About Serenity

• About Serenity
• About Midwifery
• About Safety

Meet the People Behind Serenity Birth Center

When you choose Serenity Birth Center, you're choosing a team of people who offer excellent care with a sweet, calming spirit. They are hardworking, available day and night, true professionals who love their jobs.

April Clyde

APRN, CPM, CNM & Serenity Owner
When you choose April Clyde to guide you through your birth journey, you’re choosing the most experienced and knowledgeable midwife in the state. April is the only former labor & delivery nurse to become an independent out-of-hospital midwife in the state of Nevada.
April started her career as a hospital labor and delivery nurse. She helped deliver 1,500 babies in her first five years. With a level III neonatal intensive care unit onsite, she learned the difference between normal and abnormal births. As a midwife, April helped deliver babies at home and in birth centers. After completing her Master's in Midwifery, she started a hospital-based practice where she introduced water birth, birthing stools, and other natural childbirth-friendly options. 
At the end of 2007 April fulfilled her long-time dream of opening Baby’s 1st Day, a home birth practice. The opening of Serenity Birth Center fulfills another long-time dream of providing a serene, home-like atmosphere for laboring mothers while also providing whole-woman health care.
While April’s passion is empowering women to make their own non-invasive birthing decisions, her focus is on your safety and appropriate medical intervention. When you are supported and empowered through pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum, you are better able to transition into the role of mother. Birth has the potential to be a right of passage that creates a strong, empowered, and confident family.

Experience

Certified Nurse-Midwife & Certified Professional Midwife
Baby’s 1st Day, Las Vegas, NV — 2008-Present 
Founder and president of Baby’s 1st Day, Midwifery Services. Attending one hundred home births per year. Providing complete antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum, and newborn care.
Certified Nurse-Midwife
Deseret Women’s Health Care, Henderson, NV — 2005-2008
Managing practice partner with collaborating OB/GYN, and physician assistant. Attended 240 hospital births per year. Cesarean first assistant in the operating room. Complete GYN care in the office including family planning, menopausal management, and well-woman care.
Certified Nurse-Midwife
Fremont Women’s Health Care, Las Vegas, NV — 2004-2005
Worked with four collaborating physicians in a busy OB/GYN practice. Complete GYN care provided including family planning, birth control, annual exams, menopausal management, colposcopy, IUD placement, and fertility care.
Student Nurse-Midwife
Frontier University, Hyden, KY — 2002-2004 
Attended births in birthing centers, at home, and in the hospital. Attended 87 births as the primary midwife under supervision.
Registered Nurse Labor and Delivery
Sunrise Hospital, Las Vegas, NV — 2000-2004 
Provided care to high-risk antepartum women, routine intrapartum care including circulating operating room nurse, neonatal intensive care experience, and postpartum couplet care. Electronic fetal monitor certified, advanced cardiovascular life support trained, and neonatal resuscitation certified.

Education

Masters in Nursing Case 
Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH – 2004
Masters in Midwifery 
Frontier School of Nurse-Midwifery, Hyden, KY – 2004
Bachelors in Nursing 
University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV – 2000

Certifications & Licenses

American College of Nurse-Midwives Board
Certified as a nurse-midwife since 2004 – Cert. #24678
North American Registry of Midwives Board
Certified as a certified professional midwife since 2008 – Cert. #08030008
Arizona Registered Nurse License #RN160290
Nevada Registered Nurse License #RN36201
Arizona Advanced Practice Nurse License #AP3487
Nevada Advanced Practice Nurse License #APN000807

 

 

Lorraine M. Garcia

PhD, CNM

Lorraine M. Garcia completed a Post Master’s in the Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) program at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. She offers full-scope midwifery care in addition to her research and teaching work. Lorraine first became committed to maternal/newborn health while completing her Master’s in Sociology and researching maternal morbidity and mortality in New York City. Most recently, she completed her PhD in 2023. Her current research is focused on obstetric violence in the US maternity care system and the evidence-based guidelines for respectful maternity care as a solution to the problem. Lorraine is an advocate for expanding access to midwives, correcting inequitable outcomes, respectful maternity care in all settings by all providers, and integrated relationships with physicians and hospitals.

Lorraine has worked in clinics, private physician offices, community and teaching hospitals, education, private midwifery practices, and home birth. She has attended thousands of women in labor, birth, and newborn family time. Lorraine is happy to say that “I support community birth, and I am glad to offer my knowledge and skills to care for women and families who are committed to embracing ownership of their health and their ability to have a natural physiologic birth. Unwanted, invasive medical practices should not be part of low-risk pregnancy and childbirth.

