What inspired you to start this movement?

I never wanted to start a movement. Back in 2007 in Duluth, Minnesota, I was a young mom with two little kids, newly out of campus ministry, and thought I was going back to school to become a nurse-midwife. One night during Eucharistic Adoration, I heard an audible response to my prayer. I had told the Lord “I’m going to go be a midwife for you. I’m going to go save babies,” and the Lord said “No.” He instead laid out a vision of cohesive, integrated women's healthcare. Ever since that time in Adoration, we’ve been opening women’s wellness centers and focusing on fertility awareness, cycle tracking, breastfeeding, and supporting mothers. This center in Tampa Bay represents a fulfillment of His promises and faithfulness over the last 20 years.

What is the Guiding Star Project all about?

All of our Guiding Star centers revolve around the idea of holistic women's health care. In practice, this means that we try to connect the dots between fertility, childbearing, breast feeding, and mothering abilities, while cohesively treating women from the age of nine all the way through post-menopause. We aim to connect that care seamlessly so that every woman knows that she is good and that she is treasured.

How does the Guiding Star Project offer a unique approach to fertility care compared with mainstream women's health centers?

Our approach is completely different. The standard practice in most modern women's healthcare settings is one of suppression. Women’s fertility and the functions of their bodies are suppressed, altered, and destroyed in the name of health and convenience. A lot is sacrificed in the name of productivity or career advancement. Our approach helps women understand that you can still achieve the family size of your dream, and that you can still plan your life without having to chemically alter and destroy your fertility. We take a completely different approach by working with your fertility instead of against it. We don't rely on drugs, pills, or surgeries. We believe that God made us logical beings, and He gave us a lot of signs, and so we teach women to track and follow them.

How has your Catholic faith influenced the work that you do?

My faith is deeply ingrained in me. I’m a Midwest farmer’s daughter who grew up on a dairy farm in Minnesota with a big Catholic family. My uncle's a diocesan Catholic priest, and so I believe I grew up with a natural understanding of God's order. The Catholic Church has always done such a fabulous job of helping me understand and connect nature with health, with my body, and with natural law.  

My Catholic faith has been present all throughout my life and has led me to an understanding that God knows what He’s doing. To make our healthcare align with that, we have to believe that God doesn’t ever make mistakes, and trust that God knows what He’s doing.    

What would you say to young women who are searching for purpose and trying to live out their faith in today's culture?  

I always like to tell young women, “Don't wait to live your life.” You already have the gifts, uniqueness, and beauty that God breathed into you the moment He thought of you. The fact that you exist shows that you are deeply beloved. You can be fruitful in this world, even if it’s not as a physical mother. That fruitfulness can take the form of spiritual motherhood, volunteering, using your gifts, etc. You are needed to be exactly who you are. You can tap into that by looking at your body in a loving way and caring for it. I like to say that cycle tracking is a way to open the doorway into really figuring out who you are. You need to know, understand, and love your body to really let your gifts and charisms come to life.  

What resources would you recommend to help young women learn more about cycle tracking and a holistic approach to fertility?  

Check out the books that we've published from Guiding Star, such as Wholistic Feminism by myself, The Happy Girl’s Guide to Being Whole by Teresa Kenney, and What’s Going on in My Body by Elisabeth Raith-Paula. We also have a podcast that discusses these things through Guiding Star, and we collaborate with sister organizations such as Natural Womanhood and FACTS About Fertility.  

Natural Womanhood has cycle mindfulness and tracking groups on college campuses. It's college-age women getting together every week to update each other on where they are in their cycle. There's something so beautiful about that sisterhood.  

Then there’s also FACTS About Fertility led by Dr. Marguerite Duane, who is leading in expanding evidence-based knowledge in fertility science. They are supported by peer-reviewed research data, lab work, and endocrinology.

Can you tell us what went on behind-the-scenes at today’s grand opening?  

It’s been an amazing day. I've been blown away by the number of people who have come through the building, especially all the young families and all the little kids. It has been so much fun to be here today and witness the joy and celebration of life.

Besides the logistics of ordering mattresses, artwork, and furniture, and painting every room in the building, a lot of physical work went into getting this ready. Logistically, it was a huge feat for my team and my president Lisa Canning to handle the interior design.  

I think what goes into a successful day like this is spreading that joy, that culture of life, that invitation to this community to get excited about welcoming new life. That's exactly what I've been seeing all day today: big smiles, and people being excited. A lot of pregnant women have been coming throughout the day today, and that's been really fun to see. Everybody has been happy to support new life.  

There has been a lot of networking and sharing of the good news. We need people in the Tampa Bay area to keep talking about the center and what we do. Not only do we do deliveries and offer breastfeeding care, but we also help women struggling in all sorts of areas such as miscarriage, loss, and cycle tracking. Our wheelhouse is anything related to women’s healthcare and wellness.  

There were a lot of men at the grand opening. How can men support the women in their lives?

As I was speaking earlier today, I was connecting with the other women. Then I caught sight of one of the dads, and I just saw him silently nodding along. It really made me pause and think about just how important the men are.  

When we give birth, it's a sacred moment. I think about how vulnerable we are as women, and how our society has told us to be tough and get through it with a stiff upper lip as if birth is not that big of a deal. It is a huge deal, and we should not do it alone as women.  

To see the men here today who understand their role in providing protection and care reminds us that we can do this, and that they’re here and support us. I don't think I can over-emphasize the importance of men and how they need to show up and be here with us. Even if we say we're strong, even if we say we don't need them, oh my goodness, we need them.  

How can people connect with the Guiding Star Project?

If you're a local in the Tampa Bay area, we invite you to connect to Guiding Star Tampa Bay. Nationally, we're working on a lot of big initiatives with worldview promotion.  

Our local centers in different cities provide physical care to the women, and we at the national organization provide to support to our centers by through creating materials, clearly defining the worldview, hosting conferences, hosting events, and speaking. If you're interested in having speakers from the national organization, please contact us at theguidingstarproject.com.  

We have people travel all over the country to college campuses, churches, women's groups, and retreats to help reframe health care. We're working so hard to get health care right, and if that's something that's of interest to you, please reach out to us. We would love to come share in any way that we can.  

Support for our local center in Tampa is going to be critical since it’s a non-profit center. We're committed to providing care to women who may not be able to afford it, and we're going to need help covering that gap. We are committed to giving every woman the amazing birth experience, fertility care, and breastfeeding care that they deserve, which is why your financial and prayerful support are needed.  

Please partner with us in prayer. Have Masses offered for us. We want to expand this project all across the country, and we’re starting here in the heart of Tampa Bay.

To connect with Guiding Star Tampa Bay Birth & Wellness Center, visit www.guidingstartampa.org or follow the center’s Instagram page. You can also follow The Guiding Star Project on Facebook. 

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