Midlife Midwife

Barbara Smith-Foy, LM

Barbara Smith-Foy, LM is a certified nurse midwife. She has been a Midwife working with women thru their life cycles for over 20 years. She also has attended birth at home, in birth centers and hospitals.

The seeds of her practice were sown in traditional healing. A self taught herbalist, she created herbal remedies for common women’s health concerns. As her career blossomed her education expanded towards integrated approaches for women’s health. Grateful for the diversity of environments she has practiced in, she expanded her understanding and knowledge of individual women’s needs. Traditional medicine has been the fertile ground for her practice. Combining ancient knowledge, supported by advancing science; strengthened the framework for her biological approach to health. Her greatest satisfaction comes from supporting women’s autonomy in their own health. Creating a partnership working towards wellness. In the last 10 years, her practice expanded into women’s midlife health and sexual medicine. Working towards wellness by combing life style counseling with the use of herbal and hormonal support during women’s transitions .

Barbara holds an Associate Degree in Nursing (RN), BA in anthropology and psychology, and a Masters of Midwifery. She has 3 grown children, all born at home. Her greatest mentors were the midwives that safely supported her through birth and transition into motherhood.

Susanrachel Condon LM, a.k.a. Birdie

Susanrachel Condon, a.k.a. Birdie, received her midwifery certification and license in 1998. She is a full scope, women's primary health care practitioner in private practice in New Paltz. Birdie teaches and counsels about sexual health to individuals across the lifespan. She holds a BFA in Art Therapy, an MA in Women’s Studies/History of Ideas, and a Doctorate in Midwifery. Birdie is engaged in original research on reproductive ethics and serves as a clinical educator and mentor. Midlife Midwife is a sister practice of River & Mountain Midwives, which provides maternity care and home birth services throughout the Mid-Hudson Valley. We are LGBTQI friendly.

Maria Freytsis, CNM, MPH

she/her

Maria Freytsis CNM, MPH has been providing pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and well-woman clinical care for over 25 years in hospitals and community birth center settings. In her current practice with Midlife Midwife, she provides virtual counseling and health coaching to clients seeking to achieve optimal mental health and wellness during perimenopause and the menopause transition. Maria has a passion for working in partnership with clients to provide holistic and goal-oriented support and education allowing them to follow their inner healing intelligence during this time full of change and transformative potential. While her services are non-clinical, her focus is on helping clients prioritize their wellness goals and find the right clinicians to address the spectrum of possible medical needs from pelvic floor health to hormone replacement. She has training in integrative somatic trauma therapy and employs modalities that support mind-body integration. Maria is also a sex educator with a specific focus on conscious kink/BDSM, embodiment, and pleasure activation, as well as alternative relationship styles. In this capacity she works with people of all gender identities and sexual orientations who want to deepen their intimate connection with self and partner(s). She is also trained in psychedelic facilitation and integration and offers in-person Ketamine-assisted therapy in New York City in collaboration with Dr. Xiaojue Hu. 

Judith Levinrad Norman

Judith graduated from the Swedish Institute of Massage & Allied Health Sciences in 1997. Her deep commitment to supporting reproductive wellness led to her becoming a certified practitioner of the The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy ® in 2004 and a Certified Professional Midwife in 2010. In her decades of practice, Judith has witnessed the healing power of receiving the right support at the right time. For many people, Arvigo Therapy ® has been instrumental in their path to wellness. Judith is delighted to bring her skills and the healing support of the Arvigo ® techniques to Midlife Midwife.