Our Team

We work as a team at the Sierra Natural Birth Center. Every birth will have the presence of at least two attendants, one of whom will be a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), and a Licensed Midwife (LM), a Registered Nurse (RN), or an AABC Certified Birth Assistant (CBA). 

Ellen Jasmer – RN, LM, CPM, CNM

Ellie has been practicing midwifery, bringing babies into the world for over 45 years now. After the loss of her first pregnancy and the realization that she knew absolutely nothing about her own body or pregnancy, Ellie wanted to learn everything she could in preparation for her next pregnancy. When reading the early writings of Ina May Gaskin, she knew she was to become a midwife, which inspired her educational quest in the spring of 1974. She caught her first baby in June of 1976. In her early years, Ellie attended births as a traveling home birth midwife throughout the Sierra foothills and Central Valley. Her dream to have her own birth center, close to home,  where families can come and have their babies in a peaceful and comfortable environment came to fruition June 19^th, 2014. Ellie believes that every baby should be born into loving hands and desires for that love to be extended to the parents throughout the childbearing year. This is accomplished through a holistic and educational approach to care that empowers women and their partners to trust and feel comfortable with their bodies. Ellie’s two adult children were born in her home next to the birth center. She lives with her husband of over 28 years in Sonora, California and together they have six adult children and twelve grandchildren. Ellie loves caring for mamas and babies and if she ever takes a break, she enjoys the great outdoors, swimming, being creative, and tending to her beloved chickens and lambs on the birth center’s small farm.

Dody Rogers – LM, CPM

 

Dody’s journey in birth work began in 1973 during her hospital stay following the birth of her first child. After hearing another woman crying out during childbirth, Dody felt compelled to help her and other women through the experience of birth. What began as a desire to support women has grown into more than five decades of dedication to birth and maternal care.

Throughout her career, Dody has served as a childbirth educator, doula, midwife assistant, and midwife, supporting families through births in both home and hospital settings across the United States. She received her licensing and certification as a Licensed Midwife in 2012.

Since 2025, Dody has stepped away from maintaining a home birth practice so she can focus more deeply on the areas of care she is most passionate about—postpartum support, education, doula care, and serving as a second midwife. She continues to be a valued part of the Sierra Natural Birth Center community and has provided postpartum midwifery care there since 2017.

Dody lives in Sonora, California, with her husband of more than 50 years. She is the mother of three adult children, two of whom were born at home. She is the proud grandmother of eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Outside of birth work, Dody enjoys flowers, history, and spending time with her growing family.

Mary Sponsler, APRN, CNM

“I believe birth is more than a medical event—it is a sacred rite of passage that has the power to shape a woman for the rest of her life.” As a Registered Nurse since 1992 and a Certified Nurse-Midwife since 2024, I have spent my career caring for women through every season of the childbearing years. At Sierra Natural Birth Center, I provide full-scope midwifery care with a deep respect for physiologic birth, evidence-based practice, and the wisdom of the female body. As the mother of four adult children—all born at home—I know firsthand the beauty of giving birth in an environment that is peaceful, personal, and centered on the needs of the mother and baby. Every woman deserves to be an active participant in her care—not simply a patient, but the primary decision-maker throughout her pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum journey. My passion is helping women discover confidence in the incredible design of their bodies while providing the knowledge, encouragement, and skilled care needed to keep mothers and babies safe. I love equipping women to make informed decisions and creating a space where they feel heard, respected, and empowered. I’ve been married to my husband, Seth, since 1995. Together we’ve raised four incredible children and now delight in the joy of our growing family of grandchildren. It is an honor to serve the families of our community and to witness, again and again, the quiet miracle of new life.

Kayleen Delgado – CBA

    Hi! My name is Kayleen Delgado and I’m an AABC Certified Birth Assistant and a DONA trained doula. I absolutely love all things pregnancy and birth! I first learned about the role of a doula while preparing for the birth of my daughter at Sierra Natural Birth Canter, with Ellie as my midwife. My doula met with me and my husband a couple of times before the birth and was right beside me once labor started. She provided emotional support as well as physical comfort techniques, that lead to me having the birth experience I desired. Ever since then I have wanted to provide the same support and care, before, during, and after labor, that I was so blessed to receive. My heart for all women is that during the most beautiful and miraculous moment you would feel encouraged, safe, well-informed, and empowered to have the birth you desire. I have had the honor to serve at homebirths, hospital births, and births at SNBC. I now accept Medi-Cal for doula services. I currently live in Tuolumne, CA with my husband and two daughters. I look forward to hearing from you and serving you however I can! Call/text: (209) 352-4224 Email: kaydelgado2009@gmail.com

Karly Penton – RNC-OB, IBCLC, Doula

                                     

After more than 17 years in Labor & Delivery, I’ve been invited into some of the most beautiful, difficult, and deeply personal moments a family can experience. I’ve supported women through joyful births, unexpected turns, and the heartbreak of loss. Those experiences taught me that feeling safe, heard, and supported can make an enormous difference in how a woman and her family experience birth.

