~ a midwife for every mother ~
Gentle Beginnings Midwifery Care is a solo midwifery practice with 2nd birth attendant and backup support from two other midwives providing services in the area. It is a small and growing community practice encompassing full scope of maternity care and continuity of care throughout the childbearing cycle. It conducts births both at home and in hospital. The local hospital is midwife and baby friendly and does between 150-200 births annually.

Christina Blackmore,
Registered Midwife

Christina has felt a deep interest in birth since a child, but did not begin to follow this interest professionally until she started the nursing program at Selkirk College in 1995 after having several children of her own. She graduated as a RN in 1998, followed by experience in acute care nursing in both hospital and home care and a two year maternity nursing program through Mount Royal College with practical experience at Victoria General Hospital.

Midwifery experience for Christina began as a second birth attendant for Jane Blackmore, (the only registered midwife in the area) starting in 2000 and experienced a home birth herself in 2001. Her previous births were in hospital due to the fact that midwifery care was previously unavailable.

Christina was inspired to pursue midwifery training due to the growing need for increased midwifery services in the Creston area. She received a midwifery diploma through the Seattle Midwifery School in 2003 and successfully completed the exams and requirements for registration in BC later in the same year. She took a short reprieve after the home birth of her son in Dec 2003 before working for 3 months in a busy midwifery practice in Nelson, BC in preparation for opening her own midwifery practice in the Creston Valley.

Provision of care in a variety of settings, including home, hospital and birth center, is an integral part or Christina’s midwifery training. She gained her practical experience By working in several different midwifery practices including practices in BC, Idaho & Washington performing primarily home and birth center births. Her hospital experience took place overseas in St Lucia as well as with Kootenay Community Midwives in Nelson, BC. Christina has participated in teaching childbirth education classes for a number of years and supports alternative therapies such as homeopathy and aromatherapy. She is also a practicing certified herbalist and enjoys compounding her own herbal remedies when time allows.

Christina believes strongly in supporting informed choice for women and families and feels that maintaining a holistic approach each woman’s needs is vital to effective maternity/infant care.

"Thank you to Christina for her attentive care and expertise during the birth of our daughter. Christina was a great support, before, during and after Brianna's birth. She was compassionate, knowledgeable, and shared her wisdom in a non-judgemental, friendly way. We were very impressed with the breadth of experience and understanding Christina demonstrated, and would highly recommend her services to other new or expecting parents. Thanks Christina!"
- Chris Holland and Serene Stewart