We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Emily Schultz. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Emily below.

Emily, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you recount a time when the advice you provided to a client was really spot on? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

If I could sit across from every woman and share just a handful of things that truly matter during the childbearing year, it wouldn’t be complicated.

Partner with a provider you trust.
Take care of your body.
Tune in to your baby.
Trust your intuition.
Be flexible.

That’s really it—but within that simplicity is so much power.

Firstly, women and families do best when they partner with a provider they really trust. Someone they trust is truly on their team, with shared goals. A strong partnership allows for open communication, thoughtful guidance, and shared decision-making. A skilled provider helps recognize potential risks early and works alongside the mother, offering wise guidance, to proactively reduce and minimize those risks—supporting her in reaching her goals.

But, even in the best partnership, the mother’s role is far more important. The daily choices she makes have a powerful impact on both her and her baby’s health.

One of the most meaningful ways a woman can care for herself and her baby is by eating really well. Not always perfectly, but intentionally. Nourishing our bodies with real, whole foods takes discipline in our society—but here’s the truth: the mothers who choose my care are already some of the most disciplined people out there! (I definitely have the most amazing clients!) They are willing—and often really excited—to make any changes necessary that will support their bodies and their babies. When hard things arise (like rising BP, glucose issues, etc.) and they have to tighten their diet up even further, they just do it! Women are capable of doing really hard things. I witness this every day, and I stand in absolute awe of them.

Every nourishing choice a woman makes is an investment, not just in her pregnancy, but in her baby’s lifelong health. I often recommend the book Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols. It’s practical, evidence-based, and empowering for women to learn how to nourish their bodies and their babies well during the childbearing year.

These choices don’t just help women feel better—they can meaningfully impact overall risk in pregnancy. When women consistently nourish their bodies, stay hydrated, remain active, and stay engaged in their care, they are often able to support their bodies in maintaining a low-risk status. Healthy, intentional habits can even play a role in reducing the likelihood of pregnancy-related complications. While not every outcome is within our control, there is real empowerment in knowing that daily choices can support the body in functioning well—and in many cases, help women avoid or minimize the need for medical intervention. I could tell hundreds of stories of women whose risk status was beginning to shift, and who were able to support their bodies, very intentionally, to stabilize and reduce those risks.

(((Also, add a great chiropractor and pelvic floor therapist to your team! You won’t regret it!)))

But beyond the physical, there is something just as important—if not more so. The spiritual aspect… the piece we can’t see.

Spend time each day connecting with your baby.

Slow down for a moment. Even if it’s when the house is finally quiet each night. Pay attention to their movement. Pray, reflect, or simply sit in quiet connection. Let your mind wander and imagine all the beautiful things your baby will do and the joy they will bring to your family. Imagine who they will become.

Sit with gratitude.

These moments of quiet connection are not small—they are deeply impactful for both you and your baby. They help you tune in, bond, and begin building a relationship together long before birth.

And then, the most important advice I can give you:

Trust your instincts.

More than any checklist, more than any birth plan, more than anything you’ve written down or imagined—your intuition matters. I believe women are created with deep intention, with powerful instincts and often have a strong inner sense of knowing. For me, that reflects God’s design—but however you understand it, that inner wisdom is not random. It is one of the ways we are guided and protected.

I often remind women to trust that inner sense of peace even more than their birth plan.

For example: If you planned a water birth, but your body needs to move—get out of the water and move. Don’t stay because you only imagined giving birth in the water. If you feel the need to make certain sounds, change positions, rest, or shift directions—listen. If you want someone in or out of your space, say that. Birth isn’t the time to be a people pleaser. If something doesn’t feel right at any point, never ignore that feeling. In fact, say it out loud! And just as importantly, if everything feels calm, peaceful, and right—trust that too.

When you feel a deep sense of peace, there is often something very right about that. Follow where you feel that peace. Let that be your guide.

When I have a client planning what might be considered a “higher-risk” birth—breech, twins, or other variations—while we are in the planning phases, I always come back to this. I ask her to really check in and follow where she feels peace. And I also remind her not to ignore it if she doesn’t, just because she wants a home birth.

Of course, we make these shared decisions based on the clinical data as well—that piece really matters. But the clinical picture is not the whole picture. The full picture also includes wisdom, experience, open communication, teamwork, and—very importantly—following where we feel peace, paired with wisdom.

One more thing I gently remind women of: Be willing to adapt. Birth doesn’t always unfold exactly the way we imagined, and that’s okay. Birth is such a dynamic event. There is so much strength and power in being able to shift, stay open, and respond to what is happening in the moment. We can prepare, plan, and dream—but ultimately, we can only control what is ours to control. And when the direction of the birth occasionally changes, it does not mean you have failed or that something has gone wrong. It often just means your body, your baby, and your story are unfolding in a different way than you expected. Staying flexible, grounded, and open allows you to move with your birth instead of against it—and that is where so much peace can be found.

Birth changes us. It rewrites us. Our experiences stay with us forever.