I am a mom of two, and both of my children were born in a hospital setting. I truly believe you can have the birth you want in any setting. My own experiences helped me understand that the environment matters, but having the right people beside you can make all the difference.

For me, the real struggle came after birth. I remember those overwhelming early days with a crying newborn, exhaustion, and cracked, bleeding nipples, wondering why breastfeeding was so much harder than I expected. After finding a knowledgeable IBCLC and receiving the support and resources I needed, I knew I wanted to understand more. Nursing school and my career had given me a strong foundation, but I wanted to be able to offer families more. That journey led me to UC San Diego and ultimately to becoming an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).

Today, I’m honored to bring all of these experiences together through my work with Sierra Natural Birth Center, where I support families as a Certified Registered Nurse, Lactation Consultant, and Birth and Postpartum Doula. I have also built my own practice Peaks Lactation, where I continue to provide individualized lactation, postpartum, and birth support to families throughout our community. As well as part time as a Labor and Delivery RNC at Adventist Health Sonora.

Serving families in Tuolumne, Calaveras, Stanislaus, Merced, and Mariposa Counties. As well as telehealth in the United States. Karly@peakslactation.com      

Grace Cathrein – CD-L, CD-PIC

From the moment I found out I was pregnant with my first baby at 18 years old, my life began to change in ways I never could have imagined. Coming to the Sierra Natural Birth Center ( SNBC) for my prenatal visits, I found it was more than just prenatal care—I found people who truly loved, supported, and believed in me. Throughout both of my pregnancies, I experienced compassionate, personalized care that made me feel seen, heard, informed, and safe. Through the journey of motherhood, I also experienced two heartbreaking losses. During those seasons of grief, the SNBC team continued to surround me with the same love, compassion, and support they had shown me from the very beginning. They didn’t just care for me during birth—they cared for me through life, loss, healing, and hope. That kind of love leaves a lasting imprint on your heart. Each of my births transformed me. Becoming a mother awakened a strength and confidence I never knew I had. It showed me that women are incredibly capable and that birth has the power to change us in the most beautiful ways. I believe birth is a normal, natural process that deserves to be honored, protected, and respected. While there are times when medical intervention is needed, I believe every family deserves compassionate support, evidence-based information, and someone who will walk beside them with encouragement and without judgment. The incredible midwives and doulas who cared for me, inspired me to become a doula and to pursue midwifery. They changed the course of my life, and I hope to offer that same sense of peace, confidence, and unwavering support to the families I have the privilege of serving. I sometimes joke that I’m a “birth nerd” because I truly love everything about pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, newborns, and the postpartum journey. I love learning, I love teaching when families want guidance, and I love reminding mothers to trust the incredible wisdom already within them. As a doula, I hope every family I care for feels what I felt all those years ago—that they are loved, supported, respected, and never alone. It is an incredible honor to walk alongside families during one of the most transformative seasons of their lives, and I look forward to serving each one with a gentle heart and open hands. Currently serving families in Tuolumne County Contact: AbitOfGrace.birth@gmail.com      

Noella Roselena Baldonado – Resident Doula | Birth & Postpartum Support

Noella brings a warm, joyful, and deeply compassionate presence to families throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum season. A Certified Holistic Doula with more than 10 years of experience supporting and guiding people through life’s transitions, she grew up in a midwifery household, surrounded by pregnancy, birth, babies, and the wisdom of women caring for women throughout her life. Her approach blends evidence-based doula care with an intuitive understanding of comfort, nutrition, education, and emotional support. Noella has a special gift for using voice, sound, singing, and music during labor, when desired, creating a calming atmosphere and helping birthing mothers find rhythm, relaxation, and confidence in their own bodies and voices. Years spent living, teaching, traveling, and working throughout Latin America have also shaped Noella’s appreciation for the many cultural traditions surrounding pregnancy, birth, postpartum healing, and family life. She speaks both English and Spanish and approaches each family with curiosity, respect, and sensitivity to their individual beliefs, traditions, and preferences. As Sierra Natural Birth Center’s Resident Doula, Noella provides prenatal education and preparation, continuous labor support, postpartum and newborn care, nutrition education, telehealth support, and home visits throughout our rural communities. She works closely with our midwives and maternity-care team so that families can experience familiar, continuous support before, during, and after birth. Noella is also an artist, musician, educator, and longtime advocate for women and families. She brings all of these parts of herself into her doula work—with gentleness, creativity, humor, and a genuine love for nurturing mothers, babies, and growing families. Serving families in Tuolumne, Calaveras, and Mariposa Counties. shaelanoellamusic@gmail.com