About Tema Mercado, Midwife of La Matriz Birth

My Journey into Birth Work

My journey into birth work began unexpectedly in my late 20s. A visit to a friend who had just given birth to her first daughter changed everything. Listening to her share her magical natural birth experience, complete with doula support and an encapsulated placenta, left me awash with emotions and questions.

Why hadn’t my own birth experience been like that? I hadn’t even known such experiences were possible.

Shortly after, I enrolled in the earliest available birth doula training in my area. After supporting around 30 births as a doula, I was unexpectedly heartbroken after witnessing and feeling like a bystander to obstetric violence, deception, and the spiritual devastation experienced by women during unnecessarily traumatic births. While this didn’t occur at every birth, it happened enough times to leave a significant mark on me. When my doula work began to echo my previous role as a Sexual Assault Advocate—needing to ensure my clients were treated with respect and honesty—I knew it was time for a change.

I value hospitals and the higher level of care they provide, not to mention the excellent care providers doing their best. However, this does not dismiss the routine interventions that often lead to, if not traumatic births, then very unsatisfied birthing experiences for families. I realized that to effect real change, I needed to become their care provider.

So, I began manifesting a path to Midwifery education. Despite limited resources, my unwavering vision and determined heart led me to secure a grant that covered my midwifery school tuition. I also secured dream apprenticeships with experienced midwives providing care at the U.S.-Mexico Border. It felt as though the universe had been waiting for me to find my way into midwifery, as everything unfolded seamlessly before my eyes.

My journey has been deeply personal as well. I myself became a mother when I was 15 years old. My first pregnancy was shadowed by doubt, shame, and a whole lot of judgment. I left my first birth feeling like a failure, and that’s how I initiated my parenthood journey. My second child was a horrific induction that ended with me yelling at my doctor to prevent an episiotomy. I gave birth to my 9-pound son with no tears. After becoming a doula, I had my third child at a birth center with midwives, and this changed my life. During this birth I had the opportunity to reclaim by sovereignty and internal power. My last two boys were born at home, again with the help of midwives.

My home births were beautiful and sacred, but each came with its own complications, including shoulder dystocia and a hemorrhage. My boys and I are well and healthy because my midwives were well-trained and skilled at handling obstetric emergencies. As a mother, I have experienced both traumatizing births and empowering ones. This has fueled my passion to ensure that every birthing person has the chance to have a safe and dignified birth experience.

The journey so far has been breathtaking.

Birth work has transformed my life for the better. It’s not always easy—in fact, it’s mostly hard—but I can confidently say it has been worth it. There is nothing like attending home births to keep you both on your toes and humbled to your knees.

What consistent feedback do you get from your past clients?

My clients always appreciate my unique and caring presence. They appreciate the different therapeutic therapies that I utilize. They say I am wise, encouraging, empowering yet calm.

My clients most enjoy our prenatal visits and all the education that is packed into our sessions.

“Tema is an amazing midwife who counseled me through the loss of my 4th pregnancy. She was able to give me medical, practical, and emotional help through the process of miscarrying my precious babe. I will be forever grateful for her warm and caring heart. She has a true passion for midwifery and for helping women. Thank you, Tema!” ~ Gabriela G.

“Tema is very thorough, prepared, compassionate and has excellent clinical knowledge as well as healing intuition. Her presence is calm and steady, allowing space for the birthing process, yet she has the capacity to guide and lead when it is needed and wanted. “ – Alecka H.

“Tema’s temperament is very calm yet confident and informative. I always knew she was making the right call and had all the information available. This is crucial when you are all emotion!” – Rebecca W.

Here’s a heartfelt testimonial from one of my clients:

“Tema is an exceptional midwife who supported me through the loss of my fourth pregnancy. Her guidance was invaluable as she offered medical expertise, practical assistance, and emotional support during the difficult process of miscarriage. I am forever grateful for her warm and caring demeanor. Tema’s genuine passion for midwifery and her dedication to women’s well-being shines through in her work. Thank you, Tema!” – Gabriela G.

“I saw Tema and her team for care while I was pregnant with my daughter and hoping for a VBAC. For me, being in their care meant confidence. It meant I was confident in my body’s ability to birth my baby, confident in my midwife’s skills should trouble arise, and confident that I could achieve my goals safely. I did just that. I was supported, cared for, listened to, and respected in a way I had not experienced before in reproductive care.” – Jamie P.

“I had worked with other midwives in previous pregnancies, which were all wonderful. However, my experience with Tema and her team was exceptional. I felt so cared for, so seen and heard, and I was able to give my full trust that I was in good hands for a potentially very scary twin birth.” – Rebecca W. 

“Phenomenal. To be completely honest, there were moments in both my pregnancy and aftercare where I felt like I was not worthy of such amazing, tender, and attentive care. Tema and her team were so kind and utterly brilliant. I gave birth at home during the height of Covid in 2020, and I was so well taken care of. I was simply overwhelmed by the love and care I received, and having my daughter at home was a spiritual experience.” Whitney B.

“The overall experience was healing, nurturing, and family-centered. Every member of the family felt important and part of the journey from beginning to end. “ Crystal C.

“I am a physician who has trained in labor and delivery and attended over 100 births myself. From the moment I met Tema, I was impressed with her dedication and mastery of bridging ancestral knowledge of birthing with modern practices for an experience that is empowering, healing, and safe.  She was excellent at answering all of our questions and anticipating our cognitive and emotional needs. She helped us work through a previous birthing experience so that we could move forward without fears or anything in our subconscious mind that could hinder the experience.  I had the utmost trust in the care every step of the way. Providing care to someone trained in the Western model of labor and delivery is not easy, but Tema and her team were wonderful. We feel so lucky to have had her guidance and expertise and wish the same experience for many more families and babies.” Alecka H.

What is your training in midwifery?

I chose a direct entry into Midwifery. For many years I avoided all college courses that had anything to do with the medical and science field. My heart was always in helping people with social work and community activism, until I became a doula. I then realized that I could become a homebirth midwife and still offer that emotional and spiritual component all the while still having a hand in midwifery/birth activism. I was willing to learn all the science and medical components so that I could offer this unique care. So, I enrolled into National College of Midwifery. I completed my degree in Midwifery within a span of three and half years. I then took my national certification exam through the North American Registry of Midwives earning me the title of Certified Professional Midwife (CPM). In order to practice as a Licensed Midwife (LM) in the State of California, I had to meet the requirements provided by the Medical State Board of California.

You can learn more about California’s Practice Guideline for Licensed Midwives here.

My required clinical training was all done at Birth Roots Women’s Health & Maternity Center, the same birth center where my third and fourth children were born. These were my only natural birth experiences and I was thrilled when I was accepted as their apprentice midwife.