At the end of the day, it all comes back to this—

Control the things that you can control.
Care for your body intentionally.
Connect to your baby purposefully.
Learn to follow where you feel peace.
Be willing to adapt and surrender.

There is so much strength in this!

You don’t have to do this perfectly. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You simply have to stay present, stay open, stay intentional, and be willing to surrender.

Women are incredibly capable. Their bodies are very wise. And when they are well supported, nourished, intentional, and trusted—women and their babies can do amazing things together!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a holistic home birth midwife (who is also certified and licensed)—and in many ways, this work feels like it began long before I ever chose it.

I was born at home with just my parents present. After my mother being dissatisfied with her hospital births, she decided she wanted to stay home.

Luckily, my dad whole heartedly believed in and supported her.

Unfortunately, they were unable to find a midwife, so my parents prepared the best way he knew how. My dad read everything he could about birth and emergency care. He boiled scissors and shoelaces and mentally walked through every possible scenario. My mother was healthy, I was healthy, and in the end, there were no emergencies to manage. They both approached my birth with wisdom, intention, and deep trust—and that story has always stayed with me.

From the time I was a little girl, I was drawn to birth. I knew I wanted to be a mother, and I was fascinated by pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding. In high school, I even chose to study Latin instead of Spanish because I thought I would go to medical school and become an OB/GYN. At that time, I didn’t even realize that midwives were still attending births at home.

Over time, I found my way back to what felt most aligned. I originally began serving women in my community as a direct entry midwife. After a while, I decided to pursue certification. I always want to offer care that is not only clinically skilled, but also deeply honorable, ethical, and wise.

I provide holistic care for women and babies throughout the childbearing year. My practice blends clinical knowledge with a deep respect for the design and the natural physiology of birth. I always advise women with the use of nutrition, herbs, vitamins, minerals, etc. But, I draw and order labs, write for ultrasounds, start IVs, and have access and experience to use many other clinical tools when they are helpful—but always with the intention of supporting women in remaining low-risk and in optimal health.

What truly sets my care apart, though, is trust.

I trust the process of birth. I trust women. I trust babies.

If a baby remains breech after we’ve thoughtfully explored options to encourage turning, I don’t automatically see that as something that needs to be controlled—I approach it with careful clinical assessment, informed choice, and respect. If the data supports a reasonable option for vaginal breech birth, and (both I and) the mother feels deeply at peace with that decision, I trust her. I don’t believe we have to understand everything in order to honor it.

And more than anything, I care deeply about the relationships I build with my clients.

For me, it goes far beyond providing care—I truly get to know and love the women and families I serve. I love their babies. I love their older children. I love watching mothers grow in confidence and step into their strength. By the time we reach their six-week postpartum visit, it’s often emotional for me—I have to hold back tears because I don’t want to say goodbye.

This work is not just what I do—it’s something I feel deeply called to. It is an honor to walk alongside women and families during such a transformative time in their lives.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

My reputation has been built on integrity, my trust in physiological birth, my strong clinical skill set, and the genuine relationships I develop with the families I serve (and love!).

I take my role in their lives seriously—not just in providing safe, skilled, and wise care, but in showing up with honesty, consistency, and respect for each family’s unique experience.

Word-of-mouth has honestly been my greatest form of advertisement. The families I’ve had the privilege of serving often share their experiences with others, and that trust continues to grow organically. There is nothing more meaningful to me than being recommended by a mother who felt truly cared for, respected, and supported during such an important, powerful, and vulnerable time in her life!

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Beyond the importance of having a strong skill set and plenty of experience and knowledge to draw from, I believe the most important qualities for succeeding in this work are discernment, humility, and the ability to truly connect with people.

Discernment is what allows a midwife to recognize when everything is progressing normally—and when something subtle is shifting that needs our attention. Birth doesn’t always follow a script, so it takes both experience and intuition to navigate it well.

Humility is just as important. No matter how many births I have attended, I have to respect that birth is powerful and, at times, unpredictable. It’s essential that I always prioritize the well-being of the families that I serve over any sense of ego. Rarely that means recognizing when a higher level of care is needed. In those moments, it can feel like I’m letting a family down—but in reality, it’s the opposite. That kind of discernment is part of what they’ve trusted me for. It’s not failure—it’s wisdom, and it’s an important part of truly honoring and caring for my clients.

And then there’s connection. This work is deeply relational. Women and families are inviting us into one of the most vulnerable and transformative experiences of their lives. Being able to build trust, listen well, and genuinely care for each family makes all the difference—not just in outcomes, but in how women feel about – and remember their births.

Those qualities—discernment, humility, and connection—are what turn the knowledge I have acquired into the wise, grounded care that I always do my very best to offer.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://homebirth.love
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/OhioMidwife
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OhioMidwife
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ohio-midwife
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ohio-midwife-yellow-springs

Image Credits

Amy T. Green, Bernard J. Green, Whitney Denson, Jordan Barker, Stephanie North