I see midwives as mirrors, reflecting a mother’s hopes, dreams for birth. The role of the midwife is to help a mother accept and focus on her innate competence and power to deliver life into the world. I believe in a women’s instinctive ability to make autonomous decisions, taking control and responsibility for their health care. In this way I am committed to serve and support families. Valeria Barchiesi
Valeria discovered her own innate skills in 1978 when, attended by a midwife, she gave birth to her second child at home. Her wish to have a home birth and the challenges she faced to find a midwife, uncovered within her a passion to help other women with similar wishes.
Since completing her university studies and receiving certification in 1989, Valeria has attended hundreds of home, clinic and hospital births. She has been a natural and home childbirth advocate for over 35 years. As an independent practitioner, she continues to blend traditional practices with the latest in modern medical care.
In 1997 she founded Associazione il Nido (The Nest) in Rome. A non-profit membership organization, il Nido offers current and expectant mothers, their babies and fathers a comprehensive array of programs and activities including prenatal classes, courses in nutrition, baby-led weaning, and baby wrapping techniques as well as aquatics for infants and expectant moms and dads, yoga, and music. An expanding number the programs are offered in English.
Valeria has taught at USL Latin Provincial College of Midwives of Rome and held the post of teaching complement in the degree course in obstetrics at the University of Piemonte Orientale in Novara.
A native of Rome, Valeria also lived in Kenya and the United States and speaks Italian and fluent English and communicates in French and Spanish.