Susan Claypool
Susan Claypool
is a mother and midwife. Attending women in childbirth at home, hospital, and
birth center since 1982, Susan is a co-founder of Renaissance Woman Midwifery, a maternity care service established in 1988.
Susan
has caught babies presenting head first, face first, butt first, feet
first, sunny-side-up, and two at a time. The youngest woman Susan delivered was just 13, and the oldest 43.
Susan drafted model midwifery legislation for California and served as
legislative chair for the California Association of Midwives in the late '80s/early 90s. In 1998
she successfully challenged the California midwifery license, choosing, ultimately, to remain a lay midwife.
Susan
has lectured on midwifery at UCSF Medical School, Stanford University
School of Medicine, California State University, UC Santa Barbara, California Institute
for Integral Studies, New College of California, Casa de Nacimiento, the Pacific School of Herbal Medicine, and at Boalt Hall, UC Berkeley.
Susan appeared on the cover of the East Bay Guardian and her work was featured on CNN. She has been a guest on the television show
People Are Talking, and her radio appearances include KQED and NPR.
Susan
studied didactic midwifery with Elizabeth Davis, and clinical midwifery
with Linda Arnold and Valerie El Halta.
Susan
is the mother of two, Alexis Klohe Claypool, 30, and Tucker Klohe Phelps, 24, each born
surrounded by family and friends, and with midwives in attendance.
Kaye Jarrett
Kaye Jarrett is an apprentice midwife and certified medical assistant with
Renaissance Woman Midwifery.
Kaye is currently completing a homebirth apprenticeship with Faith Gibson.
In April 2007 Kaye completed a clinical internship at Casa de Nacimiento in El Paso, Texas and
in February 2009 Kaye returned to Casa to serve clients and interns as
a clinical resident.
Kaye brings to Renaissance Midwifery attendance at over 250 births and a decade of caring for mothers and their babies. Kaye
has cared for women in a high volume OB-GYN practice, in hospital,
birth center, and at home.
Kaye
is the mother of Moira Kate, 10, and Griffin Wolf, 3, each born at home
surrounded by family and friends, and with midwives in attendance.
Gary Wade McCrea
Gary Wade McCrea is
a masseur to midwives.
Gary began his massage training in 1968 in
the West Catholic Sensitivity Training Program at West Philadelphia
Catholic High School in Pennsylvania, and in 1971 continued his study
of Swedish massage at the Lynn School of Massage in Lynn,
Massachusetts, completing his formal program in 1972.
Gary
says his early home training is still the best training he ever
received. Gary credits his mother, noted anesthesiologist Daisy
McCrea, for his caring, awareness, attention to fine detail, and, most
especially, for his ability to recognize, understand, and meet the need for respite
and rejuvenation among mothers and health care providers themselves.
Gary
Wade McCrea has practiced massage for nearly 40 years, the last
15 years focusing on the needs of women in pregnancy and the postpartum, and the midwives who care for them.
Gary is the father of two daughters, Mary, 41, and Lilah, 21. He lives in Oakland, California with three cats.
