Midwifery is often a misunderstood field. Mendenhall resident Laurie Price, however, knew immediately when she wanted to become a midwife.
“I knew I was going to be a midwife when I met my first midwife— when I became pregnant with my first baby. I just knew.” It was in 1992 and she was pregnant with daughter Morgan, who was born in 1993 with a home birth guided by a midwife. Laurie and her husband Jason have seven children, four of whom are married, and ten grandchildren.
The Price family moved to Jackson, MS, in 1997 for Jason’s career, after baby number two, Sarah, was born. Eight months later they found a home in Simpson County and have been there ever since. Price had four of her children with midwife services. The last three were born in hospitals. She says God gave her every type of birth to learn empathy for other moms.
Price has been an assistant to a midwife in home births as well as a doula in hospital rooms for several years. “A doula provides comfort measures only. They do not do anything medical.” Several doula programs will pull certification if medical tasks such as taking blood pressure are performed.
For eight years Price worked with a midwife over two hours away from Mendenhall. Still a mom with young children, she found the drive becoming more difficult so she came home.
She had been training to become a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) but now faced a critical turning point. In the state of Mississippi, midwifery issues were also taking center stage.
It was not long before she became part of Heritage Birth Services owned by Melinda Thigpen. When Price initially approached Thigpen about working with her, she had to say no. Thigpen and her husband decided she did not need to take on a student as she already had an assistant. But in less than two months she called Price, offering her the assistant position due to unforeseen circumstances. “God opened that door.”
Thigpen went through Covid and as a result has dealt with harsh side effects, mainly if she overworks. “I think God put me with her to help,” Price says. “My old license plate said HELPER and I wanted so bad to put it back on. And I might still. Thigpen is why I’m a midwife.” The current car tag reads MIDWIF no E as only six digits are allowed. Price says she is still earning the E.
Heritage Birth is located in Flowood, MS, but the service area is a two hour radius from Thigpen’s hometown of Bay Springs. Price appreciates that many of the home births she assists are in Simpson County or nearby communities.
“After she took me on when she didn’t have to, my goal was to make her life easier.
“Midwives get burned out and their health goes downhill and they die,” Price said. “I love Melinda. So my goal in life is to keep Melinda healthy, keep me healthy. We’ve got make it sustainable so that we can continue. My goal was to become a midwife to back Melinda up. I did not become a midwife so that I could go off on my own and do births; that is not my desire. I did not want to go out on my own.”
Price has had the pleasure of being present when her three married daughters have given birth to their children. “I always had a midwife in charge so I could be Mimi! But I caught most of my ten grandbabies,” Price said.
Mississippi has a small number of midwives but that number may change after next year’s legislative session. Price is aware she may not be practicing in July 2026 as it may not be legal. She will not put her family at risk.
If and until that time, Price will continue to use her midwifery skills until she cannot. “Until God tells me to stop.”
