Saffron and Stars is the work of nurse-midwife and menopause practitioner Christina Cameli, CNM.

In this space, your experience of menopause is welcomed in all its depth, mystery and uncertainty.

Bringing guiding values of midwifery into menopause care is the work that I do. This includes education about how our bodies work and what options we have. It also includes respecting body wisdom, and being open to the wonder of the transformation that is present to us in this time.

Midwives have been innovative in pioneering community approaches to reproductive care, and community is a large part of my focus for menopause care here at Saffron and Stars. Magic happens when we gather.

I hold space for you and your understanding of your menopause experience. If you see it as a purely biological shift, I can care for you with that understanding. If there is something deeper in play for you at this time, I can accompany you with that knowing.

My work is influenced by indigenous concepts of health and therefore my practice does not look like that of a typical American healthcare provider. If you seek care that is guided by science and animated with the spirit of wisdom, we may be a good fit.

holding space for the menopause experience

Frequently Asked Questions

  • A nurse-midwife is a type of nurse-practitioner. I received a master’s in nursing from OHSU in 2007 and I am credentialed by the American Midwifery Certification Boards. I can prescribe medication, and order lab tests and imaging like most conventional providers.

  • I do not bill insurance and payment is required at the time of service. I can provide a superbill which you can share with your insurance carrier for any out-of-network coverage you have. See pricing info here.

  • I do manage hormone therapy for many of my menopausal patients. My practice closely follows guidelines from the Menopause Society and other expert societies in midlife health.

    If you are hoping for approaches to hormone therapy outside of established guidelines, I am probably not the right provider for you.

  • This term has different meanings to different people. But yes, the hormones I use most often are considered bioidentical. In general I prefer the lowest-risk approaches to hormone therapy and take care to educate my patients about benefits and risks.

  • That's great by me! There is no right way to menopause, and hormones are never required.

    There are plenty of research-backed ways to help you with any troubles that come up, including non-hormonal pharmaceuticals, plant medicines, complementary therapies and even cognitive-behavioral approaches. I enjoy helping clients understand their options and find something that works for them.

  • Not at all. But it’s intended to make welcome the 25-30% of Americans who identify as “spiritual but not religious”. Saffron and Stars is a secular company and does not promote any particular religion or creed.

    Your spiritual life (if there is one) is not something you ever have to discuss here, but if you do wish to address it, I am committed to holding space for this precious part of you, as I do for all the other parts of you.

    My services are accessible to everyone, regardless of faith or belief system. Most of us don’t have it all figured out - I sure don’t. Here, you have the safety to dwell in paradox, uncertainty, and mystery. You can be a skeptic, an agnostic, a member of any religion or no religion, and trust that your spirit will be honored.

  • The Menopause Society credentials providers with this certification following their passing a menopause proficiency test. The certification is maintained by meeting certain continuing education requirements.

  • For patients in Oregon I can provide telehealth visits. However, the first visit with me is always an in person visit.

  • Of course! I have have many younger patients and you are welcome to see me for your pelvic and reproductive health needs.

  • With glee! I am not perfect, but I strive to be a safe, informed and compassionate care provider for any person who needs my services.

  • That’s great! You’ll find a regular health care provider who offers you informed, science-based healthcare advice.

    I consider woo an “opt-in” situation, and I take care to see what sort of perspectives my clients are open to before I share them.

    Unconventional therapies make more sense when someone has gotten as far as conventional healthcare approaches can get them, and these tend to be the situations in which I use my creative thinking and intuition to imagine new avenues for health for my clients.

Menopause Care Philosophy

Menopause is an expected event, and one that likely benefitted the human race. Like puberty, it is a time of biological, psychological, and social role transition. We are changing, sometimes in ways that are hard to understand, and how we think about and relate to ourselves at this time can profoundly influence our experience. I seek to provide a body-honoring approach to the menopause that does not unnecessarily medicalize this event, and holds mature bodies in the highest regard.

Menopause may also be a time of challenge or suffering. I seek to support individuals through their menopausal challenges by offering scientifically sound therapies in the context of my wise-woman knowing that health is multi-dimensional. The range of therapies I offer is wide, including hormonal therapies - but, I have not made hormones the only tool in my toolkit and I do not ascribe to them powers that they do not possess. I do not characterize menopause as a disease, and while most people can safely use hormone therapy, I do not think that hormone therapy is required for long term health.

A surprising amount of magical thinking is happening as new generations grapple with the menopause question of how and when to use hormones. Initially, this caused me distress, but ultimately, it led me to recognize that there are opportunities in magical thinking that allow for profound self-healing. I create avenues for ceremony and menopausal meaning making to engage this ancient, mysterious part of ourselves, and to support my community in integrating the best version of their maturing selves.