Karen Ruby Brown
Nurse-Midwife
Karen Ruby Brown, CNM, MSN is a Certified Nurse-Midwife with extensive experience in a variety of birth settings including hospital, birth center and home. She received her midwifery training and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) at Yale University in 2002. She's certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB), and is licensed to practice in the state of California by the Board of Registered Nursing. She is a member of the California Nurse-Midwife Association (CNMA), the California Association of Midwives (CAM) and the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM).
Originally from New England, with a stint in Chicago, Karen relocated to San Diego in 2003 to work with a large midwifery service in a high-volume medical center. Now that her two kids- one born with a hospital-based midwifery practice, and one born with a midwife at home- are teens, she is very happy to realize her long-term goal of private, out-of-hospital practice. Her heart has always been in honoring the complement of birth options, including home and birth centers!
Twelve years of practice in hospital and birth center settings have exposed Karen to the spectrum of labor and birth possibilities and has nurtured vital clinical skills. It has also served to bolster her knowledge that out-of-hospital birth for low risk women with a skilled and experienced attendant is safe and satisfying and that women and families have the right to choose this option. Karen welcomes the day when the ample evidence supporting out-of-hospital birth is honored by larger medical and political infrastructures. To this end, she is actively engaged not only in professional midwifery issues on local and state levels, but also in the training of nurses, midwives, medical students and physicians. In addition, she participates in international continuing education trainings, primarily in Indonesia, in the management of obstetric emergencies in low resource settings.
Episodes for this expert
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Body Changes During Pregnancy: The Cervix
When you first find out you’re pregnant, you probably aren’t thinking much about your cervix. But this tiny organ is already preparing for your baby. It softens, lengthens, elongates, dilates, thins, and does all sorts of interesting things right up to the moment your baby is born. Learn more about what causes these changes and what it means for your labor and delivery experience!
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Fetal Development: The Third Trimester
You’ve just completed your second trimester, arguably the most comfortable and relaxing one. So, what should you expect during the third trimester? What developmental changes is your baby experiencing? How will your baby’s movements change during this time? When do they stop flipping around and stay in their birthing position?
