Deena Licht RN, IBCLC, RLC, SM
Background
I am Deena Licht. I am married to a wonderful, supportive husband, Lloyd and mother to 7 beautiful children. I feel that my first calling is my Lord and my family.
I was first called to midwifery as a teenager. After having my first child I decided to go to nursing school to become a labor and delivery nurse. I did not even know midwives existed at that time, I just knew I had to be with mommas and babies. I graduated nursing school in 1996 and worked in the newborn nursery. In 1997, I took my boards to become a lactation consultant. I transferred to the NICU and enjoyed more challenges. I was still restless and did not know where God was calling me. I transferred down to the breastfeeding resource center in the hospital that I had worked at.
In 2001 my husband was called to seminary in Texas. While in Texas, I worked Labor and Delivery and Mother/Baby care at two busy hospitals. When we moved back to Oklahoma, I worked in Labor and Delivery at 2 different hospitals and was just unable to continue to do it. It seemed so impersonal, more like a factory line, than the miracle God meant it to be. I went back to working in Lactation.
In 2004, I knew I was supposed to become a midwife. I knew I was called and I could look back over my life and see all the training He had prepared for me. I enrolled in a program and bought all my books and then became pregnant with Chloe. I put it on hold and just read anything I could get ahold of. Prior to her birth, I had worked just a few hours a week and after her birth, I took 3 months off and then worked 2-3 days a month.
In 2007 I had started looking around for a midwife to apprentice with and God called us to become foster parents, so again I put it on hold for a few months. Sarah needed my time and she was worth it.
When things in our life slowed some and I was able to start apprenticing with an experienced midwife in the Tulsa area. I apprenticed for almost 3 years and between my apprenticeship and my previous experience, I have attended over 350 births. I now work with a few different NARM qualified preceptors. My goal is to apply to take the NARM exam and become a certified professional midwife in the next few years.
My Certifications include:
RN (registered nurse)
IBCLC (board certified lacation consultant also know as a RLC or registered lactation consultant)
NRP (neonatal resucitation)
AHA BLS-CPR instructor (Americal Heart Association basic life support, CPR instructor)
DONA Doula training workshop (not DONA certified)
The Farm Advanced Midwifery Workshop