Our Team
Gaylea McDougal, CPM (TN&KY)
I am Gaylea McDougal, CPM-TN, CPM-KY, a Licensed, Certified Professional Midwife and lifelong resident of Sumner County where I have been so blessed to serve my community for almost 2 decades. I have been married to my high school love for over 30 years and we have 3 sons, Austin, Bailey and Casey. We lost Austin in 2021 (you can read his story here) which has only deepened my commitment to serving my community in a holistic, healing capacity, supporting people and families through life and loss, holding love along the way.
I have attended over 1000 births. And with decades of experience supporting women through pregnancy, birth, postpartum recovery, and beyond, I believe that every season of a woman’s life deserves to be honored and supported with wisdom, respect, and empowerment.
I am the owner and Clinical Director of Sumner County Childbirth, where I provide homebirth midwifery services, postpartum doula care, childbirth education, and menopause support (in collaboration with Dr. Smith), blending evidence-based practice with the kind of personalized attention that helps families feel seen, safe, and strong. I am also a NARM preceptor and sit on the Tennessee Midwives Association board as the central rep.
I enjoy hiking, kayaking, gardening, bee keeping, cooking nutritious meals from scratch, reading, singing, snuggling my Golden Retriever (Bernie) and practicing meditation/yoga. I also serve as the President (and founder) of the Art Rest Move (ARM) Foundation (501c3) supporting those who are in relationship with grief.
I recently authored my first children’s book, “Peelie & the Cocoon,” which depicts the story of 2 friends who have to say goodbye, and what happens to their relationship when love takes flight.
Hannah Wright, CPM (TN&KY)
Hannah Wright, CPM is a licensed Certified Professional Midwife and one of the amazing midwives who covers night call for our practice.
Hannah is the owner of Heirloom Midwifery in Glasgow, Kentucky. Her path into birth work began after the birth of her son in 2016, an experience that left her passionate about helping other families feel supported, informed, and powerful throughout birth. She began working as a doula in 2017 and later completed a four year apprenticeship with Jennifer West, LCPM of Bowling Green Midwifery before earning her CPM credential. She is licensed in TN and KY.
Hannah brings a calm, thoughtful presence to birth and shares our commitment to compassionate, individualized, relationship-centered midwifery care.
Sumner County Childbirth is so excited to welcome Hannah to our team. We are so grateful for the additional support and collaboration she will be providing to our families.
Learn more about Hannah HERE.
Chrystall Beitell, CPM (TN&KY)
Chrystall Beitel is a licensed certified professional midwife. She is one of the midwives who cover night call for our practice (typically 7pm-7am) and is a wealth of knowledge for collaboration and resources. We are so lucky to have her on our team!
Chrystall spent most of her working life in labor delivery as surgical technologist. She has witnessed and supported hundreds of families as they brought new life into the world. 10 years into her career she realized that supporting families outside the hospital in full autonomy and reverence was where her passion lied. From that point on she has been diving deep into the studies of pregnancy, birth, postpartum and baby. She went on to become a holistic birth and postpartum doula and now a licensed midwife.
A little bit about Chrystall. She was born and raised in Arizona but moved around a bit before settling down in a small town of middle Tennessee with her 4 children and significant other. Her children are 18(her only girl),16, 8 and 6. When Chrystall is not attending prenatals or birth you will find her hiking barefoot with her kids, tending to her small homestead, planning her next big adventure and circling with women.
More about Chrystall HERE.
Dr. Madeleine Smith, DO
We are so fortunate to have the collaborative support and clinical expertise of Dr. Madeleine Smith on our team! She is truly a gem in our community and fits beautifully within our informed decision-making, holistic model of care.
Dr. Smith is an osteopathic physician with a special interest in women’s health, perimenopause, menopause, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and hormone counseling. She works with women navigating the often complex hormonal changes that can begin during perimenopause and continue through menopause and postmenopause, providing individualized, evidence-informed guidance based on each patient’s symptoms, health history, goals, and preferences.
Her approach to perimenopause and menopause care recognizes that this transition can affect far more than menstrual cycles. Patients may experience changes in sleep, mood, energy, cognition, sexual health, body composition, bone health, and overall quality of life. Dr. Smith provides comprehensive hormone counseling and can discuss whether menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), also commonly called hormone replacement therapy (HRT), may be an appropriate option as part of an individualized care plan.
As an osteopathic physician, Dr. Smith’s broader clinical interests include metabolic and musculoskeletal health, weight management, holistic nutrition, and long-term strength and wellness. A former world-record-holding powerlifter, she also brings a unique biomechanics-based perspective to health and aging, with an emphasis on maintaining strength, mobility, bone health, and resilience throughout the lifespan.
As a wife and mother, Dr. Smith has a deep appreciation for the many transitions women experience throughout their lives, from pregnancy, birth, and postpartum through perimenopause, menopause, and beyond. Her goal is to help patients understand their options, ask questions, and participate fully in decisions about their health.
Grounded in her Christian faith, she believes healing is a collaborative process and strives to ensure each patient feels informed, respected, empowered, and supported.
Dr. Smith is excited to support and collaborate with Gaylea and Sumner County Childbirth & Beyond as we expand our commitment to caring for women through every season of life!
Call or text Dr Smith to schedule: 615-905-6594