Meet Our Staff

We would like to introduce you to the staff of Trillium Midwifery Services. Every member of our staff strives to provide every person that Trillium touches with comprehensive, compassionate care. Together we have the experience, education, and passion to assist you and your family as you embark on the incredible journey of parenthood.

Our Midwives

Alison Peralta, Heather Kramer, and Tabitha Kropf are Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) and maintain current licensure from the state of Wisconsin. Our midwives, along with most of our birth team staff, hold current certifications in Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP) and CPR and maintain training in Birth Emergency Skills Training (BEST) and Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO). They have also attended doula, fetal monitoring, ultrasound, breastfeeding, and various other birth related trainings. As of January 2024, our midwives have the combined experience of more than 1200 births.

Alison Peralta, CPM, LM

Alison Peralta, CPM, LM, is a mother to three lovely children. The experiences of all three – one a surprise home birth, one a planned hospital birth, and one a planned home birth – have shaped her outlook on how birth should be treated and honored. She believes that the peace, safety, and minimal interventions that out-of-hospital birth can provide all greatly improve the birthing experience, and deeply wishes all women could experience the joy that comes with a natural childbirth. The great privilege of seeing women surrender to a power greater than themselves throughout pregnancy and birth, and then of seeing that mom falling in love with the baby in her arms, is a blessed calling.

Alison is fluent in Spanish and looks forward to providing midwifery care to those who might benefit from this service.

Heather Kramer, RN, CPM, LM

Heather Kramer, RN, CPM, LM, is a Catholic homeschooling mother of twelve and three in Heaven. She has birthed her children in a variety of settings, from hospital to home, with both doctors and midwives, and enjoyed all her experiences. Heather’s interest in birth began with her nursing career in 1999. She worked for 15 years as a registered nurse (RN) in a variety of hospitals caring for women and their families. As a nurse she helped families welcome roughly 200 babies into the world. Heather also enjoys teaching. She is a Neonatal Resuscitation Instructor and works to train and update birth workers in the area. Heather has gained a great appreciation for the normalcy of birth regardless of the birth setting.

"I am thankful to all the families that have allowed me to be a part of their lives as they have welcomed a little one into this world."

Heather is excited to be offering midwifery services to women and their families. She strives to offer comprehensive, holistic, and compassionate care while preserving the sanctity of life.

Tabitha Kropf, CPM, LM

Tabitha Kropf, CPM, LM, is a wife and new mother. She is expecting her first baby in the spring of 2024 and is looking forward to walking through that experience. Tabitha began studying midwifery in 2015, and after apprenticing with five different midwives (including Alison and Heather for a short time) became a midwife in February 2019. After assisting other midwives and then having her own midwifery practice in Kentucky for a while, she moved back to Wisconsin and joined Trillium in March 2023. Tabitha is passionate about health in general and when she isn’t working, you will often find her in the kitchen creating new recipes or making some type of herbal remedy.

"I believe that women were beautifully created to embrace pregnancy, birth, and postpartum."

Tabitha is excited to be a part of the Trillium midwife team. She loves supporting mothers in their own personal pregnancy and birth journeys.

 

Additional Staff / Birth Team Members

Our additional staff helps us to complete our commitment of providing families the best care possible. Trillium has been blessed with a wonderful group of women on that journey. Each member of our staff brings something exceptional. You may see one of them during a clinic appointment, visiting you at home for a postpartum visit, and most of all, assisting at your birth. Our goal is to have 3 staff present at your birth to help ensure the safety of you and your coming baby. Our staff is continuously learning as we strive to provide you and your little one the best care possible.

Eliza Higgins, Student Midwife

Eliza Higgins, Student Midwife, joins Trillium as she finishes working towards becoming a Certified Professional Midwife through Mercy in Action College of Midwifery. She has additional trainings as a birth assistant and doula. Eliza is from the beautiful state of Wyoming, where she gained 5 years experience, assisting a CPM in a small rural practice. She recently expanded her experience with a 6-month placement at another small practice in Corpus Christi, Texas, and is excited to continue learning, growing, and serving families here in WI. Eliza loves the holistic nature of midwifery care and supporting women in the physical, emotional, and spiritual journey of pregnancy and birth.

