About Mother of Thousands Midwifery
The name, Mother of Thousands Midwifery, is named after the plant, Mother of Thousands (Kalanchoe daigremontiana). Its leaves grow flowers along the edges, and upon detachment from the mother plant, the flower grows a new Mother of Thousands plant where it lands. This aligns with our personal aspiration to leave a little bit of love everywhere we go. Our Founder, Nicolle, received her first Mother of Thousands plant during her first year as a Licensed Midwife as a gift at a home visit by a Client’s mother who very fondly reminded her of her grandmother. That visit was when she first realized she would serve her community best through an intimate home birth practice. We are humbled to watch this dream unfold.
Our Mission
We take great pride in helping to oversee a calm, educated, comforting, judgment-free space to uncover and unleash the power within to bring forth new life. We base the way we practice in loving on our clients and their families, laughing through our prenatal/postpartum visits (although sometimes we also cry), quietly watching with admiration as our clients do extraordinary things, support fully informed decision making for advocacy and preparation, having difficult conversations, and finding your inner peace as you become someone new (because even though babies are born, parents are born and reborn again). All of this while monitoring for underlying health conditions and providing extra support through community resources.
Our promise is to see you, to hear you, to acknowledge you, and to respect you. Establishing cultural, emotional, and medical safety are ongoing priorities so our families can focus on mental and physical preparations for labor, delivery, and postpartum. Helping families feel confident through education, hearing their perinatal experience, and giving encouragement through reassurance paves the way for a stronger community birth experience; and we are humbled to be a part of your birth story.
Licensed Midwife, Founder
Nicolle Maldonado Arendt, LM
( she / her / ella )
My call to be a midwife first rang when I became a big sister and my mom had her successful VBAC. I began walking in midwifery in 2018 after witnessing a close friend and doula client receive neglectful care during her childbirth experience due to racial discrimination. My passion for normalizing birth and educating families stems from a real need for advocacy and representation in the birth space to eliminate disparities associated with maternal and fetal mortality rates, particularly for Black and Brown families. I have since relied on the intuition instilled within my lineage as the great-great-granddaughter of a Puerto Rican traditional midwife, and the knowledge passed onto me from each midwife I have learned from, to advocate for each family served through informed decision making to maintain a safe and inclusive birth experience. Over 300 births later, I am still so amazed that I get to move in my purpose every day. I graduated from the Florida School of Traditional Midwifery and became a Florida Licensed Midwife in 2022; with experience attending births in hospitals, birth centers, and home births.
Outside of my commitment to Mother of Thousands Midwifery, I am a Co-Host of the Central Florida Birth Podcast, where we provide guidance for local families and connect with holistic practitioners to discuss professional and collaborative approaches to navigating intersectional issues with attaining equitable healthcare. I also am a member of the Orange County, FL Branch of the NAACP, an active UCF AlumKnight (Go Knights!), and I have loved working at national and local levels within my sorority, Mu Sigma Upsilon, for over 11 years. When I’m not wearing all the hats, you can find me hiking, working with my plants in my beginners garden, at the beach, on a road trip with my family, or with my Godchildren.
Student Midwife
V Santana, RN
( she / they / ella )
Hello, I am Vanessa (AKA “v”) Santana (she/they), a queer Boricua Registered Nurse currently enrolled as a student midwife at Commonsense Childbirth School of Midwifery. I feel extreme gratitude and divine alignment to be training to attend out-of-hospital births at the only Black-founded accredited midwifery program in the country. I draw on the strength of my Afro-Taino roots, hoping to continue the work of my great-grandmother’s role as a traditional midwife in Boriken by honoring and reclaiming ancestral practices of birthwork and spiritual healing for the Collective.
I have a Bachelor’s degree in Women & Gender Studies, a minor in Religious Studies, and a Master of Science degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education. I have over 20 years of interdisciplinary experience in education, youth community programming, victim advocacy, reproductive justice, Reiki and energy work, and most recently served as a Level 4 NICU nurse in Orlando, FL. My work centers around service to community and a commitment to Black & Indigenous, LGBTQ+ and marginalized folks.
I see pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period as powerful mediums for healing and transformation. I believe that when childbearing families are treated with Love and are provided with holistic, wrap-around support, they can connect with their own inner power and their ability to parent is also transformed–ultimately leading to positive changes that impact the Collective and future generations. When I'm not in school or at births, you can find me spending quality time with my wife, Elke, my fur babies & family, and growing medicinal herbs & food in my garden. I feel Blessed to join the Mother of Thousands Midwifery team!
Birth Assistant
Arelis Jones
( she / her / ella )
Becoming a mother at the age of 16 shaped the foundation of my passion for supporting women and families through every stage of their reproductive journey. My personal experience sparked a deep commitment to advocacy, empowerment, and creating safe spaces for others to feel seen and supported. Over the past five years, I’ve worked as a doula, offering compassionate, individualized care to families. For the last three years, I’ve also served as a birth assistant, supporting midwives in bringing gentle, holistic birth experiences to life.
My love for herbalism and natural healing is woven into the care I provide, blending traditional wisdom with a holistic approach that honors the mind, body, and spirit. One of the ways I give back is by serving the teen mom community at the program I once attended, where I offer free doula services to young mothers—supporting them in ways I wish I had when I was their age. I’m now pursuing midwifery school to deepen my skills and continue walking alongside families with the same dedication and heart that began with my own birth story.
Birth Photographer
Emily Santi
( she / her )
Hi, I’m Emily! I’ve been part of the Mother of Thousands Midwifery team since April 2024. As a certified, IAPBP-accredited birth photographer, videographer, and doula, I’m honored to offer complimentary birth photography to Nicolle's clients who wish to have their birth story documented. I believe every birth holds powerful, once-in-a-lifetime moments that deserve to be remembered with care and artistry. Working alongside Nicolle and the rest of the team, I’m grateful to support families through such a sacred and transformative chapter of their lives.
