Lisa Rich

Since 9/11, Lisa has come to know the seemingly endless days filled with anticipation and continual waiting that marks the life of the military spouse. The experience of raising a family and having four children amidst deployments, military travel, and moves has had a profound impact on the way she views families– as well as her life calling. Watching her husband leave his family, guided in the belief that he was making life better, not only for his children, but for every American family and for the families of people in war torn regions, has taught her the importance of dedicating oneself to making a difference.

Seven years ago, armed with her experiences of being alone at birth and with a desire to help other military families, Lisa became a DONA trained birth doula. To better support mothers in the absence of their partner, Lisa is now pursuing her master’s degree to become a Certified Nurse Midwife through the Yale School of Nursing’s GEPN program. As a midwife, she strives to help families at their very beginnings to have safe, compassionate, and evidence-based birth options. She believes that how women are treated when they are at their most vulnerable, particularly during pregnancy and birth, can have far reaching implications into how they mother and impact future generations. Eventually, Lisa hopes to open a freestanding birth center that serves at-risk populations and to participate in international birth work.

Learn more about Lisa in her Tillman Tuesday Q&A