Lena S. Wood is a feminist nurse-midwife, educator, trans-national adoptee, and mindfulness practitioner and teacher, among many other identities. Her work as a midwife is grounded in the reproductive justice framework developed by Sistersong, and informed by research on trauma-informed care, interpersonal neurobiology, and Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting. Lena’s path to midwifery started as a patient support advocate at Planned Parenthood, where she is currently employed. She has also worked as a Montessori teacher, peer pregnancy options counselor, and full-spectrum doula. She completed her nursing and midwifery education at Oregon Health & Sciences University and is a proud alumna of Mount Holyoke College.

Lena’s research and advocacy interests include the physiology of trauma and chronic stress and its impact on pregnancy outcomes, mindfulness-based interventions for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, racism and reproductive health disparities, and the development of a more culturally responsive midwifery workforce. She is active in the American College of Nurse-Midwives and currently serves as the Oregon affiliate’s chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. When not working she spends time with her family, cooking, reading, and sitting zazen at Dharma Rain Zen Center.