Skip to main content

Erin Morris DeFields

Certified Nurse Midwife
See All Midwives
My desire to become a midwife began in high school. I had the privilege of access to a vocational program for high school students where I was trained as a nurse’s assistant on a labor unit. I quickly fell in love with the beauty and power of labor and birth. My sights were already set on nursing school, so the CNM route was a natural addition to that goal. I attended Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing in Peoria, Illinois where I did my senior internship with NaPro physicians. It was there that I first experienced the unique joy of watching women love their bodies through the lens of their fertility. As a nurse, I worked on an LDRP (labor, delivery, recovery, postpartum) unit, and then in oral and maxillofacial surgery. I attended Georgetown University, earning my nurse midwifery degree. Throughout midwifery school, I intentionally sought out clinical rotations that would allow me to learn about and serve diverse populations and continue to shape my identity as a Catholic midwife. The joy of catching babies surpassed my wildest expectations! Now years after attending my first birth, the feeling never grows old – every birth brings its own unique joy! My favorite part of birth is the face of the mother as she sees her baby for the first time.Experiencing pregnancy, birth, and postpartum myself offered me a new perspective of women’s bodies as well as the importance of a supportive prenatal and birth team.I am exceptionally passionate about a woman and her family’s right to informed choices. My favorite part of being a midwife is educating families and supporting them throughout their decision-making process.My wonderful husband, Justin, and I met as children growing up at St. Patrick Church of Merna in Bloomington, Illinois, which is also where we were married in May of 2019 and where our son was baptized in December of 2022. In my free time, I love to run, bake, and play the piano.