Meet a Legacy Midwife: Wendy Berger
August 10, 2023
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What are some hobbies or activities you love to do outside of work?
"When not working, you can find me (or maybe you can't) traveling, reading, swimming, kayaking, hiking, biking, or sleeping when I'm lucky."
What do you love most about being a midwife?
"What I love most about being a midwife is taking the time to explain things to patients and their support team that they might not otherwise understand. Knowledge is power, and I want the people I care for to leave their visits with me, and their birth experience, recognizing how powerful they are."
Why did you choose to pursue a career as a midwife?
"I decided to become a nurse-midwife at the age of 21 after a fight with a boyfriend that coincided with an appointment for a check-up at Planned Parenthood. Surrounded by women taking care of women, I thought to myself, ‘This is what I want to do, work in a place with no jerky men around. And also, wouldn't it be fun to deliver babies?’. I made up with my boyfriend (who, 40 years later, is still a friend of mine), changed my tune about men, and applied to nursing school. Over 33 years later, I still love what I do and cannot imagine myself in another profession."
What's something you feel is important for women to know about midwifery?
"Something I feel is important for people to know about midwives is that we practice in many different settings. While some midwives attend births at home and in freestanding birth centers, most nurse-midwives in the United States work in hospitals. At Legacy Health, our patients are supported as they labor and birth in whatever way works best for them and their babies. In practice, this means that while some patients choose to have an un-medicated water birth, others want any and all of the pain management options available."
What is one word you would use to describe yourself?
"One word I would use to describe myself is direct. I'm from New York, and that becomes abundantly clear when you meet me."
