Peggy Cohen is certified by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) as a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM). She is a member of the Midwives Association of North America (MANA), the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM), and Vermont Midwives Alliance (VMA). Peggy earned her Bachelor’s degree from Ohio University, graduating Cum Laude. After attending home births with the local midwife in Southern Ohio for four years, Peggy enrolled in Seattle Midwifery School. After her coursework and required birth experience, she graduated and became a licensed midwife in Washington.

     In 1995 Peggy formed a midwife partnership with Nan Reid and together they founded the homebirth practice, Full Spectrum Midwifery, based in Burlington, Vermont. Nan has since moved on, still living in Burlington, but using her talent in other ways. Peggy continues doing what she loves most, helping babies out. Peggy is delighted to join forces with Lissa Moats, who apprenticed with Full Spectrum in 2006 and is now a full time partner.

     When Peggy isn’t involved in midwifery you’re likely to find her hanging out with her husband Stewart, and their two boys Evan and Arlo. They live near Lake Iroquois with their dog, cat, six chickens and ten fish. Peggy loves the outdoors and takes the time to enjoy it by hiking, gardening, mushroom hunting, kayaking, and camping. You might even find her coming out of the woods with some wild edibles and concocting some unique cuisine that’s delicious and nutritious. Peggy also likes to play tennis, listen to music, read, paint, draw, and have a good laugh by watching the news on the Daily Show.

     I was born into the hands of a midwife during a March blizzard in 1978, so one could say that I was exposed to midwifery from the first breath. As a child, I loved to look at the photographs of my birth; My mom sitting on a futon in her flannel shirt looking triumphant, and me just minutes old nestled in my parents arms. Even at a young age, I knew that there was something unique and powerful about homebirth.

     Since my snowy birthday, I received my B.A. in Environmental Studies from Middlebury College, and after several years as an organic garden teacher and farmer, returned to the classroom in 2004 to attend Birthwise Midwifery School (from which I graduated in 2007). My clinical experience includes working with midwifes and Naturopathic Doctors in Maine and New Hampshire, and a year-long preceptorship at Full Spectrum Midwifery in Burlington Vermont. I finished my training at Mercy Maternity, a birth center in the Philippines.

     I am the second born in a family of five children, and from an early age took on the role as the nurturing and responsible one (I started cooking for all seven of us at the age of 10). I was lucky enough at have been at the births of all my younger siblings. It was the homebirth of my little sister in 1989, when I was 11 ,that planted the seeds of becoming a midwife in me. I thought that it was amazingly cool that I got to witness such a unique experience from the comfort of my parent’s bedroom. Her birth was not strange or scary to me;rather it was magical and familiar at the same time.

     I practice midwifery to help honor its past and preserve its future, so families can continue to have experiences like the one I had as I witnessed the calm, safe, and joyful birth of my little sister.

     During the down time, I love to garden, cook, hike and kayak (in the wooden boat I built myself). Traveling is another joy of mine and I count South Africa, Cuba, Bali, Tunisia, Italy, Holland, Mexico, and the Philippines among the amazing places I have been. While I love to travel, I find coming home reaffirms how amazing a place Vermont truly is.

     Lissa lives in Richmond with her husband Thatcher, daughter Charlotte and dog Lola. Charlotte was born at home with the Full Spectrum team there to help greet her!