Welcome to River & Mountain Midwives
We bring decades of experience and dedication to family-centered care into the sanctity of your home. As independent midwives, we blend the best of ancient wisdom with contemporary, evidence-based practice. Expect professional, reverent continuity of care for pregnancy, birth, postpartum and beyond.
Midwifery is an old school profession combined with integrated modern health care. Here you get the choice and we share it with you. We believe in providing personalized care that empowers individuals and families. Our team is dedicated to supporting you through the journey of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. With a focus on holistic well-being, we strive to make your experience as comfortable and rewarding as possible.
Meet the Team
The River & Mountain team is comprised of Midwives and Nurses who are dedicated to providing the care you deserve
Susan Rannestad LM, IBCLC
Susan has over 40 years of experience attending births. In 1990 she opened a community birth practice serving Orange, Ulster, Sullivan, and Dutchess counties. Susan Rannestad received her bachelor science and midwifery from the National College of Midwifery and holds dual midwifery certification from AMCB and NARM. As the head lobbyist and former vice president for NYM she was an active participant in legislative change. She has served as a preceptor for NCM, Frontier Nursing University, SUNY, Thomas Jefferson University, Birthwise, Utah College of Midwifery among others. Moving Midwifery forward for clients, students and midwives has been career long gift of service that continues. Aditionally she is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and she has served on the Board of Directors of New York Midwives.
Chelsea Munkelt CNM, CLC
Chelsea graduated from the Stony Brook University Midwifery program in 2024 where she received a Masters of Science degree. Prior to pursuing a career in midwifery she was a Maternal Child Health nurse at St. Luke's in Newburgh for 7 years. Additonally she worked as a doula and homebirth assistant for the last 2 years of her education. Throughout her schooling she experienced a multitude of scenarios in both the hospital and community settings which gives her a unique perspective to serve clients across the lifespan. She was born and raised in the Hudson Valley and is dedicated to serving memebers of the local community. Chelsea lives in Montgomery with her husband, and two children, on their modern homestead.
Amanda Winters CNM, RNC-EFM
Amanda began her career as a nurse in the U.S. Army in 1996. She has been a nurse for 26 years in a multitude of clinical settings to include ICU, and Labor & Delivery. She has been attending births at home with River & Mountain for 5 years. Amanda joins River & Mountain Midwives as a junior midwife in the practice for 2025 after graduating with her masters in nurse midwifery from SUNY Stony Brook. Amanda has experience with childbirth hypnosis, and loves assisting families have a more empowered experience tapping into both holistic and medicinal modalities to compliment their birth experience.