Midwife Brooke Schmoe shares with Michelle the incredible and inspirational story of her journey to becoming a midwife and her calling to provide high-caliber health care to women in all stages of life. Brooke believes that every woman deserves to be heard, helped, and supported by competent providers who care about her. Thus, The Midwife Bus was born! No one is turned away, regardless of their health history, socioeconomic status, or inability to pay.

The Midwife Bus is a retired Bloodbank bus that has been renovated into an ultramodern midwifery clinic on wheels. It was first purchased by Charlie Rae Young, a Tampa midwife, who pioneered the idea of a mobile midwifery clinic to provide care to underserved populations. Brooke was inspired by Charlie’s work (and by a serendipitously timed NPR interview with Dr. James O’Connell, a doctor for the homeless in Boston). After working at a high-volume birth center in Orlando, Florida, she was determined to do something with her midwifery training that would bring quality women’s health care to the most vulnerable women in her hometown of Osceola County, Florida.

When Brooke reached out to her, Charlie happened to be looking for a new home for the bus, as her philanthropic efforts had taken her in a different direction. She willingly gifted the bus to her to continue spreading the important work she had begun.

Starting with a lot of passion but very few resources to help make this dream a reality, Brooke came across a grant opportunity offered by a local hospital chain, Orlando Health. The Midwife bus was blessed to be chosen out of dozens of applicants to receive their top Community Benefit Grant award in 2019. These resources allowed Brooke to complete phase two of the bus renovation and to get the bus back out on the road again!

Brooke also serves as a homebirth midwife for Central Florida Families.

"I am driving a bus. Like, just little ol' me, driving a bus. It's so random. But it's working, and really God is using me to touch so many people. And, just to help where people wouldn't normally have any options or any resources. Just being able to help them, it's been amazing."—Brooke Schmoe

About Brooke:

Brooke Schmoe is a native of Kissimmee, Florida. She grew up amongst the medical journals and birth stories of her OBGYN father, which sparked an interest in women’s health from an early age. Birthing her first daughter under the care of a midwife inspired her to pursue midwifery as a profession. She went on to have three more home births (all girls!) under the care of amazing midwives. She graduated in 2015 from The Florida School of Traditional Midwifery in Gainesville, Florida. She began dreaming about The Midwife Bus concept after working at a high volume practice and seeing the blatant disparities in education, pregnancy health, emotional health, birth outcomes, and quality of life between the wealthy and indigent families. Wanting to bring gentle, respectful care into all neighborhoods, she founded The Midwife Bus in 2018. Brooke cares sincerely about educating women, giving them autonomy over their own healthcare, and connecting families with resources that will help them establish self-reliance. She currently resides in South-East Orlando with her husband Nathan and their four daughters.

Connect with Brooke:

Donate: The Midwife Bus

Website: https://themidwifebus.org/

Facebook: @themidwifebus

Instagram: @themidwifebus

Connect with Michelle Smith:

Classes with Michelle: birtheaseservices.com/birth-ease-childbirth-education, birtheasehypnobirth.com/hypnobirthing-classes-orlando-michelle

Facebook: Birth Ease, The Birth Ease Podcast, Birth Ease Baby Loss Support

Instagram: @birtheasemichellesmith, @birtheaselossssupport

YouTube: Birth Ease

LinkedIn: Birth Ease Michelle Smith

Website: BirthEaseServices.com birtheasehypnobirth.com