Background
Luz Argueta-Vogel has been aware of her spiritual don for birthwork since she was a child growing up in El Salvador. In 2005, she was invited to participate in prenatal, birth and postpartum care for a family in Phoenix, Arizona. That experience re-orientated Luz toward a radically feminist reproductive health care model, which includes a deep connection to her indigenous roots in Central America. After completing a rigorous clinical training at Maternidad La Luz in El Paso Texas and attending home births throughout the San Francisco, Bay Area, Luz went on to practice midwifery in Guatemala where she worked at Asociación Manos Abiertas, a gynecological clinic and birth center. Following her work at the clinic, Luz went on to attend homebirths in rural communities at Lago Atitlán, Guatemala where she had the honor to learn from and practice with traditional indigenous Ki’che and Kachikel midwives. She's happy to be back in the Bay Area, serving homebirth families here.
Luz has attended hundreds of births in a variety of geographies and circumstances. She has attended births in TX, NM, AZ, CA, Mexico and Guatemala in settings such as hospitals, birth centers, homes, cars and gardens. She has attended births in developed urban settings with hospital back up and she has attended births in rural settings with minimal amenities and no hospital back-up.
Credentials:
- Graduated with Certificate in Midwifery from MEAC Accredited Program at Maternidad La Luz
- Licensed Midwife and Certified Professional Midwife
- B.A. in Psychology from the University of Arizona; and
- 200hr YTT Certified Yoga Teacher.
Philosophy
I love being a midwife! Midwifery brings me tremendous joy and I am honored to walk in the path of my ancestors in this work. I believe that every person has the right to conceive and birth their baby in peace, in the place where they feel safest. I believe that the ceremony of home birth offers a unique opportunity for facilitating healing and peace for our communities. My practice is grounded in principles of sovereignty and ecological stewardship. As a midwife, I work as a guardian of transition, to hold space for families as they grow and heal through this powerfully transformative process. I believe in radically sovereign health care and therefore I work with families who are committed to being healthy; who understand that birth demands conviction, strength and surrender; who trust themselves; who are willing to take ownership of their lives and their futures and who are interested in collaborating with me to co-create the birth experience that best serves them.