Lauryn Anderson – Mohr, Student Midwife

Lauryn Anderson -Mohr grew up in North Muskegon, cradled by the crescent-moon grin of the Great Lakes. Her call to become a midwife began with her experiences volunteering with local organizations when she was in high school, as well as her time spent as a postpartum doula.

Lauryn’s passion for community-based care started in the basement of her neighborhood church, where she first became involved with Family Promise on the Lakeshore, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping families find and keep secure housing for their children. During this time, Lauryn spent numerous hours serving and supporting young families. It was here Lauryn got her first experiences caring for newborns and babies, and the seed for a future career in midwifery was sown.

Her volunteer experiences with Family Promise on the Lakeshore left her with a desire to do more. A year later, she found herself in the Appalachian mountains to volunteer with Appalachia Service Project (ASP)She spent four consecutive summers with ASP, where she worked to repair houses and connect with families in Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Lauryn gained many skills during her time with ASP, but more important than the construction know-how was a willingness to enter the communities and homes of Central Appalachia with sensitivity and love — accepting people right where they are and just the way they are.

While these opportunities differed in their challenges and triumphs, it slowly became clear to Lauryn that the roots of the work were the same: when families were provided non-judgemental support and education during a major life transition, they were able to have the healthiest, most satisfying experience possible.

Fast forward to 2021, when Lauryn graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Integrative Health Science and Research from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. During her studies, she found herself in a community with many doulas and a few midwives. The more time she spent with this community, the more her heart would swell as she recalled all the families she had witnessed flourish when given the support of a well-trained team.

Shortly after graduating from college, Lauryn trained to become a postpartum doula with Cornerstone Doula Trainings in San Francisco, California. She lived on the west coast for two more years, providing postpartum care for a wide variety of families and communities. Her experiences during that time include volunteering and fundraising for the Immigrant Mutual Aid Coalition and Portland New Family Fund.

Lauryn moved back to her hometown of Muskegon in June 2023, and enrolled in the National College of Midwifery with a deep passion and drive to serve her lakeshore community as an apprentice-trained midwife. She attended her first homebirth in February of 2024, and has not looked back. She is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to study alongside Full Circle Midwives, and gain even more wisdom from the families she serves.

In her free time, Lauryn enjoys cooking, gardening, sewing, and camping with her partner and two dogs.