Meet Diana Dowdy Certified Nurse Midwife

By Dr.Anne Marie Reidy- Women 4 Women OBGYN

Diana is no stranger to the area.  As a long-time resident, she worked as a nurse practitioner and midwife for over 40 years and obtained a Doctorate in Nursing Practice at the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2010.  More recently, she has been employed at Vanderbilt University, teaching in both the Midwifery and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner programs, as well as seeing patients in the Midwifery Practice.  She has coupled these responsibilities with her practice at Baby and Company birth center in Nashville from 2017 to 2020.

The years of experience give Diana a unique perspective. “In most countries,” she states, “midwives are well-accepted as a part of the vital health services in communities.  This has not been the case in the United States until recently, when the concept of midwifery has come full-circle around to be a viable option for women who embrace pregnancy and birth as a normal process.” 

The collaborative arrangement between the physicians and midwives at Women4Women was especially attractive to her.  Diana understands that it is “important to feel supported by the physicians, and to be in more of a collegial relationship.” At Women4Women, each midwife works collaboratively with one of the three physicians to bring necessary resources to patient care when needed.  “The team approach to women’s health at W4W is the best of all practice models, since each provider and member of the staff respect each other’s essential contributions to making women feel welcome and comfortable.”

After a brief “retirement,” Diana was delighted to accept the opportunity to join the midwifery practice at Women4Women OBGYN.  Diana has worked in many different settings, including private practice, public health, academia, and international health.  She has held a number of national offices, including Chair of the ARDMS Midwifery Ultrasound Education Division, and is an active member of the American College of Nurse Midwives Ultrasound Education Committee. 

Diana’s primary professional passion has always been helping women and babies on an individual basis.  She serves as the Director of the Midwifery and Women’s Health Point-of-Care Ultrasound Program with RAD-AID International, which supports low- and middle-income women in over 31 countries worldwide. Diana has traveled to several countries—most recently Grenada and Uganda—providing critical healthcare education.

Having worked globally, Diana has developed a clear understanding of the universality of human fragility, especially for women and babies. “I have always loved women’s healthcare and have been fascinated by the process of pregnancy and birth. This is such a vulnerable yet powerful stage in a woman’s life, and it gives me great joy to be a part of that.” She remains deeply focused on meeting women at the point of their greatest need and vulnerability.  That, very often, is during childbearing, but extends to all aspects of women’s care.

Diana sees patients in the clinic on Wednesdays and Thursdays and is accepting new appointments!