Eleanor Colmenares, DNP, CNM, IBCLC

 Eleanor Colmenares has been doing birth work for

over 10 years. For the last 5 1/2 years, she has been with Harrisonburg

Ob/gyn as the Director of Midwifery Services, while also serving as the

clinical liaison for Healthy Community Health Center’s perinatal care

program in cooperation with HOB and RMH. Since joining HOB, she has

grown the midwifery service line at Harrisonburg Ob/gyn, including

moving to “midwifery first” care model at Sentara RMH, directly

improving birth outcomes for area families. 

Sentara RMH has welcomed

Eleanor’s expertise as part of the Women’s Health High Performance

Design Team. Most recently, she joined the OBHG hospitalist group at

Sentara RMH as a hospitalist midwife, continuing her commitment to

individualized midwifery care for all families giving birth at the hospital.

She is sought out for care across the lifespan including prenatal,

labor/birth, postpartum, lactation, and gyn services.

Eleanor says:

 My journey to midwifery began when my brother was born at a birth center when I was 8 years old.  I have described “growing up in a birth center” as a central part of my childhood.  When I became pregnant with my oldest daughter at 17, the midwives at the birth center I spent my childhood at walked alongside me while I became a mother for the first time.  It wasn’t until later that I recognized how much that support during my transition into motherhood affected my whole life.  Supporting women and families as they make this sacred transition has become the focus of my care.  Professionally, I have worked in birth for over 10 years and while my journey started in out of hospital birth, I have found a passion in creating the kind of prenatal, birth, and postpartum support I received in a birth center for those who desire or need a hospital setting for giving birth.  I have been in the Shenandoah Valley and catching babies at Sentara RMH since 2018 and have worked to grow midwifery access in this area at Harrisonburg ob/gyn, Healthy Community Health Center and Sentara.  I am excited to continue to expand midwifery care even further in this community with Hygge Wellness.