 

Cheryl Rude

Practice Manager
Cheryl Rude has over two decades of experience in the medical field, serving many of those years in obstetrics and gynecologic practices. Managing multi-specialty groups, solo practices, and conducting set-up and consulting services makes Cheryl an asset to our center.
At Serenity Birth Center her duties include networking, engaging and educating our patients, maintaining employees, overseeing daily operations, and dealing with upper management.
Cheryl has extensive billing and collection experience and is very knowledgeable with Nevada insurances. She and her staff are caring, kind, and resourceful. They have the experience and knowledge to serve your needs and answer your questions throughout your pregnancy journey.
Cheryl has been happily married for over twenty years and has three wonderful children. She is also a certified personal trainer and for a decade has enjoyed helping people with lifestyle changes and fitness goals.

 

Morgan Wolfe, BSN, RN, IBCLC

Director of Safety & Compliance

Morgan has known since middle school that she wanted to work in Women’s Health. As she sat in awe, watching a video about sperm meeting and fertilizing an egg in middle school health class, she knew that this moment was transcendental to her future. Morgan went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in public health with a minor in Nutrition/Dietetics from the University of Nevada Reno. During this time, she obtained her CLC and Birth Doula certifications and spent her free time working for a meal prep company and volunteering with the local breastfeeding coalition.  After getting pregnant with her daughter and navigating single parenting, she moved to Las Vegas and took the leap to go back to school to study nursing. In 2022 she graduated from Roseman University with her Bachelor of Nursing degree and started attending births with Serenity/B1D as a Birth Assistant.  

Morgan now wears many hats with the practice and takes great pride in her work serving families. You can find Morgan counseling women on how to manage Gestational Diabetes with a real food approach, supporting new moms in breastfeeding their babies, offering comprehensive postpartum care, and managing the practice’s safety and compliance to ensure we can continue offering full-spectrum, full-woman care. 

In her free time, you can find Morgan making sourdough, reading mystery/thriller books, selling handmade earrings at a local market, or traveling to national parks in her converted Sprinter van with her family.

Sarah Slobody

CPM, DOULA

As the daughter of a lactation consultant, Sarah grew up watching new moms work through the challenges and triumphs of breastfeeding. Hearing women explore new motherhood, natural birth and more are part of her earliest memories. After working as a teacher in one of the valley's most elite private schools Sarah felt a different calling. Sarah began her own work in the birth world in 2015 as a full-spectrum doula, supporting families through their experiences. Sarah had ambitions of studying to be a midwife and began to practice under April. Sarah received her Certified Professional Midwife credentials passing her boards through the Northern American Registry of Midwives (NARM). Sarah is very passionate about supporting families through an empowering journey. Sarah enjoys working with women throughout all the cycles of life from teen care to menopause, helping women find their confidence and learn about their bodies. 

Sarah teaches a childbirth education series at Baby’s First Day and Serenity Birth Center as well as manages the social media. Sarah is passionate about providing safe and inclusive options for families as they grow.  Sarah’s experience and warm caring ways make her a wonderful asset and team player to our practice.

 

Lydia Owens

CNM, APRN

Lydia Owens is a Certified Nurse Midwife who attended and graduated from Frontier Nursing University receiving her master’s degree in Nurse Midwifery. She considers herself privileged to have begun with Baby’s First Day as a birth attendant and then gain her clinical experience here; transitioning seamlessly into practice with the team. She has been a nurse since 2015, serving those with cancer in her role as an oncology nurse giving her a great appreciation for life in all stages. She also attended UNLV where she got her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Before becoming a nurse, she was a licensed yoga teacher for a few years here in Las Vegas giving her a unique gift that she can bring to providing care to our patients. Lydia is passionate about educating and empowering families, physically, mentally, and spiritually and finds beauty in all aspects of the cycle of life. 

Lydia considers herself lucky to live in a town like Las Vegas which has access to nature, hiking, and fabulous shows.

 

 

 

Malia Smylie

APRN, CNM
Malia is a Las Vegas native who received her Bachelors in Nursing at the University of Nevada Las Vegas in 2009.  She is passionate about educating women about their birth options and empowering them to seek their ideal birth experience. Several years ago she realized that her calling was to become a nurse-midwife, inspiring her to achieve her Master's in Midwifery from Bethel University. Having experienced three waterbirths at home (with April as her midwife) she became eager to provide the same type of care to women in the Las Vegas valley. Malia lights up when there is any chance to speak about birth work, women’s care, or any of the thought-provoking subjects surrounding midwifery care. Malia studied abroad in Spain during high school and is fluent in Spanish.  Being bilingual has helped her deeply connect with and care for Spanish-speaking patients.

