Jennifer Vines, LM, CPM-TN

I love being a midwife. I love my job and truly enjoy this work. I began the journey into midwifery with the simple desire of assisting families to have normal, family centered birth experiences that were empowering. That single, simple thought has brought me into the lives of many wonderful families. I have had the privilege to witness amazing and strong people become mothers, fathers and parents and couples become families.

After years of providing care throughout the childbearing cycle as a doula, through midwifery and nursing training, at home births and hospital births and even once an elevator birth…

In 2012, I embarked on a new journey and founded private midwifery practice Vines Midwifery Nashville. I also serve as a NARM Preceptor and Clinical Instructor. Through this practice I have had the pleasure of serving some of the most wonderful families in Nashville and the surrounding area.

In 2025 the amazing opportunity to form Music City Midwives appeared. We are so excited to bring the synergy of our collective experiences to the families we serve.

Each of the births I attend is a true honor. I am thankful to each and every family that allows me to share this life changing experience with them.

On a personal note - I am the mother of two grown children and grandmother to three grandsons. I live in East Nashville. When not attending births, I enjoy vegetable and flower gardening, backyard chicken raising, herbalism and hanging with the best dog in the world Ms. Charlotte and her bestie bird friends, cockatiels Mr Queenie and Mr Pinky.

I am also interested in the international midwifery community and volunteer with several global organizations to provide midwifery care to the international refugee community.

Gaylea McDougal, LM, CPM-TN, CPM-KY

After completing undergraduate studies (Psychology) at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, I studied nursing on a Masters level at Vanderbilt University, where I was enrolled in the Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner program (1998-2000). Following several years in conventional clinical roles, I began attending births as both a private practice doula and a birth assistant in 2007.

In 2015 I fulfilled the requirements established by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) and earned the Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) credential. I am licensed in TN and KY and have attended nearly 1,000 births across middle TN and southern KY. 

In 2017, I founded Roots Collaborative Care, an integrative healthcare facility that offers inclusive, trauma-informed support for individuals and families. In addition to overseeing the daily operations of Roots, I also teach the self-authored Roots Childbirth curriculum, serve as a NARM preceptor/Clinical Instructor and serve as the Middle TN rep for TMA (Tennessee Midwives Association). I also host Preg Your Pardon, a pregnancy-focused podcast available on all major streaming platforms. So when the opportunity presented itself to partner up with 2 other amazing midwives to form Music City Midwifery, it was a no-brainer and I couldn’t be more excited!

I have been married to my high school sweetheart, Scott, for 30 years. Together, we have three sons—Austin, Bailey, and Casey. Our oldest, Austin, passed away in January 2021 as we held him in our arms. We miss him every second of every day. His loss has deepened our dedication to supporting  grief and healing in our community and nurturing my own grief has given me a unique perspective about life and loss. Both are sacred. 

Outside of midwifery, I enjoy spending time with my family, long-distance running, vegetable and wildflower gardening, tending to our chickens and bees, and nurturing a mindfulness practice through daily meditation and yoga. I also serve as President of The ARM Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that provides a safe and supportive space for those navigating grief.

Arielle Fears, LM, CPM-TN

I grew up inside the classrooms and halls of the second accredited massage school in the United States, started by my grandmother in St. Petersburg, FL. My family of origin consists of massage therapists, educators, and healthcare workers, so it’s not surprising I landed in the practice of out-of-hospital midwifery, though I had many dreams and curiosities involving other pathways.

I had my first child in shock and awe while getting my unrelated bachelor’s degree in 2012, experienced hospital midwifery care, and learned a lot about life very quickly.

Determined to support my son and partner, and to contribute something meaningful to my community, I started Music City Doulas in Nashville with a doula partner in 2015. I practiced as a birth and postpartum doula and childbirth educator for almost a decade, and during this time completed midwifery schooling and clinical hours in TX, TN, and KY. I still connect families and doulas through MCD, and teach the Evidence Based Birth childbirth education curriculum to families preparing for birth in the home, birth center, and hospital. I became a Licensed Midwife in the sate of TN in 2024, and began my own homebirth practice, Maypop Midwifery. I feel honored to continue practicing alongside Jennifer and Gaylea, who both graciously took me on as apprentice during my clinical hours.

I keep a large vegetable, herb, and flower garden, and am joyfully killing my lawn little by little and replacing it with native plants. I listen to books about public health, indigenous histories, and herbalism in the car on the way to home visits, and do my best to participate in local community organizing efforts. I would not be able to do my job or pursue meaning outside it without the tolerance and support of my partner of 16 years and our two ridiculously beautiful children.