Building on an Interest in Natural Birth
Dr. Sandra Minchow-Proffitt (also known as Dr. Proffitt) has a passion for pregnancy, birth and midwifery dating back to her early years in college in the 1980s. She grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, and graduated from the University of Utah in 1986 with a degree in Women’s Health Care. After graduation, she worked in health education and advocacy for several years, including working as a birth assistant at a freestanding birth center in Princeton, NJ and as an office manager for an independent midwifery center in Annapolis, MD. During this time, she had 2 children, both born with the help of a midwife, and then stayed home with them for several years with the support and help of her loving husband.
My own natural births were so empowering and that is why I want to affirm and support this option for others!
—Dr. Sandra Minchow-Proffitt
Dr. Proffitt received her medical degree from the University of Maryland in 2001 and completed her family medicine residency at Mercy Hospital in St Louis. She was hired to join the faculty, where she coordinated the maternity-care curriculum from 2005-2016, taught residents and medical students, and took care of her own panel of patients. She delivered over 800 babies during this time and helped the hospital become more friendly toward natural birth.
What happened next?
In 2016, Dr. Proffitt left her position at Mercy Family Medicine to pursue her dream of opening a solo FMOB office (family medicine with OB care), Mosaic Family Medicine, focused on families, pregnancy and birth. She supports Evidenced-Based Practices for all aspects of medical care including birth. She supports preventative care to help people create and sustain healthy lives.
Currently, Dr. Proffitt attends births at Missouri Baptist Medical Center as well as The Birth & Wellness Center in O’Fallon MO.
Other interests:
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and, as opportunity allows, visiting with her two grown children and their families in Portland OR and Leesburg VA. She loves working in the yard and garden, walking her dog, playing with her cats, and caring for her chickens.
Why a Family Doctor, rather than an OB/GYN or Midwife?
Dr. Proffitt strongly considered becoming a midwife for a long time. But her life took a turn and she was recruited to attend medical school. Initially, she intended to become an OB/GYN because of her love for pregnancy and birth. However, during her Family Medicine rotation, she fell in love with this specialty!
As a family physician, she loves the notion of caring for low-risk pregnancies using a midwifery model of care, as well as caring for their babies, other children, even their whole extended family!
I don’t know how Nick’s birth would have been without you. You provided tremendous support and encouragement to me (and my husband) during labor. You were a calming presence. Being a nurse myself, I have worked with many physicians in my career, but you are the best of the best!
-Christine
