Our Approach
Tempe Birth Center is a beautiful and safe place for birth, supported by a holistic, evidence, and wisdom-based midwifery practice.
We find joy in serving and working with families of ALL backgrounds. Explicitly, that means celebrating people regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, class, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, or citizenship. We are a team of health professionals dedicated to providing you and your growing family with loving care. We trust that you will find a place among us and encourage you to make an appointment with us to start the conversation.
Our Safe Space
We meet people at our cozy office nestled in the heart of downtown Tempe at the 1920's historic house. The Birth Center is located just behind our offices.
We hope you spend some time on this site exploring who we are and what we do. We have a distinct vision of pregnancy care that centers on autonomy and liberation for families. We would be *happy* to hands-off watch you birth and catch your own baby or offer all the verbal and physical support you desire.
Our Services
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Prenatal
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Labor/Birth
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Postpartum
Our Midwives
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Kate Paxton, CNM
The craft of midwifery is Kate’s life-work and calling. She hails from a family of healers and educators and combines both in her work to support families. It all started at age 14 when she witnessed her mother birth her youngest sister in a free-standing birth center. In her 20’s, she worked as a doula and midwife’s assistant in Post-Katrina New Orleans. She then attended Columbia University’s Midwifery Program, graduating in 2010. She is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Licensed in Arizona, and Board-Certified in Nurse-Midwifery. She has worked in hospital, birth center, and homebirth settings, doing everything from writing prescriptions to first assisting in cesarean birth to supporting families in home waterbirth. She currently provides fertility, gynecology, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care exclusively in the home and birth center settings.
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Wendi Cleckner, CPM, LM
Wendi is a desert child at heart, born and raised on the Arizona clay. In 1993 she helped a friend through the birth of her first child and felt a passion to devote her life to moms and babies. The calling of midwifery has blessed her with travel across the world, taking her to the Philippines, the Sudan and Iraq.
She believes in the intrinsic knowledge women hold in the ability to bring forth life, and will continue to work both individually and with the community, rallying for women to give birth as they choose.
“If you wish to chose caring providers for your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journey, there can be no better choice than Kate and Wendi at the Tempe Birth Center. They make an awesome team with Wendi’s herbal knowledge and Kate’s CNM background. They are approachable and responsive, which can be a rare find in medical professionals these days! They are also well connected to share resources for all the other types of care you and baby may want. They’ll invite you from day one to feel like family.” KC
I just wanted to say I will miss you all so much. I'm sitting here looking at the tattoos Shannon gave us at one of the last appointments before birth, and feeling so grateful to have met you guys.
Thank you for creating this birth center... I truly believe I was meant to cross paths with you, and I wouldn't have wanted my pregnancy to have gone any differently.
“Wendi and her team provided the most caring, loving, and wonderful prenatal and postpartum midwifery care. I am convinced there is no better place to go to in the whole world.” — Dominique
“I cannot say enough good things about Wendi. I had my third with her and my biggest regret is not having had her for my first two. She is truly dedicated to midwifery and the power of women's bodies. She handled every situation that came up with the deepest care and listened fully every time. I ended up having an incredible and powerful birth thanks to her. I will always be grateful to her for helping me have such an incredible experience.” - K.H.
“I absolutely love the midwives and students here! I’ve had 2 of my babies delivered with them and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I’ve always felt safe, heard, and seen in their care and I would go back in a heart beat if I have any more babies.” - Azalea
“Amazing midwives and great service! Wendi and the students did such a great job. They were warm, calm and nurturing. They knew exactly what to do and took care of me like I was family. Each visit was very personable, they take time to answer all questions and are very throrough with everything. During my home birth they made sure I was comfortable and attended to all my needs. They were very respectful of my family's culture. They took very good care of me, my newborn and my family post partum. The post partum visits were just as wonderful,they made sure baby and I were healing and coping well. Over all truly an amazing experience. If we have another baby i would definitely use their services again.” - Sophia
“I was concerned initially that insurance wouldn’t cover Kate’s services but her prices were nearly the same as the co-pays from my first hospital birth. During Kate’s prenatal care and birth planning, I didn’t feel like I had to advocate for myself, she would present the research, her experience, my choices, and then she respected my choice. Kate’s demeanor during birth was calm and peaceful and I felt totally prepared. I am so grateful that I chose to work with Kate for on of the greatest experiences in my life.” - Sarah
“12/24/21 was the most beautiful experience in my entire existence. Wendi and her amazing team are hands down the angels to go to for your dream home birth. Words can't even describe how my husband and I are unbelievably thankful for everything Wendi did for us. If you find yourself looking here for a home birth, don't second guess yourself. You have found Wendi for a reason and that's the most beautiful blessing any family should experience!!! Enjoy every second with this angelic team💖 I love you Wendi and team your the best 🙏” - Roxana
“Kate’s calm, confident presence throughout my first pregnancy and at the birth of my child made me feel safe and strong. I learned so much from her! Her clinical expertise (in both home and hospital birth) helped me relax, trusting I was in the best hands. At my home birth she knew just when to step in and when to step back. I brought that sense of confidence and trust in myself into my second pregnancy and birth (at home in another state). She is the best. Her medical training and vast experience held my child and I with such competence. I highly recommend her to anyone considering a home birth.” - E.P.