Meet the Team
Our dedicated team is here to help you throughout your pregnancy, birth, and the first few weeks postpartum (but we love to see you as your child grows up as well!)
Jen Gabler, CPM, LM
Jen is a Licensed Midwife, and will take care of you through all of your appointments and your birth. She's originally from the UK, where she gained a Bachelor's degree in mathematics, a Master's degree in statistics and computer science, and a graduate certificate in education. She then moved to the US and studied for a Master's degree in geophysics, met and married her husband (who is now a professor at UTRGV), and the two have three children. Jen trained through the Association of Texas Midwives' midwifery training program and under an apprenticeship with Anna Ochoa and several other midwives from across Texas.
Jen has a rich national and personal heritage of midwifery, and passionately believes that everyone with a low risk pregnancy should have the right to birth safely in an out of hospital setting, monitored, supported, nurtured and encouraged by a gentle yet strong midwife. If you live in the RGV and are looking for a vaginal birth, Jen would love to be your midwife.
Anna Ochoa, CPM, LM
Anna grew up in Mexico, but attended High School in Mission and has been living in McAllen/Mission for many years. Her first language is Spanish, but her English is perfect too. Anna completed the Association of Texas Midwives Midwifery Training Program in 2010, having had a thorough academic and clinical training. She ran her own birth center in McAllen for 9 years, working as both clinical and administrative director, employing administrative and clinical staff. In January 2019, Anna moved her birth center into the office of an Obstetrician. This allowed her clients to access ultrasounds and to have a known OB available if they needed to transfer care before or during labor.
In the spring of 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic significantly changing the way that families wanted to receive their care and where they wanted to deliver, Anna decided to begin offering homebirth across the RGV. The addition of a safe, bilingual midwife in this field is a wonderful event for the area! Anna attends births at birth centers in McAllen, Pharr and Brownsville, and has an office in Mission.
Applications Welcome, Birth Assistant
We are currently looking for an individual to work as a birth assistant. The individual who fills this role must be fluent in both English and Spanish, must be calm, mentally strong, and dedicated to helping assist in providing natural birth, and will ideally have some medical training or experience. You will need to be on call for births for extended periods of time, but this will not necessarily be 24/7. Thorough training will be provided before you attend any births in the role as assistant, and you will be need to pass the Neonatal Resuscitation Protocol exam.