Meet the Midwife
Heather Smith CPM LM
The Full Well Team
Madeleine Hall- Administrative Assistant and Birth Assistant
Madeleine Hall serves as our administrative assistant and birth assistant, bringing dedication and expertise to our midwifery practice.
Originally from New Hampshire, Madeleine moved to the Roanoke area to earn her Bachelor's degree in Public Health. She is currently a senior midwifery student at Breath of Life Midwifery with an anticipated graduation in Summer 2025 and looks forward to opening her own midwifery practice in our area!
As a skilled birth and postpartum doula with NRP and CPR certifications, Madeleine is passionate about providing women with informed consent and evidence-based care throughout their birthing journey.
Her compassionate approach and comprehensive training make her an invaluable member of our team and a trusted support for the families we serve.
Ayla Hartless - Birth Assistant
Ayla brings her extensive experience as a birth professional to Full Well Midwifery, where she serves as a valued birth assistant.
As the owner of Born Motherhood LLC, Ayla has dedicated over a decade to supporting families throughout the Roanoke and New River Valleys of Southwest Virginia. Her background in providing education, advocacy, and non-medical support for vulnerable individuals within the medical system informs her compassionate approach to midwifery assistance.
Ayla is a certified Thompson Method Breastfeeding Educator and childbirth educator, specializing in preparing families for hospital birth experiences. Her comprehensive understanding of the birthing process in various settings makes her an invaluable asset to our midwifery team.
When not supporting families at Full Well Midwifery or leading her team at Born Motherhood LLC, Ayla enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, serving in church, cooking, gardening, and cherishing moments with her family and dogs.
Caley Bower - Birth Assistant
Caley Bower was born and raised in Roanoke, VA. She is a skilled birth and postpartum doula with four years of experience supporting mothers through every stage of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery. She holds NRP and CPR certifications and has worked alongside local midwives, providing compassionate care in both home and hospital birth settings.
In 2023, Caley founded Momma Made, a business dedicated to empowering mothers with personalized doula support, postpartum care, and placenta encapsulation services.
As a mother who has experienced two home births herself, she deeply understands the emotional and physical journey of motherhood. Her passion is to create a nurturing and informed space where women feel supported, confident, and empowered in their birth experiences.
Midwife and Mom
Heather's passion for becoming a midwife began at a very young age. She started her apprenticeship with Breath of Life Midwifery in early 2019 and attended her first birth on May 5th, 2019. Over the course of an intensive four-year apprenticeship, she attended 75 births and over 1,000 prenatal and postpartum visits.
In early 2023, Heather achieved her goal of becoming a licensed midwife and officially joined Breath of Life Midwifery as a staff midwife. During her time there, she attended nearly 50 births before establishing her own practice, Full Well Midwifery. Heather has taught over 100 hours of childbirth education, passionately empowering women with the knowledge they need for their birthing experiences.
Her strong emphasis on relationship and trust building led her to start her own practice, as she believes that shared decision-making works best when you fully trust that your provider cares for you and your baby. Maintaining her knowledge and skills at the forefront, Heather stays up-to-date with certifications in NRP and CPR-BLS. She enjoys teaching childbirth education classes multiple times a year to clients and the community.
For Heather, the pillars of midwifery care lie in informed consent and shared decision-making. She is dedicated to empowering women through birth and restoring their belief in their bodies throughout the birthing process. Heather is excited to serve the Roanoke area as she embarks on this fulfilling journey with Full Well Midwifery.
She lives in Botetourt County with her husband, 4 kiddos, and their golden retriever. (Plus whatever animals her kids have snuck inside!) When not catching babies or teaching classes, you can usually find her reading a good fantasy novel.
