Our Team

Wendy Pinter, CPM

Certified Professional Midwife, President of Nine Short Months

The moment that you find out you have a little one on the way, you start having to make many new and important decisions. What should I eat? Should I drink that? Who is going to care for me and my baby? I understand that this is a time where the choices you make can impact your family forever. I want to assure you that I am hoping to make your pregnancy and birth experience one less thing to worry about.

Birth is such a natural event when we leave it undisturbed. It is such a simple concept, but one that still goes largely misunderstood in America’s maternity system!

As a midwife, I see my role as being the knowledgeable one who will step in in case something goes wrong at a birth. Most of the time, that is not necessary, so I provide support and sacred space for your family to peacefully birth in whatever way that might look like to you. There are many people who take comfort in giving birth in a birthing center instead of their home, and for them I created Nine Short Months Birth and Community Wellness Center. This is a one stop shop for many services that you may need in the childbearing year. Midwifery, water birth, acupuncture, massage, lactation consultants, doulas, childbirth education, and placenta encapsulation are all coexisting under one roof.

I am comfortable to safely take you from where you are right now to the birth that you want to have. I have resources and connections that will help you to have all your health concerns that you or I might want to have addressed before the birth of your baby so that we can relax and enjoy your birth when the day comes. After your birth, our practice is unique in that we are able to perform all state mandated testing for newborns and we are equipped to handle most common postpartum complications a mother might experience without leaving the comfort of your home. I feel that it is important that if I’m going to do this job, I am going to do it right.

Side note: For a charge, we do often provide the following services to clients of other midwives who do not provide them when we are available. (It is best if you inquire about postpartum testing before your birth with another midwife so that we can ensure you have the proper supplies on hand in the time frame that it is needed.):

Repair of lacerations
Newborn metabolic screening
Hearing screening
Pulse oximetry reading to screen for heart defects

Jill Roper

Midwife

I have been a wife for 38 years, Mama to 7 and Grammy to 14 so far. I came into midwifery after being a homemaker and home educator for our children for 35 straight years. My husband and I also served over 30 children that needed someone to love them through foster care. I loved all those years spent at home, watching my children grow up. After the empty nest hit, I was on to my next adventure. I love all things birth. I knew instinctively that natural was best even 37 years ago when I had my first baby. I decided I wanted to serve women who chose to birth their babies at home. I started off as an apprentice with Wendy back in 2012. I knew after the very first birth that this is exactly where God wanted me. Wendy has always encouraged her students to also seek out other midwives to learn from so I chose a second midwife to apprentice under at the same time. I spent 11 months under two different midwives in two very busy practices. The education that I got was amazing. I have a heart for missions so I also volunteered at MamaBaby in Haiti for a 6 week period in 2013. I served as a primary midwife for 57 births during that six week visit. I will be going back to MamaBaby this December to serve once again. I have my own practice now called Compassionate Hands Birth Services while continuing to serve at Nine Short Months. I have decided to get my CPM so that I can volunteer for Doctors Without Borders in the future. I hopefully will be taking the certification exam in the next couple of months. I love working with Wendy at Nine Short Months. She has the gift of intuition. She has been a remarkable mentor and am thankful I am staying on to continue working with her now that my formal training is coming to a close.

Brandy Walters, BBA, IBCLC

I am passionate about breastfeeding and want to help mothers in the community feel confident in their breastfeeding relationship. I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and have been a breastfeeding counselor and advocate for more than 14 years. My first son taught me how to be a mother through breastfeeding. In addition to my professional experience, I successfully nursed my three boys for more than a year each. I am proud of the work I do to help empower breastfeeding mothers.
Breastfeeding is an art and is one of the most natural acts a mother can do with her baby. However, some times it takes practice, dedication and extra support. You and your baby will learn together.

I will support you in your breastfeeding journey whether that be 2 weeks, 2 months or 2 years and beyond. I provide services for newborns, babies beginning solids, pumping, weaning and a vast array of breastfeeding situations and challenges. I have worked with twin sets and early term babies, premature babies and NICU babies. Continued education is very important to me in my line of work. I want to help you reach your breastfeeding goals.

Jenna Aquilina MAcOM Dipl.Ac. R.Ac.

Acupuncturist

I’ve been practicing as an acupuncturist since 2005 and have lived all over the U.S. This has led me to work in some very diverse situations from community style acupuncture and private practice to detox and recovery facilities, spas, housecalls, birthing centers, homebirths, even at sea. These treatments can be done in any setting, but I strive to provide a nurturing experience in a calm and comfortable environment.

Being very much a gypsy soul has gifted me with many unique experiences. In 2010, I spent a month in Peru receiving initiation, healing and learning from Q’ero healers in the Andes. This has been a very great influence on my work. Traveling and learning new healing therapies continues to create change in my work and brings a multi-dimensionality to it.

It’s been my own experiences with health challenges from a young age which introduced me to holistic medicine and lifestyle practices.

Education and Licensure/Certifications:

Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MAcOM 2004)-Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, Portland OR (Oregon College of Oriental Medicine 2002-2004, Northwest Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Seattle WA 2000-2002, International Institute of Chinese Medicine Santa Fe NM 1999-2000)
Diplomate of Acupuncture-Dipl.Ac. (NCCAOM) since 2004
Registered Acupuncturist-R.Ac. Michigan
Licensed Acupuncturist- L.Ac. (UT, MT)
BA Psychology, Women’s Studies co-major, Wayne State University (Detroit) 1998
Aroma Acupoint TM practitioner
Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy TM practitioner
Energy Medicine Certification from the Four Winds Society 2009
Continuing education since 2005

Kristen Woudstra, LMT

Massage Therapist

Kristen Woudstra, LMT graduated from Irene’s Myomassology Institute in February 2016 and has worked as a massage therapist in a chiropractor’s office, a health club, and in private practice since. As a former doula, childbirth educator, and breastfeeding peer counselor, she naturally gravitates towards working with women and families during the childbearing years. She uses a combination of clinical education and experience along with intuition to create a soothing, healing massage experience. Kristen specializes in therapeutic, prenatal and hot stone massage.