"It's such an incredible privilege to witness the beauty, vulnerability, and strength of mothers and families as they bring a new life into the world."

Kadie DiTocco, Student Midwife

Kadie DiTocco, Student Midwife, is working towards becoming a Certified Professional Midwife. She graduated from Charis Midwifery School in 2021. Kadie was born and raised in Florida where she herself was delivered by midwives. It wasn't long before she realized midwifery would be her calling as well in 2018. Kadie gained her first experience as an assistant at 17 working with small midwifery practice in the Blueridge Mountains of Virginia. In 2022 she moved to Northern Kentucky and began working as birth assistant in a busy homebirth midwifery practice and then transitioned in 2023 to working as a student midwife. Kadie is eager to continue to learn from every family she has the privilege to serve alongside of.

"I am thankful for every opportunity I have had to hold a hand in labor, make a much-deserved meal for the new mother, or just being a quiet presence as the family greets their baby for the very first time."

Karissa Tranel, RN, BSN, Body Worker

Karissa Tranel, RN, BSN, Body Worker, is a nurse, wife, and mother to three. She started her nursing journey at 15 years old as a Nursing Assistant and then became a Registered Nurse in 2013. Karissa works as a nurse at a local critical access hospital in both Medical/Surgical and Labor & Delivery/Postpartum units. Karissa personally has had both in and out-of-hospital births, including cesareans. Her last child was a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) with Trillium Midwifery. Throughout her journey of preparing for a VBAC, Karissa became certified in Dynamic Body Balancing (DBB) which is craniosacral and myofascial unwinding. Karissa is also passionate about psychological birth, breastfeeding education, and natural approaches towards health including including Spinning Babies and is a Spinning Babies Aware Practitioner. Karissa has always been drawn to helping mothers and families during this precious transition in their lives.

"I am very honored to be able to work with such amazing midwives who give top notch, holistic care to each and every one of their clients."

Karissa assists the Trillium team by providing postpartum home visits and assisting at births when needed.

Abby Williams, Birth Assistant, Doula, Childbirth Educator

Abby Williams, Birth Assistant, Doula, Childbirth Educator, began her birth worker journey in 2016 as a doula. In the years following she added postpartum doula and childbirth educator and in 2022, birth assistant to her birth work repertoire. She also aspires to one day become a midwife. Abby is excited to be with Trillium as a trained birth assistant. Abby is mother to three boys; the first was a homebirth, her second a cesarean, and the third a hospital-induced VBAC (she boasts of her fantastic prenatal and postpartum care with Trillium!). As Abby the Birth Worker, Abby independently offers birth and postpartum doula services, leads a bi-monthly Postpartum Support Group at the Prairie du Chien Memorial Library, and offers comprehensive Childbirth Education for those seeking in- and out-of-hospital care.

"The unknowns of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum can be very daunting and overwhelming and I want to help make families feel comfortable."

Abby is excited to serve families alongside the team at Trillium!

Jessica Nickolauson, Office Manager

Jessica Nickolauson, Office Manager, is a wonderful addition to the Trillium team as she helps to keep it all together. Jessica is a wife, and mother of two girls. The first with a midwife in a hospital setting, and the second right here at Trillium! Growing up with a doula mom, and being a mom herself, she firmly believes that women were designed to give birth by an amazing Creator. Beyond her role as a dedicated wife and mother, Jessica enjoys music, reading, and traveling. At Trillium, Jessica is dedicated to ensuring that from the moment you step through the door, you feel not only welcome but truly cared for.

 

A Note about Student Midwives

Trillium Midwives has agreed to educate and train carefully selected student midwives. Midwifery students combine some form of classroom-based education along with hands-on-work with a practicing midwife. Having a student midwife in our practice means that we are asking if you would allow a student to be involved in your care. The goal of having a student midwife is to allow them the opportunity to be a part of our midwifery team while they develop their midwifery education and skills on their journey to becoming a midwife. Together, we would be providing the student with knowledge in everyday midwifery practice and the ability to grow in confidence and understanding on how to apply midwifery care. Having a student involved in your care is completely voluntary. Just like you interviewed us for our care, we would appreciate it if you would be open to meeting with our students and decide for yourself if they are a possible fit for you.