Full Circle Midwifery

December 2024 When Zac and I found out we were expecting baby number 4 we knew we wanted a differentbirth experience. We listened to our friend’s testimonies, we researched, and most of all weprayed over what direction we should take when it came to our labor and delivery. It took usuntil week 30 of my […]

The Birth Story of Our Baby Girl It all began in the quiet hours of early morning. I was lying in bed, listening to Matt get ready for work, when I felt something shift. I told him, “This baby is coming,” which isn’t something I’d normally say, but I just knew. Matt kissed me goodbye […]

 Lucy Veen The beginning stages of my labor started in the evening on June 19, (five days past my due date). I was having some mild cramping, and I thought to myself “I should really go to bed and get some sleep. With my previous labor I got way too excited when the contractions started […]

Our Home Birth Story: When we found out we were pregnant last fall, one of our first questions was, “Do we want to plan a home birth again?” (For those unaware, our birth with Reese was a planned home birth that ultimately ended with a transfer to the hospital due to an unforeseen complication—one that […]

Tim and Mary Beth Shaw; 4th baby, 2nd home birth For a couple weeks before my due date, I started to have some more serious contractions at night/early morning while sleeping but they would always stop when I got up in the morning. I had them again the morning after my due date (Wednesday) and they were intense […]

9/3/2023 This was my first pregnancy and came as a surprise to both my husband and I as I had struggled with my hormones in recent years. Just 3 months after we got married we discovered I was pregnant and I panicked because I hadn’t prepared or felt ready whatsoever and my mind went straight […]

I was woken up just at 3:20am by contractions on Easter morning. I had been having contractions every evening for more than a week, but these were much stronger and did not let me go back to sleep. My husband, Aaron woke up as I started walking around and our three year old daughter, Enid, […]

On Tuesday, July 2nd I noticed a bloody show when I used the bathroom at work. I texted Patrice and my husband, Aaron  to let them know. I worked the rest of the day feeling very excited that my baby was going to be on her way. This would be my first biological baby and […]

(First time mom, high blood pressure = hospital birth)  4/12/23 Wednesday  Past our due date of April 8th Cameron and I went to a routine office visit with Patrice and Barb.  My blood pressure that day before going to the office was tracking up, we were discouraged.  When Barb checked my BP at the office […]

I went into my second pregnancy anticipating to need induction and epidural because I caved to the pain and constant contractions like I did my first. But as the weeks past, my blood pressure never went above normal. By 38 weeks, my daughter’s babysitter who was suppose to watch her while we went to the […]

I had had a couple of hours of sporadic contractions on Friday, evening of the 28th, 2 days past my due date; tempting me to hope that labor would be coming soon. After a good night’s sleep, I woke to a strong “real” contraction at about 6:30 am on Saturday the 29th. 7 oclock: I […]

I was having a restless night and had gone out to read on the couch where I fell asleep with the light on. It was around 3:20 when I awoke  to a cramping tummy and felt very alert. I needed the bathroom but before I moved I felt an obvious popping sensation. With a start […]

11/11/21 —- 11:49 pm Born at Home November 11th, 2021 seemed as if it was going to be a day just like any other. The weather was becoming colder while my family prepared for the holiday season to arrive. At this point we were nearing 42 weeks of pregnancy and truly becoming impatient to meet our […]

A year ago today, I shared my first birth story. At the time, I was calling it what I had always heard it named; miscarriage. The prefix ‘mis’ has such a negative connotation. So I, among others, are making it a point to change the narrative. Last year, I shared my early birth story. Now […]

Best // Worst Recently, a friend was talking to me about duality. The both//and. The fact that when you think about it, everything comes in two. I took time to reflect on how that resonated with me, and I thought I’d write down what words, to my surprise, poured into my journal. A journal that […]

I was 40 weeks and 1 day on November 20, 2021 Just after 4:00am on a full moon night. I was woken up by a full bladder and some intense contractions. I went to the bathroom and laid back down, expecting the contractions to go away like they always had done. I quick looked at […]

Birth Report Parents:  Kristin and Joseph Dronchi Baby’s Name and Birthday:  Keven Joseph Michael Dronchi   July 12, 2021 This baby was my 1st baby and my 1st home birth. Address:  2590 S. Osborn, Fremont, MI  49412 Why did you choose to have your baby at home? When I found out I was pregnant I originally wanted a home/natural birth after doing some […]