 

 

Katrina Hardin-James

BSN, RN, Charge Nurse

Katrina is an Air Force Veteran originally from Tennessee and has lived in Las Vegas since 2004. She has had three hospital births. The first was a medicated birth with a small-town OB/GYN and the second two were unmedicated hospital births, one with an OB/GYN and one with a midwife.

Katrina has always been a nurturer and enjoyed helping others. Her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse and helping deliver babies was diverted for many years as she traveled the world and protected our country as an Active-Duty Air Force member. After her youngest daughter was self-sufficient, she decided it was time to pursue her dream and attended nursing school in Las Vegas, NV where she obtained her BSN in Nursing. As an RN, she has worked in Home Health and Long-term Care Facilities and is also a Hospice volunteer.

Fate brought Katrina to Baby's First Day Midwives as she considered going back to school for midwifery. She is thrilled to be a part of the Serenity team and looks forward to meeting and helping each and every one of you during an extremely special time in your life.

 

Amanda Osei

APRN, CNM

Amanda came to Las Vegas at the age of 9 from Maryland. In her early adult years, she left town for her bachelor's degree and explored different cities. She found her way back to Las Vegas in 2022. Since her youth, Amanda has always been drawn to community work, women's health, and the journey of childbirth. This is due to growing up in a community and family of spirited women and healthcare professionals. Amanda studied at Seattle University where she earned her doctorate in nursing practice, focusing on midwifery. During school, when on holiday break, she was rummaging through her mother's things and found her grandmother's old Midwifery Certificate. For Amanda, this was an affirming sign she was on the right path. She is passionate about empowering girls and women to share truths about their health and bodies, thus dismantling cultural taboos around womanhood. She believes when girls and women know about their bodies/health, they are more confident, better advocates for their rights, and less likely to be led astray. In turn, this makes girls and women make better decisions for themselves, thus birthing an uplifted community. 

In her free time, Amanda enjoys multicultural food festivals, traveling, music, painting, and reading in her hammock.

 

Alexyis Bonilla

Student Midwife DEM, Birth Assistant, Doula  

Alexyis joined our practice in 2021 bringing exceptional customer service skills from her previous employers.  She graduated from CSN, Nevada May 2022 with a Business Degree.  After observing her first birth at the center, Alexyis has developed a passion for birth work. Alexyis started as one of our patient care coordinators but soon found herself wanting to learn the clinical aspect of our practice.  She is currently one of our Student Midwives and Birth Assistants. She holds her certifications in neonatal resuscitation and Basic Life Support.  She is very knowledgeable about our administrative and clinical practice protocols to help at the beginning of your birth journey to postpartum, assisting you with any ancillary services or attention you will need.  Alexyis is bilingual in Spanish.  She enjoys music, hanging with friends, and movies.  It’s a pleasure seeing her warm smile every day.  

 

 

Daisy Rosales

Patient Care Coordinator
Daisy has joined our practice in 2021 with prior medical experience.  Daisy, with warm guidance, will help coordinate your birth certificate and social security filing after the baby is born.  She helps our practice with administrative tasks. Her commitment and growth within our practice have been a pleasure to witness.  She is proud to have been born and raised in Las Vegas.  Daisy is also pursuing her IT certifications.   She considers herself a foodie, loves going to concerts, and hanging with her friends.  Daisy is bilingual in Spanish and has been a blessing to be a part of our Serenity team. 

 

 

 

Allyson Vodopich

Patient Specialist

Allyson has always had an interest in the medical field.  She was a newbie prior to starting but has become a great asset who cares greatly about our patients and families.  She joined our family in 2022.  Allyson, with warm guidance, will help coordinate and educate patients explaining all details from initial consultation, future appointments, financials, and any other front facilitation you may need. Allyson is a native of Las Vegas and enjoys movies, hanging out with friends, and painting.  The next chapter for Allyson is her interest in developing her birth work as a Doula and Birth Assistant. 

 

 

Sydney Dickinson

Patient Financial Specialist

Sydney joined our practice in May of 2022.  Her experience includes event management, high customer service, and IT management. She was looking for employment with a sense of community.   Sydney will help coordinate, educate, and inform you about any financial responsibility or concerns you may have when making your decision to start care.  Sydney is our consultation and tour liaison for our practice.   Her passion for more birth work is leading Sydney to become a Doula for our community.  Traveling with her dog makes her happy as well as bird watching.  Sydney’s dedication, warm heart, and commitment is so refreshing.