About Us
The Family Life Center at 20 Elm Street, Albany, NY, 12202 has existed in this same building since 1976. FLC began as a meeting place for families trying to create better birth experiences for themselves, informed by new voices advocating for normal, natural, gentle birth and the growing awareness of midwifery. These voices included Ina May Gaskin, Janet Balaskas, Frederick Leboyer, Rahima Baldwin, and Suzanne Arms, to name only a few. We started with supportive meetings to talk, read, strategize, write birth plans and organize meetings between families and their care providers. Almost 4 decades later, we have evolved into the longest standing education and support center for families in their childbearing years in the Capital Region, with two office and teaching locations.
Who We Are
In our roles as birth support professionals - midwives and doulas- we will get intimately involved with you and your family to help you feel more empowered through this amazing journey. We reinforce your trust in your body and your ability to give birth normally as we work to clarify what is important to you during labor and birth, then work cooperatively as the birth team to help you realize your goals.
Betsy Mercogliano, LM, CNM, CPM, RN, CD, CCE
I have been supporting birthing mothers and offering Midwifery and Doula care for more than three decades. As a Licensed and Certified Professional Midwife, I have a special focus on Home Birth. I am also the mother of two grown daughters, a wife, a grandmother, a teacher, a childbirth educator, a birth activist and founder of the Family Life Center. I am one of the founders of BirthNet, a local non-profit organization whose mission is to educate the public about maternity care in order to improve it. I train doulas and am happy to have seen the number of doulas in the Capital District grow exponentially since I began our trainings over 10 years ago. I received my Registered Nurse license in New York in 1980. After apprenticing for 15 years with two local birth professionals, I earned my Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) credential from the North American Registry of Midwives in 1998. In September, 2010, I earned my Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Midwifery from the National College of Midwifery, completing a survey of Capital District Women on their attitudes toward Midwifery Care, Doula Support and Free-standing Birth Centers. I received a license as a Midwife in NY State (LM/CNM) in 2011. I have been supporting families who want support using water during birth for over 15 years. I have been blessed to be present at hundreds of births of new families.
Tisha Graham, CPM, CCE, CD, CLC
As is true for many of us who support birthing women, I came to this work through the births of my own children. I am the mother of five children and continued to deepen my connection to birth support and to midwifery with each subsequent birth. First certified as a Childbirth Educator more than 25 years ago, I continue to teach childbirth classes which is something I am very passionate about. I was called to provide labor support by various families over the years, and when my own children were older, I was able to commit to full scope labor support work and became a Certified Doula. The next step to take was midwifery certification, and I chose the Certified Professional Midwife credential as it most closely reflects the kind of midwifery I am most philosophically alligned with. And finally, after 16 consecutive years of either being pregnant and/or nursing, I chose to formalize my vast experience around breastfeeding by becoming a Certified Lacation Counselor. I am involved in the politics and policies surrounding access to midwives in all settings as the coordinator for New York Friends of Midwives. I co-founded and am active in the local organization, BirthNet, which serves to educate the community about evidence-based maternity care in order to improve women’s experiences and outcomes. It is an honor and a privilege to be with families during this powerful and exciting time.
Jessica Allen Hayek, CCCE, CPLD, CLC
Strength, trust, and a little bit of magic - Bringing a baby into the world takes all of those things. Giving birth is an incredibly personal experience. Each family has a unique set of needs that when met, can foster an empowering pregnancy, birth and postpartum time. One of the things I enjoy about most about this work, is helping families find what works for them. There is no right or wrong in birthing choices. Through providing education, compassionate support and evidence-based options, I can help families navigate these new waters and discover what they have and what they need to be confident. I have been providing families with doula support and Childbirth Education since 2011 (CAPPA and ABI certified). Since my entrance into the birth field, I have been honored to offer my services through the Albany Family Life Center. When I’m not helping mamas and babies, I enjoy spending time outdoors with my family, cooking, listening to music and making art. Looking forward to assisting you along your birthing journey!
Laura Simpson, RN, doula
As a birth assistant with the Family Life Center, I come with a solid background in women’s and children’s care which has been tested in a variety of settings. In 1995, I graduated from nursing school and over the years I have worked in Pediatrics, NICU and Postpartum as a clinical floor nurse for INOVA Hospitals. In 2007, I shifted my focus to community based health care, assisting midwives in a free standing birth center and at homebirths. I also support families by offering birth doula services. The important aspect of my nursing practice which I keep returning to is health counseling and provision of care that is supportive of well-being. This is why I feel blessed to be part of FLC team of professionals that has been providing holistic care for decades.
Sarah Read, M.Ed., ICCE, CD(DONA)
I have been interested in educating, empowering, and supporting families in preparation for childbirth since my first pregnancy, during which I became fascinated by the strength and knowledge of the birthing body. With a background in special education, I pursued certification as a Childbirth Educator after the birth of my second child. After two years of teaching and attending births, I trained as a birth doula with DONA in October 2019. I celebrate the role of interpersonal relationships and communication in determining what support each person and family needs to meet the shifting demands of pregnancy, childbirth, and the newborn period, and feel honored to be welcomed into the intimate space of such transformative experiences. I began working at the Family Life Center in 2019, and am proud to serve as the Center Manager and to be a part of this amazing organization.