Deborah A. Gillespie, ND, CDM

Midwife

Dr. Deborah A. Gillespie is a Midwife in Juneau, AK with special training and skill in providing holistic, non-invasive care, education, and emotional support for pregnant women before, during, and after birthing. As a Midwife, Deborah A. Gillespie, ND, CDM performs healthcare services for women throughout pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum adjustment to motherhood. Midwifery is the profession of assisting women in prenatal care, childbirth, and postpartum transition, informed by the belief that pregnancy and childbirth are natural life processes, not medical conditions. Significant diseases and conditions treated by Midwives include vaginal yeast infections, post partum depression, unnecessary technological or pharmaceutical interventions. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Midwives include pelvic exams, pap smears, breast exams, birth plan creation, parenting education, monitoring and support during labor and childbirth, breastfeeding instruction, newborn care education, and postpartum emotional support.

A Midwife is a trained professional with special expertise in supporting women to maintain a healthy pregnancy birth, offering expert individualized care, education, counseling, and support to a woman and her newborn throughout the childbearing cycle. A Midwife is a skilled and independent practitioner who has undergone formalized training. Midwives are not required to be nurses and may be trained via multiple routes of education (apprenticeship, workshop, formal classes, or programs, etc., usually a combination). The educational background requirements and licensing requirements vary by state. The Midwife may or may not be certified by a state or national organization.

Naturopath

Dr. Deborah A. Gillespie is a Naturopath in Juneau, AK with special training and skill in treating chronic conditions that don't respond to conventional medicine by addressing the individual needs of patients and developing custom treatment plans. As a Naturopath, Deborah A. Gillespie, ND, CDM performs lab testing to detect and monitor hormone and nutrient imbalances, nutritional therapy, botanical medicine, acupuncture, and IV therapy. Naturopathy is science-based medicine that promotes wellness by identifying the unique aspects of each patient, then employing non-toxic natural therapies to restore the patients physiological, psychological, and structural balance. Significant diseases and conditions treated by Naturopaths include fibromyalgia, migraine headaches, depression, asthma, hypertension, hormonal imbalance, type II diabetes, and other autoimmune diseases. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Naturopaths include medical history analysis, blood testing, saliva testing, urine testing, stool testing, diet therapy, nutritional supplements, botanical medicine, patience, and good communication about a patient's whole health (as opposed to any one individual symptom only).

Diagnoses, treats, and cares for patients, using system of practice that bases treatment of physiological functions and abnormal conditions on natural laws governing human body: Utilizes physiological, psychological, and mechanical methods, such as air, water, light, heat, earth, phototherapy, food and herb therapy, psychotherapy, electrotherapy, physiotherapy, minor and orificial surgery, mechanotherapy, naturopathic corrections and manipulation, and natural methods or modalities, together with natural medicines, natural processed foods, and herbs and nature's remedies. Excludes major surgery, therapeutic use of x ray and radium, and use of drugs, except those assimilable substances containing elements or compounds which are components of body tissues and are physiologically compatible to body processes for maintenance of life.