Selena Green, CPM

Selena is an exceptional mid-​wife. I contacted her over the phone a few months before moving to Hawaii and immediately knew that she was the woman I wanted as my provider. Her visits were very comprehensive – nothing was left out! She has all the good qualities you want in a health practitioner and is able to validate you and your family’s experience at each visit. With her leading the way throughout my pregnancy, L & D, and post-​partum, I never doubted myself, the process or the outcome.
It is so important that you surround yourself with people who believe in you and believe that you can have a «successful» birthing experience. Regardless of the support that may or may not be around you, Selena creates a safe and accepting environment that gives you the confidence needed during this period of your life. Selena provides such a full and unmatched service that I would like to have more children just so I can work with her and her team again.

Selena is a woman who is living her life’s calling. She embodies every characteristic one could hope for in a midwife. I’m so proud and honored that she guided me through the sacred event of childbirth 4 months ago.
I knew I wanted to experience childbirth naturally and at home. When I first started going to check ups at the Kalihi Palama Health Center, the only center providing midwife services covered by my insurance, I discovered that in addition to having to drive almost an hour to each appointment and wait at least a half hour more, there would be no guarantee that the midwife I would be seeing for my regular appointments would be present at my birth, which would have to take place at a hospital. When I talked to the OBGYN assigned to me, I was appalled at her rudeness and blatant disregard for my wishes to have a natural birth at home. She insisted that it was a decision made in poor judgement, and that she could no longer provide care for me since I had informed her of my intent. Ok, fine. My midwife there was totally cool, and I would have loved to have her caring for me and baby, but she knew that I wanted a different kind of experience. She referred me to Selena.
Not too long after I had initiated contact with Selena, she came to my home so we could chat. That connection that I had been seeking with someone who knew the ropes of this uncharted territory was made almost instantly. She saw through so much of me and helped me to confront those deeper emotional issues that would inevitably surface during labor. My husband was a huge part of the process, too. She included him in each appointment and always checked in to see how he was handling all the changes. We developed a close relationship over the next several months; she and her apprentice, Grace, were thorough, personable, and professional. I always felt as if I could call her for anything. Appointments were every two weeks, and she also held group prenatal meetings so that mommies-​to-​be could meet and share.
I’m so grateful to have had an «uneventful» pregnancy– no complications, nothing to worry about that would make a homebirth out of the question. Since this was my first baby, I really had no idea what to expect. Selena, Grace, and Jamie, another one of her apprentice midwives, came to my home following an intense night of prelabor contractions. They set up the birthing pool and everything that we would need. Because my contractions petered out, she and her crew left, and then promptly returned several hours later when the show was really getting started. Selena presided over the environment without being overbearing or under-​involved. She allowed me to navigate through my contractions, and when it got to the point where I needed some guidance and assistance, she was right there.
In a no-​nonsense, get your sh*& together kind of way, she told me that it was now time to birth my baby, and «what was I waiting for?» And I did! While I didn’t feel rushed, I knew that when it came down to it, it was time to do this thing. She used herbs, essential oils, and a lot of care to make sure I didn’t tear. Baby Finn was born March 22^nd at 8:45 pm after 2 days of labor.
In a world where many fear owning their kuleana (a Hawaiian word for sacred responsibility), it is refreshing to know that the wisdom still lives deep in the hearts of people like Selena. I feel deeply blessed to have had the opportunity to give birth to my son the way I did. It was raw, it was intense, it was beautiful, and it changed me… it changed us… forever.
I’m not saying the birth was a piece of cake, but the breastfeeding part was way harder. The recipient of a breast reduction 10 years ago, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to nurse Finn. Selena was positive the whole time. When I started having anxiety about not being able to produce colostrum– she showed me how to express it, and told me to calm down. My nipples were OMG painful due to a clogged duct. Jamie, my lactation consultant and one of the apprentice midwives present at Finn’s birth, detected Finn’s upper lip tie 2.5 weeks in. As soon as we had it corrected, he nursed properly– perfect latch– and my nipples finally got a chance to heal. Selena was always checking in, making sure that we were doing alright. She took care of us for 6 weeks after the birth.
When she said she was proud of me for coming through it all, it really felt wonderful. I love and respect this woman so much. If I do get pregnant again, I will absolutely seek out her services. She has made such an impact on my life and my understanding of this reality. She was the gatekeeper, and she showed me the way.
Here’s a poem I wrote about the birth that really sums up how I feel about this incredible person:
Hold my hand,
Show me the Way,
Though the jungle be wild,
Steady my breath,
Strengthen my soul,
So I may retrieve my child