal process, and where people are empowered and supported. I joined the team in 2021, and I am elated to be here! I look forward to being part of such an amazing community, and many beautiful birth stories. 

My husband and I have two boys who continue to teach us things about ourselves and the world, and who make us laugh so much! When I’m not working, you can find me playing garbage trucks with the boys (because there is nothing cooler than a garbage truck), working on hand embroidery, playing board games with friends, and being outside. 

Robin Hayter, BSN, RN, IBCLC: Birth Assistant and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant

I was born and raised in Albuquerque. After high school I needed an adventure, and headed to the beaches of California, and I graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Psychology. I gave birth to my first daughter in 2007, and we welcomed our second daughter 18 months later in 2009. Having two young children so close together taught me that I had to lean on family, friends and my community. Later that same year, my husband’s job took our family to Hyderabad, India, for 2.5 years.
In India, I had the fortune of volunteering with a midwife in the Healthy Mother Wellness and Care Birth Center. She taught me so much about the midwifery model. She also taught me that birth is normal and natural! Her passion was contagious, and I knew I had found my calling. Working with her, I became a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, and I began teaching breastfeeding classes and facilitating groups. When we returned from India in 2012, I was expecting my third child and felt so fortunate to find Dar a Luz to care for my pregnancy. Our third daughter Asha, was born that September.
In 2016, I became a Board-Certified Lactation Consultant. I enjoy helping people achieve their personal breastfeeding goals, and I am honored to have the opportunity to be alongside families as they grow.
In 2022, I graduated from UNM with my BSN and was over the moon to be offered the opportunity to become part of the RN birth team at Dar a Luz. I continue to be in awe of physiologic birth and the strength I see in the community we serve.

Tracy Cooper: Receptionist

Tracy greets everyone with a warm and friendly smile. She is dedicated to excellent customer service, and her peaceful, calm demeanor puts people around her at ease.

Tracy is a long-time advocate of natural birth. She grew up surrounded by natural births, midwives and healthcare. Her mother was a birth assistant at the Southwest Maternity Center, which was the first and only freestanding birth center in Albuquerque before Dar a Luz. Tracy’s first child was born at home, as well.

Erica Deerinwater: Billing Specialist

I am a native New Mexican and completed my Psych degree from UNM in 2002. I have worked in and around medical communities almost my whole professional career, from medical filing to front office to providing technical training to nurses and doctors.

I became a stay-at-home mom in 2010 when my first child was born by cesarean. My second child was born naturally at Dar a Luz in 2011. Ever since my birth experience here, I have wanted to come back and be a part of this community and staff.

The perfect opportunity presented itself with the need for a certified professional biller and coder for the birth center. I also do insurance verification, submit prior authorizations and create client financial agreements. I enjoy helping Dar a Luz clients make the most of their insurance coverage.

I feel so very lucky and honored be part of such an amazing group of women and the birth center’s mission.

Kona Secatero: Administrative Coordinator

Yá’át’ééh, Shí éí Nakonah Secatero yinishyé. Kinyaa’áanii nishłį́, Tábąąhá bashishchiin, Nóóda’í dine’é dashicheii, Naakai dine’é dashinalí. 

Hello, my name is Nakonah, but I usually go by Kona. I am of the Towering House clan, I am born for the Water’s Edge clan, my maternal grandfather is of the Ute People clan, and my paternal grandfather is of the Mexican people clan. 

I was born in Albuquerque and raised most of my life in To’Hajiilee, a small Navajo reservation. In 2012, I graduated as Valedictorian from our community school, and I started work in our Behavioral Health System, assisting our Suicide Prevention Program. As soon as I moved to Albuquerque in July 2021, I was fortunate enough to join the Dar a Luz family as the Administrative Coordinator. 

Being an only child, I grew up always having this curiosity about childbirth. My mother would tell me the story of how her water broke: She was 9 months pregnant helping at a ceremony, and while crouched near the fire pouring coffee for the elders, she lost her balance and fell backwards, landing on her bottom. Immediately the grandmothers gathered to help her, and she realized her water broke. One of the grandmothers hurried to my father, who was chopping firewood nearby to tell him, “It’s time.” My mother had a natural birth at a hospital, and while she wished she had a different setting, she always loved to tell me the story. 

Mother figures in my life have always been guiding with grace, understanding, and humor, sharing their birth and life stories. I have yet to experience that season in my life, but I look forward to it! Until then, it is a privilege to work beside a wonderful group of women dedicated to women’s health, empowerment, and families. I love being a part of the family of women here at Dar a Luz, who continue to juggle the chaos of life, work, family, and motherhood with ease and strength.

Amity McElroy: Educator for Traditional Childbirth Series, Newborns & Breastfeeding Classes

I’m blessed to be a mom to four children. I have also been working with families in the Albuquerque birth community for over 22 years. I started as a certified Birthing from Within doula, then went on to train as an ICEA childbirth educator and become certified as an infant massage instructor. I have had the opportunity to work as a doula and educator with many local family resource centers, doula collectives, and hospitals. I feel blessed to have worked at Dar a Luz since 2013 and in 2018 welcomed our youngest child here. The amazing women who helped guide and nurture my journey through birth and motherhood are my inspiration.

My wish is that my work strengthens the connection within families and within the community during this important time of pregnancy and parenthood.

Laura Wood, LCSW, PMH-C, CHt, BHE: Staff Counselor, Licensed Social Worker, Blissborn Class Instructor

I teach my Blissborn classes here, and I am also the Staff Counselor for Dar a Luz, which means I am available to help (feel free to text or call me at (505) 600-1808). I grew up in New Mexico. I have three children and three very different birth experiences; one born by cesarean, one all-natural (but very long) hospital birth, and one peaceful five-hour home birth. My last experience with a midwife-attended water birth was life-changing in so many ways. I saw what birth can and should be, and it led me to find a new way to support other moms in labor and birth.

My degrees are in Social Work, and speech therapy and psychology. I’m a therapist, as well as Co-Founder of the birth education program Blissborn. It’s a program for savvy and involved parents, providing the best tools available in a comprehensive, fun course. Teaching Blissborn here at Dar a Luz is wonderful — I really enjoy the parents, and teaching keeps me charged up and excited as we continue to build Blissborn and to support our other Blissborn teachers. We’re growing fast worldwide (we have full translations in Spanish and Mandarin so far).

As staff counselor, I meet with clients for therapy one-on-one both through Dar a Luz and also in my private practice, and I run support groups.

I feel very blessed to do what I do — I just skip around smiling most of the time! My husband and I live in beautiful Los Ranchos with our daughter… two of our three awesome kids are now away in college.