Jacqueline Cardenas, Birth Center Manager
Jacqueline has just joined us as the birth center manager. Check back soon for her bio and photo!

Mary Donovan, Receptionist
Mary is our brand new receptionist. We'll have her info up here soon too!

Kyndal May-Verveckken, LMP, Doula, Childbirth Educator, Founding Member
I became a Licensed Massage Therapist nearly 15 years ago. My interest in prenatal massage started in 1994 when five of my massage clients became pregnant in the same year. This was a very life enriching time for me as it led to my desire to become a certified doula, which I did when we moved to Seattle in 1995. I became certified in prenatal massage in 1997.

In 1996, my desire to work as a doula led me to the Puget Sound Birth Center where I met LeeAnne Shelley just weeks before the Grand Opening and never left. After volunteering in any and all capacities, I began consulting with the birth center on outreach and promotion events in 1997. I gave birth to each of my sons with LeeAnne Shelley other wonderful midwives and doulas at my side both times. In 1999, with the inception of Puget Sound Midwives and Birth Center, I became their Director of Outreach and Education.

After the births of my two sons – one birth center transfer to hospital and one home birth – I gained a deeper understanding of the delicate balance of childbirth. With those experiences and nearly 90 births as a doula, I designed the Confident Birthing Childbirth Class. I am blessed to be able to work in a field that I love and I enjoy each of my "jobs" immensely, but it is the teaching that brings the greatest joy. I am committed to providing information and resources. It is why I am continually drawn to projects that educate, inform and empower people – like the Puget Sound Midwives and Birth Center which I am honored to serve.



Leah McNeill-Hiller, ND, LM, Founding Member
My love of working with women and children has been with me most of my life. I graduated in 1990 from Western Washington University with a B.S. in Natural Medicine and an emphasis in nutrition. When I found Bastyr University, I knew that I had found a way to work in women's health and continue care for babies, adolescents and adults. I was graduated from Bastyr with my Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine in 1994 and my certificate in Midwifery from Bastyr in 1996. I practiced in Redmond until May of 2001 when I left to have my own child.

Shortly after giving birth to my son, Eric, I developed postpartum depression. As a Naturopath and Midwife, I thought this would never happen to me. My journey to recover from this very real condition led to re-examine my own health care as I received help in the form of counseling and medications.

I share my experience because if you are visiting this website, you are probably either expecting a child, or working with women and families who are pregnant or postpartum. I want everyone to know that postpartum depression can happen to anyone and that, we at Puget Sound Birth Center are committed to helping women and their families through that most vulnerable and important time – after the birth of the baby.

My focus is on my family now, but I will return to my Naturopathic Family Practice again with emphasis on women's health and pediatrics. Until then, I proudly support my co-founders and the other practitioners here at Puget Sound Midwives and Birth Center.


Lee Anne Shelley, LM, Founder of PSMBC
To those of us who work closely with LeeAnne Shelley, it is clear that midwifery in Washington State looks very different because of her vision. As the founder of Puget Sound Birth Center, LeeAnne sought to fill a great need in our community…to provide families with safe, gentle, out-of-hospital birth options and midwifery care while respecting their role as the primary caregivers for their family, AND, as the first "cooperative model" birth center, to provide expectant families with greater access to the community of midwives in the Puget Sound area.

This idea, to create a freestanding birth center that would grant practice privileges to qualified midwives, greatly changed the face of out-of-hospital birth in the western Washington and LeeAnne was honored by the Seattle Midwifery School and awarded the Fremont Birth Collective Award for "innovation and commitment to midwifery".

As a practicing midwife, LeeAnne touched the lives of many families providing generous and compassionate care. Although LeeAnne is no longer an owner of PSMBC, her legacy continues in the exemplary care the midwives give to all of the diverse families who come through the doors of the birth center.