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Biography
Illysa Foster is a holistic midwife practicing in central
Texas. Her rich educational background and diverse training
experiences inform her unique approach to care of women,
newborns and their families.
A native Texan, Illysa grew up moving around the state
with her family. She became interested in working with
people from an early age, and began teaching children
at age sixteen. She pursued studies in psychology and
earned an Associates degree in 1990 from Del Mar College
in Corpus Christi. She completed her undergraduate education
at Texas A&M Corpus Christi with a BA with highest honors
in 1992, after the blessed birth of her first daughter.
Further pursuit of her education took her to the University
of Texas in Austin where she pursued graduate work in
Human Development and Education. In 1997, after the
amazing birth of her second daughter at home, she earned
her Masters degree. She continued to teach both children
and adults, working as an adjunct professor of psychology
and human development for ten years and also operated
an early childhood program for two years. This solid
foundation in human development, parenting, education,
and individual psychology informs her understanding
of her clients, their lives, families and adaptations
to parenting.
In 2005, Illysa received the calling to become a midwife,
and by grace and the love from her family and mentors,
she was able to retire from teaching to pursue midwifery
training and education full time. Her training began
with an apprenticeship with a seasoned Austin homebirth
midwife, and then took her to birth centers in Killeen
and the Texas-Mexico border, then back to Austin to
complete her training with a holistic homebirth midwife.
Her varied experiences influence her philosophy of practice.
She pursued formal education in midwifery with the Association
of Texas Midwives (ATM). This academic program enriched
her understanding of her clinical training and provided
opportunities to learn from numerous experienced midwives.
She completed her clinical training in December of 2006
and graduated from the ATM program in May of 2007. She
has been hired as an educational consultant for ATM
and is currently adapting the midwifery course.
Illysa lives with her loving family and pets in central Austin, serving
women and their families throughout the central Texas area. She enjoys
gardening, beekeeping, swimming, and attending live music performance and
theater with her husband, children and puppy. She also enjoys crafts.
Cooking healthy vegetarian cuisine and ethnic foods is another passion,
although her kids prefer baking cookies. She practices yoga and dance.
Illysa is an active member in the midwifery community. She is a current
member of the Midwives Alliance of North America,
Central Texas Birth Network, the National Association of Certified
Professional Midwives, and the Association of Texas
Midwives. She is rewriting the midwifery training course for ATM. She
attends and assists in the organization of local, state, and national
professional meetings, trainings, and peer reviews.
Illysa is co-authoring a book on ethics for midwifery to be published by
Jones and Bartlett in November of 2009. This book deals with applied ethics
in the field of midwifery, and is intended for use by both students and
practicing midwives. Through her work in this area, Illysa hopes to assist
midwives in devoping strong ethical guidelines and training programs to
improve maternity care for women and their families and support midwifery as
an independent health profession.
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