Meet Isabelle Krize

We had the good fortune of connecting with Isabelle Krize and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Isabelle, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When it came to starting Embrace Midwifery and Wellness LLC, I had a long list of goals. But I’ll share my top three. First, I wanted to provide the the best holistic midwifery care to growing families. Being the founder and operator of my business was a no brainer when it came to accomplishing that goal. I knew if I was the one behind the scenes, my ideas and my vision could truly come to light.
Second, building my own team of passionate coworkers. I want Embrace Families to be surrounded by women who love and revere this work as much as I do. Having the freedom to welcome in and train my own team was paramount in my decision to start my own practice.
Third, growth and the ability to expand at my own pace. Quality over quantity has always been my number one priority.
At Embrace we only take a limited amount of clients per month to ensure each mama and family is given the love and attention they each deserve. Not having over-head gives me control over when and how we expand.

To sum it all up, quality care, a great team, slow organic growth.

I have been blessed to see the fruits of these goals flourish into Embrace Midwifery and Wellness LLC.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The last time I was interviewed by Voyage Phoenix in 2019, I was a Doula. My business, My Doula Family is now Embrace Midwifery and Wellness LLC officially established in October 2022.

I am a Certified Professional Midwife, licensed in the state of Arizona and specializing in low risk physiologic birth.
I provide in-home prenatal and extensive postnatal care to growing families of the east valley of Arizona.

I believe what has set me apart and what has contributed to the success of Embrace is my connection to the community. My practice hit the ground running because I was already very involved and successful as a Doula. I made many professional connections and served over 500 families as a Doula over 15 years. My doula clients transitioned with me and continue to support me as a Midwife.

I am very passionate about postpartum care. It’s something we take very seriously at Embrace.
We see our clients 7-9 times in the first 6 weeks after birth. We pride ourselves at being there when things arise so families have the resources they need, when they need it. This is one of the, if not the most transitional part of ones life, it’s critical that women are supported and seen in this transition. There is so much that arises in these critical weeks. It is imperative that we show up and do better. At Embrace we are doing our very best to bridge this gap for our clients.

Which is also why I have chosen to work primarily with practitioners who also provide in-home care to some degree. I love this for my clients. There is no need to get up and out after just having a baby. They can get the support they need in the comfort of their own home/bed, after all this is where she does her best healing, at least for the first couple weeks.

This is an area that has seriously fallen short in our medical system. The rates of postpartum depression and mood disorders has sky rocketed and yet most providers will only see a mother 2 times after she has given birth over the course of 6 weeks.
That is unacceptable. Women need to demand better.

The challenges of birth are like unto those of life. It’s unpredictable, yet patterns familiarity. Messy and raw but worth the expansion in the end.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am a quiet quality time kind of gal. My favorite breakfast spot is Butters in Scottsdale their pancakes are THE BEST, close second would be Egg n’ Joe for their Tillamook potato cakes. SO GOOD!

We would probably spend most of the time hiking AZ beautiful trails. One of my faves is at the Lost Dutchman park, the treasure loop#56 at Superstition Mountain.
We could paddle board Roosevelt lake and the Salt river, it’s quiet and peaceful during the week.

We would definitely visit some local coffee shops like Infusion Coffee and Tea, Mythical Coffee or Pair Cup Works.
We would have lunch at Flower Child every day because it’s so delicious and healthy. I’m slightly obsessed with their Mother Earth bowl with Salmon and the seasonal shrimp cocktail.

We could check out all the farmers markets all over the valley from Gilbert to Phx.

For a fun and fancy night out Zuzu Cafe, their monthly showstopper shake is just that, a showstopper. Check their instagram for the monthly theme. I’ve yet to have something off their menu that I didn’t like, YUM!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost God, without HIM I am nothing. He’s the only one who gets the glory for all He has done in my life.

Next my family. My husband and children. They are the real MVP’s, they see the great days and help carry me through the tough ones too. My husband Josh Krize, has been by my side, encouraging me and has been there for me to lean on when I get tired. Mi Amor!
My daughters have taken an interest in my work and are excited to follow in moms footsteps of being health care workers/birth workers. My oldest sons girlfriend Drea, works closely with me in my practice and wants to also become a Midwife herself. It’s safe to say they are my BIGGEST supporters!

My four sisters aka “The Committee”. They are my confidants the ones that have been there since day one. Together we have tackled all that life has thrown at us and we stand together and support one another in all our endeavors. They are my pillars.

My community of Midwife colleagues at Arizona Association of Midwives have been a major source of support. I am honored to be able to sit on the board of AAM this year. We are making waves of change to help better our community for the families we all serve.

The Embrace Team and Families. They welcome me into their homes and their birth space and trust me to provide them with holistic, individualized, safe care. I am forever grateful for this community.

Instagram: Embrace_Midwifery

Facebook: Isabelle Krize -Midwife

Image Credits
Photo by Dianne Hamre