Celebrate Birth is an independent midwifery practice specializing in natural childbirth. It is owned and operated by Melissa Conord-Morrow, LM, and is the only birth center in Polk County, FL. Our staff is honored to serve women in pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period.
The birth center was opened in 1985 and named “Labor of Love” by midwife CharLynn Daughtrey. It was here that Melissa came for two of her pregnancies and where she began her own journey towards midwifery. In 2013, she and her husband James took over and renamed the center “Celebrate Birth.” For over 30 years this home-like setting has been a welcoming place for mothers and their families in the childbearing years.
We offer women a variety of options for prenatal care, all designed to best meet their needs and preferences while maintaining the health and safety of their baby. Our clients can feel empowered through being an active participant in their pregnancy and childbirth experience. We are honored to be a part of this beautiful season of a woman’s life.
Our midwives
Melissa Conord-Morrow, LM, IBCLC, RN
“It is refreshing to see that you can do what you want – with your own body, your own baby, your own birth.”
Melissa has been working with women and families in the Central Florida since 1995, fifteen of those years at Labor of Love. She began as a mother reaching out to others, then as a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor at WIC and a Perinatal Educator and Doula, before completing her midwifery education at Miami Dade College. Licensed in 2004, Melissa has since enjoyed serving others in her calling and is very excited about her return to the former Labor of Love as the new owner of Celebrate Birth. In 2017 she earned her IBCLC certification (license L-127181) and now also acts as the lead lactation counselor at The Nest, a nonprofit organization she and her husband, James, founded with the goal of meeting our community’s needs regarding education and support for growing families.
Personally, Melissa is a native of Florida happily married with six beautiful children, two sweet grandsons and two precious granddaughters. She is very involved with her church family, enjoys great food, and local historical natural spaces.
Michelle Hannah, LM, CBS
“I want to encourage our clients to realize that they are capable and made for this. You can do it well and in your own way, so trust your instincts. We will be here right beside you, all the way.”
Michelle Hannah, Licensed Midwife, was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She moved to Lakeland, FL in 1993 when she began attending Southeastern University from which she is an alumna. It was at SEU where she met her husband, Greg, and they have four girls. Michelle enjoys being active in her church community and homeschooling her daughters, and she secretly hopes to one day be on the Amazing Race.
Her passion for the natural process of birth began during her first pregnancy more than 11 years ago. She knew that freedom and choices in birth were possible and began pursuing options. Michelle became a client of Celebrate Birth (formerly Labor of Love). Her birth experiences include hospital, water birth, and home birth; in which her fellow midwife, Melissa Conord-Morrow, was the attending midwife at her last two deliveries. Michelle continued to foster her love for natural birth as a doula before becoming a birth assistant at Celebrate Birth. Here her love for Midwifery took wings and with the support from staff and family she began attending CommonSense Childbirth School of Midwifery in Winter Garden, FL and graduated in April 2015. We are happy to have Michelle as a bilingual midwife and we know she will continue to be an exciting asset to the future and growth of Celebrate Birth. Hablo español.
Meredith, LMT, CBS, Student Midwife
Hello! I am Meredith Fisher. I have been with Celebrate Birth since November of 2015. I was originally hired on as a massage therapist, certified in prenatal massage, but within 2 months I began working as one of their birth assistants as well. While on this wonderful journey, I have discovered just how much I love to serve and encourage mothers and their growing families. Also, the desire to become a midwife was rekindled inside me, an interest that had begun to grow in my heart while I was pregnant with our youngest child over 17 years ago. Now, I am ready to embark upon the next leg of my journey as a student midwife.
I am looking forward to learning from my mentors, serving our local families, and investing in our community. Thank you for letting me be a small part of this special time in your life!
Our midwives
Melissa Conord-Morrow, LM, IBCLC, RN
“It is refreshing to see that you can do what you want – with your own body, your own baby, your own birth.”
Melissa has been working with women and families in the Central Florida area since 1995, fifteen of those years at Labor of Love. She began as a mother reaching out to others, then as a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor at WIC and a Perinatal Educator and Doula, before completing her midwifery education at Miami Dade College. Licensed in 2004, Melissa has since enjoyed serving others in her calling and is very excited about her return to the former Labor of Love as the new owner of Celebrate Birth. In 2017 she earned her IBCLC certification (license L-127181) and now also acts as the lead lactation counselor at The Nest, a nonprofit organization she and her husband, James, founded with the goal of meeting our community’s needs regarding education and support for growing families.
Personally, Melissa is a native of Florida happily married with six beautiful children, two sweet grandsons and two precious granddaughters. She is very involved with her church family, enjoys great food, and local historical natural spaces.
Michelle Hannah, LM, CBS
“I want to encourage our clients to realize that they are capable and made for this. You can do it well and in your own way, so trust your instincts. We will be here right beside you, all the way.”
