A birth and wellness haven where community is seen, heard, respected, and treated like royalty
Birth options are needed
Birth is expensive
The average cost for a vaginal hospital birth in the United States is
$13,562
Lack of personalization
Many places don’t offer personalized well-person, gyn and prenatal care, which can leave people feeling unheard during important times when they need support the most
Safe options are necessary
Right now, there aren’t any options in Missouri between giving birth at home or in a hospital for a safe delivery
A new birth and wellness center in St Louis is the solution
Imagine, for a moment, feeling safe and trusting in your healthcare. Feeling supported holistically. Knowing that your voice will be heard, your knowledge of self respected, your needs met, and your questions answered. Now imagine that is how you experience your health care. This is the type of care that makes health care and birthing experiences beautiful, even when challenging…. and it is the caliber of care that will be received in the Nurture Birth & Health center setting.
Birth Center births save money and have better outcomes
Personalized care
At Nurture Birth & Health, an obstetrician, midwives, and an advanced nurse practitioner work together…
and YOU are the center of your care
Why the midwifery model?
The midwifery model of care has been proven to:
lower C-section rates
lower preterm birth rates
improve the health of the birth person & baby
increase breastfeeding success
increase satisfaction with birth experience
About Us
The Board members of Nurture Birth & Health Foundation LLC came together in 2024 with a passion and drive to create an alternative health care option for birthing people & families in the St Louis area. The Nurture building project is currently in the startup phase and is moving toward purchasing the permanent home.
At Nurture Birth & Health, our mission is to provide a safe and respectful environment where the community feels centered and supported in their birthing and healthcare journeys. We are committed to offering comprehensive, personalized care that empowers individuals and families, ensuring a deeply caring, safe and wellness-focused experience. Every person is treated with the highest level of respect and care - like royalty.
Our Core Values:
COLLABORATION
We strive to collaborate within our neighborhood and larger community to be a bridge to empowered, knowledgeable, supportive, safe & inclusive health care.
REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE
We empower every individual’s right to make decisions about their body, family and community. We emphasize the right of all individuals to make informed decisions about their healthcare experiences, and, when pregnant, the setting in which they choose to birth. We will uphold the 3 core values of reproductive justice: the right to have children, the right to not have children, and the right to nurture the children we have in a safe and healthy environment.
QUALITY
We are committed to providing quality care that provides a joyful and uplifting experience. We prioritize evidence-based practice and accountability to ensure our efforts result in meaningful and sustainable outcomes for individuals, staff, and the community.
EQUITY
We strive to decrease disparities in the health of birthing people and infants by ensuring all individuals have access to quality prenatal, birthing, and postpartum care regardless of race, class, gender, or socioeconomic background.
WELLBEING
We promote the physical, emotional, and psychological health of our staff, patients, and community by offering holistic services and prioritizing balance.
AUTHENTICITY
We believe authenticity means being truthful, direct, and realistic in how we show up and in our interactions. We believe in honoring the diversity of human experiences, recognizing that each person is unique and deserving of respect. We strive to create a safe and inclusive environment free from prejudice and discrimination, where everyone feels valued and understood.
Board Members
Executive Director Elena Jenkins, BSN, RN, DNP student, has dedicated the past 20 years to advocating for and supporting families through labor and delivery in a variety of roles, including staff nurse, charge nurse, flight nurse, and nurse manager. Her passion lies in providing respectful, autonomous care and creating safe, nurturing environments for birthing individuals. She is deeply committed to improving maternal health outcomes and reducing maternal mortality rates through family-centered maternity care. A champion for birth equity, Elena has worked with organizations such as the Alliance for Innovation On Maternal Health (AIM) and the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative (ILPQC). She also serves as the Missouri state treasurer for the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN). Elena is a commissioned visual artist, using large scale oil paintings to bring life and advocacy to her experiences. She is a partner, mother of three beautiful daughters, and grandmother to four beloved grandchildren.
Midwife Hali Ledet, MPH, MSN, CNM, FNP-BC is a midwife and family nurse practitioner. Originally from Lafayette, La., Hali completed her public health studies at Tulane University in New Orleans, receiving her master’s degree in public health in Maternal Child Health from Tulane University in New Orleans. She then went on to earn her master’s degree in nursing at Vanderbilt University so that she could provide holistic care to birthing people and their families across the lifespan. Her experience in the realm of reproductive and sexual health is expansive and has included roles in academia, community engagement, and the clinical space. Her work is deeply rooted in a reproductive justice and health equity framework. Hali is especially committed to addressing racial disparities in health outcomes and providing compassionate, high-quality care for LGBTQIA+ folx. She believes healthcare belongs to the community and gives gratitude to the Black Southern Grand Midwives who paved the way before her.
Midwife Tiraé Abernathy, MPH, MSN, CNM, FNP-BC, is a St. Louis native, and a product of both Hazelwood School District and Lutheran High School North. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University where she also discovered her passion to improve and address racial disparities in maternal and infant health. This led her to return to St. Louis to pursue a master’s degree in Public Health with an emphasis in Maternal Child Health at Washington University in Saint Louis. She then earned her master’s in Nursing from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing and became a Certified Nurse Midwife and Family Nurse Practitioner.
Dr. Amy C. Bilyeu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women’s Health at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and works for SSM SLUCare, where she has served in various capacities since joining in 2015. As the Associate Residency Program Director, Dr. Bilyeu is committed to fostering the development of future obstetricians and gynecologists through innovative education and mentorship.
Dr. Bilyeu earned her Doctor of Medicine from Saint Louis University with Distinction in Community Service, following a Bachelor of Arts in Biology, Summa Cum Laude. She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington Hospital Center/Georgetown University Hospital. Her clinical practice spans multiple institutions in the St. Louis area, where she is actively involved in quality improvement initiatives and resident education.
An advocate for maternal and infant health, Dr. Bilyeu is engaged in community service through various organizations. She has received several accolades, including numerous teaching awards and the St. Louis Business Journal 40 Under 40 Award, recognizing her contributions to medical education and community health.
Dr. Bilyeu is passionate about addressing disparities in healthcare and has led quality improvement initiatives focused on mental health and maternal care. Her extensive work includes involvement in committees aimed at enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the medical field.
In her role at Saint Louis University, Dr. Bilyeu continues to inspire medical students and residents alike, emphasizing the importance of compassionate care in women’s health. While she is not trying to improve maternal and infant care in the St Louis area she is raising her young son and daughter to be kind humans who will make their impact on the world seen and heard!
Carolyn Mank, CNM, IBCLC, is a certified nurse midwife specializing in breastfeeding/lactation science, natural childbirth, and family planning. She cares for teens and women of childbearing agewith special focus on preventive care, prenatal care and lactation support. She enjoys personalizing her approach to health care to meet the needs of each individual. Her research interests include: social factors that influence duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding; women & perceptions of the birth experience; and trauma-informedmidwifery care. Mank is a member of the St. Louis Breastfeeding Coalition, the American College of Nurse Midwives, International Lactation Consultant Association and the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. When not teaching or attending births, she enjoys creating vegan meals, essential oil blends, and spending time outdoors with her children.
