Moonstone Midwifery

Care to the Core

Meet the Midwives

Moonstone Midwifery is a group practice! Our practice is always covered by a licensed midwife who is on-call to receive phone calls and respond to client needs. We share the on-call responsibilities in order to make sure our clients have access to a midwife 24/7 without delay. We support each other in group practice so that if one midwife is out of town, ill, taking a much-needed break, or attending an important family event, your care is not hindered in any way.

Veege Ruediger, LDM, CPM and Kristy Newell, LDM, CPM, share the primary midwife role in Moonstone Midwifery, and one or both of us will attend your birth or answer your phone calls. We often network with other licensed midwives or birth assistants in the area to make sure there are two qualified professionals to attend each birth. You will receive prenatal care from both Kristy and Veege, so you will be sure to have time to build a relationship with the midwife or midwives who will be attending your birth.

Jessica "Veege" Ruediger, LDM, CPM

Veege Ruediger sitting cross legged in a field with mountains in background

Jessica "Veege" Ruediger first began attending births in Southern Oregon at the age of 19, in 1996, as an apprentice and student midwife. In 2003, she earned a BA in Women's Reproductive Lives: Biology, Evolution and Culture from Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. During her time in Washington, she also completed Postpartum Doula training from Seattle Midwifery School. She returned to the Rogue Valley to start a family, where both of her daughters were born at home.

She spent the next several years practicing the fine art of balancing parenting two young children with midwifery training, attending homebirths as an apprentice and later, as an assistant midwife. In the summer of 2010, she interned at Mercy Maternity Center in Davao City, Philippines. She received her national midwifery certification in 2011, to become a Certified Professional Midwife. She was voted one of southern Oregon's favorite midwives in Oregon Healthy Living of 2011.

In 2011 she co-founded Oak Grove Midwifery, a group midwifery practice serving Southern Oregon. After obtaining her Oregon State License of Direct Entry Midwifery in August of 2013, she founded Moonstone Midwifery as a solo practice.

By 2021, Moonstone Midwifery grew into a group practice model, in order to serve more Southern Oregon families. Skilled in herbalism, experienced in providing primary care to pregnant and postpartum women for over 10 years, Veege is honored to serve the community by offering holistic maternity care to birthing families.

Kristy Newell, LDM, CPM

Portrait of Midwife Kristy Newell, CPM, LDM

Kristy Newell graduated from La Salle University in 2005 with a degree in Communication before spending 6 years in rural Alaska empowering women and teenagers struggling with interpersonal violence. She attended her first birth to support a domestic violence abuse victim and was shocked by the lack of consent and respect she witnessed in the hospital. Inspired by the beauty and strength of this mama and the felt potential for transformation, she trained to become a doula in 2010.

Her calling to become a midwife (and grow her own food), inspired a move to Southern Oregon where in 2013 she began her midwifery apprenticeship with Three Sisters Midwifery in Jacksonville. Kristy is deeply grateful to have learned the art of midwifery through the wise-woman tradition of apprenticeship in a collaborative practice model with senior midwives. Her training also included rigorous skills verification and academic study.

Not long after receiving her CPM in 2016, Kristy became pregnant with her son who was born at home. It was during her pregnancy that she and Veege first attended births together. Practicing collaboratively as part of the Moonstone Midwifery team of midwives since 2021 is a dream come true! Working part-time allows Kristy the opportunity to live her calling empowering women and families, while raising a young son and tending a homestead in the Applegate Valley.

Holly Hunter, RN, Certified Breastfeeding Specialist, Matrescence Educator and Guide

Breastfeeding specialist Holly Hunter, standing outside in a vineyard

Holly Hunter is an RN, Certified Breastfeeding Specialist, and a Matrescence Educator and Guide. She was working as an ICU RN in 2020 when she became a mother and realized, this is NOT how it's supposed to be! She was inspired to change the world and focus on helping mothers and babies. She struggled so hard in her postpartum, which is sadly, an all-too-common problem in our culture. Because of that, she keeps a focus in her work on mother's mental health, creating community, and helping mothers find support. She is so excited about this work and loves connecting with other moms!

Holly offers Lactation Support (both prenatal preparation and postpartum visits), Women's Circles, Lactation and Matrescence Classes, and 1:1 sessions.

Ishiah Morrey, LMT

Headshot of Ishiah Morrey smiling into camera

Ishiah Morrey is a Licensed Massage Therapist Trained in pre- and postnatal massage, Northern style Thai Massage, Swedish Massage, Myofacial Release, Neuromuscular Therapy, Deep Tissue, Gua Sha, Cupping, Reiki & Cranio Sacral, NMT, Lymphatic, Lomi Lomi, Himalayan Hot stone, and PNF Sports Massage.

Ishiah has experience with pre and postnatal massage to assist and support all stages of pregnancy. She uses the pregnancy BodyCushion, which is specifically designed to comfortably support and relieve low back pain, sciatica, edema and other symptoms throughout the entire pregnancy.

Ishiah finds it rewarding to work with expecting mothers and babies throughout all stages to provide much needed relief and comfort. The massages she offers are an intuitive combination of the modalities she has learned over 25 years of practice as a therapist, catered to the specific requests and needs of the client. She uses hot towels, CBD salves & essential oils to facilitate healing. Passionate about the complexities of the mind, body, spirit, Ishiah is dedicated to facilitating healing and relaxation.

"Reproductive freedom is critical to a whole range of issues. If we can’t take charge of this most personal aspect of our lives, we can’t take care of anything. It should not be seen as a privilege or as a benefit, but a fundamental human right", Faye Wattleton, Former President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America