D. Starr Robins’ journey into birth work began long before formal training. As a young girl, she listened to her grandmother share stories of birth, planting an early reverence for the strength, wisdom, and resilience of birthing families. At sixteen years old, she supported her sister through the birth of her nephew — serving in the role of a doula before she even knew the term existed. In that moment, she declared to her mother that she would one day become a midwife.
Years later, after experiencing severe preeclampsia during her own reproductive journey, Starr’s calling toward midwifery became clear. While operating her wellness salon, a client connected her with a midwifery preceptor, launching the apprenticeship path that would shape her professional life.Her training carried her across the United States, completing midwifery apprenticeships in Fort Collins, Colorado; Phoenix, Arizona; and El Paso, Texas, where she served families within a primarily Spanish-speaking clinic. These experiences deepened her commitment to culturally responsive, relationship-centered maternity care.
Today, Starr serves families in the Hampton Roads region as a Certified Professional Midwife, providing evidence-based, individualized care that honors birth as both a safe medical event and a transformative life experience. Her approach blends clinical excellence with respectful, personalized care, supporting families through pregnancy, birth, postpartum recovery, and wellness.
Through D Stars Aligned, she remains dedicated to expanding access to community birth options while nurturing safe, empowered experiences for mothers, babies, and families.
Certifications
Starr holds the Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) credential through the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM), the leading national certification for midwives specializing in home and birth center care. CPMs are extensively trained in physiologic birth, emergency skills, newborn care, and safe out-of-hospital maternity services.
Starr maintains certification in the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP), an evidence-based training developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics to support newborns who may need assistance transitioning to life after birth. This certification ensures advanced skills in newborn assessment, breathing support, and emergency response when additional care is needed immediately after birth.
Starr maintains certification in Basic Life Support (BLS), providing training in adult and infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), airway management, and emergency response. This certification supports rapid, effective care in the rare event that immediate life-saving measures are needed for a parent or newborn during pregnancy, birth, or postpartum care.
Starr has completed advanced Birth Emergency Skills Training (BEST), a hands-on program focused on recognizing and managing complications that may arise during labor and birth in out-of-hospital settings. This training strengthens clinical decision-making, emergency response skills, and teamwork to support safe outcomes for both parent and baby while maintaining calm, effective care when unexpected situations occur.
Starr has completed advanced breech birth training through Breech Pro along with hands-on clinical instruction focused on the safe management of vaginal breech birth. This specialized training supports skilled assessment, informed decision-making, and evidence-based techniques for families considering or experiencing breech presentation, while prioritizing safety and appropriate collaboration when higher levels of care are needed.
Starr has completed hands-on clinical training in perineal assessment and suturing, supporting the skilled evaluation and repair of birth-related tissue when needed following delivery. This training allows for timely, comfortable treatment in the birth setting while promoting optimal healing and recovery during the postpartum period.
Starr is committed to providing evidence-based midwifery care, integrating current research, clinical expertise, and individualized client preferences to support safe, informed decision-making throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Her approach honors the normal physiology of birth while maintaining vigilance for conditions that may require additional evaluation, consultation, or transfer of care.
Starr maintains an ongoing commitment to continuing education, regularly participating in advanced training, clinical workshops, and professional development to remain current with evolving research and best practices in midwifery and maternal-newborn care. This dedication supports safe, up-to-date care for families throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period.
D Stars Aligned 