Karilynn Potthast

Student Midwife/Tokology Assistant

Personal: Mother of 5 girls and grandmother to one! I grew up in a home where my own mother babysat small children. I would hear birth stories all the time and they never ceased to amaze me. As a late teen and young adult, I struggled with 4 different reproductive issues and had to have multiple surgeries, I have come to have a healthy respect for the body and what it can accomplish, even when we don’t understand what is going on inside. 

Background: Been doing birth work since 2019 and love every minute of it. Started my midwifery journey at The Nizhoni Institute of Midwifery and finished at The National Midwifery Institute.

Thoughts on birth and midwifery work:

I love to help parents become more independent in their choices for birth.

I believe birth is a sacred family event that should be treated with humble respect and a privilege to be a part of.

My favorite aspect of birth is the newborn’s first cry. I LOVE to hear the voice of new life that has just joined us. It’s almost like the baby is saying, “I’m here! I’m here!!” I also love telling the newborn “Happy Birthday” for the first time. I love seeing the parents’ faces when the realize today is their baby’s birth day.

The fascinating part about birth, for me, is learning about the placenta and all it’s functionality. I am absolutely captivated by how it works and the pathology afterwards. Every placenta tells a story about pregnancy.

I joined the field of tokology because of my life long preoccupation with birth. I’ve heard it said, “There is 1000 variations of a normal birth”. I fully believe this to be true. 

​​Kate Potthast​

The Midwives at Family Centered Birth

Midwifery is quality healthcare for pregnant women. As midwives, we’re very passionate about women being able to give birth in the atmosphere that they are most comfortable in. The midwives at Family Centered Birth are caring, passionate women who want to serve those that choose to birth under the midwifery model of care.

Kate’s Professional Experience:​
​Kate has attended hundreds of out-of-hospital births. She has assisted women with vaginal birth after caesarian (VBAC), gestational diabetes, advanced maternal age, infertility issues, IVF, and asthma.

LeighAnn Bollschweiler-Taylor

Karilynn is currently working as the office manager for Family Centered Birth.

​Meet Our Team

Kate is a Licensed Midwife (LM) and a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), licensed by the California Medical Board.  In addition to being a midwife, Kate enjoys photography, reading, spending time with her family, and taking an active role in issues pertaining to the empowerment of women. 

Call Us:  (951) 315-6155

Kate’s Personal Studies:
​In her spare time, Kate studies the conditions necessary to create optimal human health through the use of diet, supplementation, epigenetics, herbs, essential oils, homeopathic medication, and far more. She is always reading and listening to audio books to further her knowledge and understanding of human health and how to create optimal health in the body.

Go here to read the full interview with Kate Potthast, LM, CPM

Kate's Education & Certifications​:
​Licensed Midwife by the Medical Board of California
Certified Professional Midwife by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)
Associate of Science in Midwifery (ASM)
Neonatal Resuscitation Certification (NRP)
Certification in Cardiopulmonary Resusication (CPR)
Doula Training & Advanced Doula Training
Breastfeeding Counselor
Nutritional Herbologist Certification (School of Natural Healing)
Professional Photography Certification from New York Institute of Photography (NYIP)

Kate's Philosophy

I fell in love with pregnancy and motherhood during my first pregnancy.  To me, pregnancy was a miracle and motherhood a joy.  I fell in love with the birth process after my second child was born, this time at home with a midwife.  I had never experienced anything so powerful, so challenging, or so beautiful. I knew then that I wanted to help other women have the kind of empowering birth experience that I had.  I wanted to provide safe, supportive and loving care for women as they crossed the threshold into motherhood. 

My passion for birth, for women and for babies has only increased over the years.  I have been supporting women during childbirth in the various capacities of doula, student midwife, birth assistant, and primary care midwife since 2009.  As a Licensed Midwife, I look forward to serving you as you plan your birth. I believe that birth is inherently a natural process, and that it can be both beautiful and empowering.  Each birth experience is unique and every baby is a brand new miracle.  

​As a Licensed Midwife, my role is to support and educate you during pregnancy and birth so that you are able to make informed decisions regarding your care.  My goal is to help you have a safe and fulfilling birth experience.