About
MATRIA Holistic Midwifery is rooted in a calling to protect and honor the sacred physiology of birth.
Shaped through the work and experience of midwife, Rachel Fracassa, the practice is grounded in the conviction that the body carries an innate wisdom to birth, one that unfolds best when given respect, space, and reverence.
As a mother of five, Rachel’s own experiences have deeply shaped her understanding of what it means to grow, birth, and raise a family within a holistic framework of care. Those experiences live at the center of MATRIA’s philosophy: that birth is both physiological and deeply personal, woven into the fabric of family life itself.
Each birth space is approached with both the skills of a midwife and the lived perspective of a mother, honoring the profound transformations of pregnancy, birth, and the ongoing work of mothering.
Foundations in Midwifery
Before formal midwifery training, Rachel Fracassa lived many of the questions she now helps other women navigate. Several of her own births were self-directed, giving her a firsthand understanding of autonomy, intuition, and embodied trust, values that shape the way she approaches care.
Her midwifery education unfolded through apprenticeship with midwives across Central Missouri and the Kansas City area. Each mentor brought a distinct style and philosophy, reinforcing a core truth that has stayed with her: there is no single right way to support birth. Skilled midwifery is responsive, relational, and rooted in both clinical knowledge and lived experience.
Long before entering midwifery, Rachel worked with women and families around food sensitivities and nutritional shifts, beginning in 2007. This early work centered on pattern recognition, helping women notice how food, stress, and daily rhythms affected their energy, cycles, and overall sense of balance.
That lens naturally extended into hands-on work. Through training in craniosacral therapy and myofascial release, she observed how the nervous system and soft tissues influence regulation, comfort, and adaptation during pregnancy and birth. This reinforced a foundational belief that the body is inherently oriented toward balance when given appropriate support.
Her training in Somatic Experiencing adds a distinct layer to this work, offering practical tools for supporting nervous system safety and resilience. Rather than directing or managing the birth process, this approach emphasizes presence, attunement, and responsiveness, supporting women as they move through birth and the broader transitions of motherhood with greater capacity and self-trust.
Focused Skills and Practice
Rachel’s background in bodywork naturally led her to specialize in supporting babies in unique positions. She is a Spinning Babies® Aware Practitioner and has pursued additional training in breech release, offering a gentle, trauma-informed, midwife-led approach to supporting breech presentation as a complement or potential alternative to ECV.
This work integrates hands-on soft-tissue support, nervous system regulation, gravity, and guided movement. Sessions often involve working in varied positions rather than solely on the table, using incline, movement, and skilled hands to create space in the pelvis and abdomen before inviting rotation. Hands are used not to force change, but to offer clear support and boundaries, helping the baby orient and move without returning to the same position.
Because this approach considers tissue responsiveness and maternal-fetal dynamics—not alignment alone—it can be especially helpful in situations where chiropractic or Webster technique has not resulted in change. Breech release may be used on its own or alongside medical options such as ECV, offering families a non-forceful way to explore whether change is possible while respecting the baby’s timing and orientation.
Rachel maintains ongoing education through Breech Without Borders and related trainings, supporting families seeking both skilled breech support and the option of a physiological vaginal breech birth.
Given the inherent unpredictability of birth, Rachel has also built a strong foundation in emergency response. She is certified in NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program) and CPR, has completed B.E.S.T. (Birth Emergency Skills Training), and is EMT-trained, preparation that allows her to bring calm, capable support if birth takes an unexpected turn.
Over the years, Rachel has attended a wide range of home births, including VBAC, twin, and breech births, while continually deepening her clinical judgment and hands-on skills.
For Rachel, midwifery is about tending both the practical and the profound, holding readiness for the unexpected while honoring the sacred story unfolding within each family.
Philosophy
Rachel believes every mother deserves care that respects her instincts, honors her autonomy, and supports the wisdom of her body’s design. Her role is to offer guidance when it’s welcome, skill when it’s needed, and space always.
Some births ask very little of a midwife, while others call for a steadier, more hands-on presence. Rachel’s intention is to meet each family with exactly what is needed. No more, no less.
Central to her care is discernment: listening closely, responding wisely, and holding space for birth to unfold in its own way.
Guiding Commitments
At the heart of this work are a few guiding commitments that shape how families are cared for:
A calm, grounded presence so each woman feels safe, seen, and supported throughout pregnancy and birth
Commitment to physiological birth, with the skill and preparation to respond wisely if complications arise
Collaborative care in which the family’s voice leads and decisions are made together
Hands-on skills are used with restraint and respect, always trusting the natural unfolding of labor
Specialized training and experience in breech birth, offering real options for families seeking skilled support beyond surgery
Respect for the full spectrum of birth choices — from traditional midwifery to self-directed paths — honoring each family’s chosen way
Integration of craniosacral therapy, myofascial release, and nervous system support, bringing a depth of bodywork rarely woven into midwifery care — whether through focused techniques or something as simple as a calming touch
Autonomy in Practice
Autonomy is woven into every part of this practice. I offer care that honors your intuition and keeps your values and instincts at the center of the experience.
Where the Work Took Root
Rachel’s path into midwifery has been shaped by both lived experience and dedicated training. This work began through motherhood, learning firsthand the strength of instinct and the value of sovereignty and personal agency. Later, through apprenticeship with midwives across central Missouri and the Kansas City metro area, she developed the skills and discernment that now ground her practice.
Her continuing education has focused on areas where families are often left without options: breech, twins, and other variations of normal that deserve safe, skilled support. Rachel has also been deeply influenced by traditional midwives whose teachings affirm that midwifery is not only clinical care but sacred service.
At the center of it all is Rachel’s faith. She believes birth was divinely designed, woven into creation with wisdom, not error. Each unfolding labor and each first breath stand as reminders of the Creator’s presence and care. This conviction shapes every aspect of her practice: trust in the body, readiness for the unexpected, and reverence for the sacred story being written in every family.
What Grounds This Practice
Through years of experience, birth has revealed itself as both sacred and sobering, a place where mystery and design meet.
It invites awe and requires attentiveness.
It has the power to shape, to teach, and to humble everyone who encounters it.
To be invited into that space is an honor. Every family’s story is different, but each carries the same quiet miracle of life unfolding.
That work—bearing witness, holding reverence, and offering skilled hands only if needed—is the heart of this practice.
Reach out and connect.
If you think we might be a good match, let’s connect and see! Zoom calls, coffee shops, and my kitchen table are all options. Let’s chat!