Michelle Hannah, Licensed Midwife, was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She moved to Lakeland, FL in 1993 when she began attending Southeastern University from which she is an alumna. It was at SEU where she met her husband, Greg, and they have four girls. Michelle enjoys being active in her church community and homeschooling her daughters, and she secretly hopes to one day be on the Amazing Race.
Her passion for the natural process of birth began during her first pregnancy more than 11 years ago. She knew that freedom and choices in birth were possible and began pursuing options. Michelle became a client of Celebrate Birth (formerly Labor of Love). Her birth experiences include hospital, water birth, and home birth; in which her fellow midwife, Melissa Conord-Morrow, was the attending midwife at her last two deliveries. Michelle continued to foster her love for natural birth as a doula before becoming a birth assistant at Celebrate Birth. Here her love for Midwifery took wings and with the support from staff and family she began attending CommonSense Childbirth School of Midwifery in Winter Garden, FL and graduated in April 2015. We are happy to have Michelle as a bilingual midwife and we know she will continue to be an exciting asset to the future and growth of Celebrate Birth.
Meredith, LMT, CBS, Student Midwife
Hello! I am Meredith Fisher. I have been with Celebrate Birth since November of 2015. I was originally hired on as a massage therapist, certified in prenatal massage, but within 2 months I began working as one of their birth assistants as well. While on this wonderful journey, I have discovered just how much I love to serve and encourage mothers and their growing families. Also, the desire to become a midwife was rekindled inside me, an interest that had begun to grow in my heart while I was pregnant with our youngest child over 17 years ago. Now, I am ready to embark upon the next leg of my journey as a student midwife.
I am looking forward to learning from my mentors, serving our local families, and investing in our community. Thank you for letting me be a small part of this special time in your life!
Our Support Staff
James, co-owner, LMT
“Supporting my wife in her passion to help expectant and new mothers is the greatest feeling, and the group of women she has brought together will only improve the community.”
James has been in the medical field for almost 20 years. In 2011, he decided to return to school for massage therapy with the support of his wife. Since graduating in 2012, James has actively grown his own practice specializing in injury prevention and pain management. In 2013, he knew the time had come to continue the dream of midwifery with his wife, so they took the plunge to acquire the birth center. With Melissa handling the clinical side, James turned his attention to the administrative areas of the birth center. Their goal is simply to offer the community the choice in the prenatal care that they receive and to support the educational needs of all mothers and mothers to be.
James is a Florida native, married to Melissa the Co-Owner of Celebrate Birth with six beautiful children, two grandsons, a granddaughter, and another granddaughter on the way. He is very involved with the community and enjoys traveling with his wife, visiting family, or even just a simple day trip.
Karen, Education Coordinator, Birth Assistant
“I am passionate about helping women empower themselves through education. Each of our classes offers an opportunity to broaden your understanding, strengthen your skills, and bond with our local community of mothers. It is my sincere pleasure to be a resource to our clients as they proceed on their journey from conception to birth and into motherhood.”
Karen has been a Childbirth Educator since 2013 and is the Education Coordinator at Celebrate Birth. In the past, she has served as one of our birth assistants and she still enjoys occasionally serving in this capacity on clinic days. Karen is also the office manager for The Nest, overseeing the education program and connecting local families to resources for pregnancy, lactation, and postpartum support.
Karen and her husband have been married for over 20 years and have 6 children together. After four hospital births, Melissa and Michelle attended her fifth and sixth births at home and at the birth center, respectively.
Whitney, CBS, Birth Assistant
“I consider it a privilege to work with this team of women who have an absolute passion to raise up and empower every family all the way, through every turn, shining a light on the strength they already had long before we came on the scene.”
Whitney was a birth assistant in 1999/2000 with Melissa back when the birth center was known as Labor of Love, and in 2015 she returned to continue the work that she loves. In 2017 she became a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist and she also serves as one of the lactation counselors at The Nest. She is currently continuing her education to become an IBCLC.
Devon, Birth Assistant
“I have always had a heart for pregnant women, babies and families (I wanted to be a labor and delivery nurse growing up) and this job is so rewarding and empowering. I’m so blessed to work in this community and with these amazing ladies. Thank you for letting us be a part of your story because it’s definitely life changing.”
Devon has been a birth assistant with Celebrate Birth since January 2020. She is also a licensed EMT and a certified CPR instructor. She and her husband have two sons who were delivered by Celebrate Birth in 2019 and 2021. In her free time, Devon likes to spend time gardening, repurposing items, baking, learning new things, and having fun outside with her family.
Erin, Office Manager
Erin first became a part of our Celebrate Birth family as a client in 2020. Later that year, she joined our team as our Office Manager. Erin has a 15 year background in retail management and pharmacy and she uses her management and customer service skills to ensure everything in our office runs smoothly.
Erin and her partner Mark have been together for almost 15 years and they have 2 daughters. They were both born and raised in Chicago and decided to trade the cold weather for the Florida sunshine in 2016. In her free time, Erin loves to spend time outdoors with her family. She also enjoys reading and doing crafts with her oldest daughter.