June 10, 2021 11:35pm 12lbs 1oz 22” long  Estimated due date:  May 30, 2021  Braxton Hicks contractions began around 20 weeks and were pretty consistent and annoying. I constantly was reminding myself that this was my body preparing for birth. Around that same time it became increasingly uncomfortable to recline at all. Even the slightest […]

Natasha Petersen-Moore and Austin Moore- This was my 4th baby, first time ever going without an epidural, first home birth! It all began with a big show at 36+6 when I started going into early labor at the wee hours of 2am. Everyone on the birth team arrived. We set everything up and were ready […]

  3 days past my due date and the day I’d hoped to have my baby, I woke up with contractions. I’ve always had a day or so of irregular contractions before active labor begins, so I ignored them and went about my day. They diminished in frequency as the day went on, but I […]

Charles George was born at home on March 18 at 4:17 am.  I was 41 weeks pregnant on Tuesday (March 16th) and we reluctantly made an appointment with our midwives-overdue appointments are never fun :’) We got dinner first, had our appointment, Barb reminded us that “no one is pregnant forever” and home we went. […]

I had a few false starts in the days and weeks before actual labor began.  Jan 30: 4am contractions wake me up and are 8-15 minutes apart Continue until 8am, then get further apart and more sporadic for a few hours Start to get closer together when our toddler goes to my sister in laws […]

The Beginning At just over 2 months postpartum, I am finally ready to write our birth story. Life is certainly busier now with three kids but I mostly was just procrastinating for an unknown reason.  About two days before the end of 2019, we were about to trade in our SUV for a smaller one […]

I’d like to lay out a picture of my home birth. I honestly don’t know where to begin, and I don’t know if this will end up sounding tedious or inspirational or intriguing… I just want it to come across as open and honest as it can be. The big picture is this truth: I […]

The days leading up to my sons birth were filled with “false labor”. Every night as soon as I laid down, I would have contractions start and they would last all night, some I could sleep through some not. Some woke me up they were so strong. They were consistent and each night I thought […]

I’d been up all night with a nasty stomach flu, cancelled my chiropractor and midwive appointments for the day and hoped to get a little more rest. I noticed my first serious contraction sometime between 10 and 10:30. All but one of my midwives were at a birth, but I was able to get a […]

I assumed that our third birth would be similar to our first two. Was I ever wrong! With Shiloh and with Meredith, the day of their births went this way: early on we were alerted that this would be their birthday by either my water breaking or with bloody show, contractions began in the afternoon, […]

Parents name: Jake and Grace WaltersBaby’s name and birthday: Reagan Anne Walters 6-8-19 1st baby and 1st homebirth Address: 5650 108th Ave Holland Mi 49424 Why did you choose to have your baby at home: I looked into home birth originally because my mom had her last biological child at home (21 years ago, Patrice was at the birth). I then started to […]

Dear Adilène, my second-born, my daughter, What follows is the story of your birth. I took a pregnancy test the Friday after Thanksgiving.  While I waited, I hugged your brother Casimir close, knowing that these would be the last moments he was my only child.  When the time ran up, I went to check the […]

Dear Casimir, my first-born, my son,  What follows is the story of your birth. You were due on December 3rd, 2015.  But due dates mean nothing to babies.  The date came and went and you weren’t here.  Your father and I were very excited and anxious to meet you.  We chose not to find out […]

I’ll begin his story the weekend of my 36th birthday, late March 2018. I flew to Alabama to meet up with my friend, Courtney, we had plans to head to TN for a class with The Patriot Nurse. I expected to be mid-cycle for the trip, so packed accordingly; but by the 2nd day of […]

Freya’s Birth Story: ​It was November 6th, my due date and also my mom’s birthday. The question of the day was, “Will Freya make her entrance today?” (side note: my daughter Lilith came on her due date all on her own–naturally, no inductions, interventions, etc, so we often wondered throughout my pregnancy with Freya if […]

Sunday, July 15, 2018 was my predicted due date based on the date of conception and my menstrual cycle.  When I used the bathroom around noon, I noticed a different type of cervical mucus in my liner.  Finally!  The plug was coming out.  With Ezra, my plug started coming out at 7am on a Friday […]

Harper Joy was born at home on June 16th at 4:32 pm. On the evening of June 14th (Thursday) I started having contractions. I’d had them a couple days here and there and they were always sporadic and not worth keeping track of so I tried to ignore them. They got more consistent and were […]

DAY 1: My water broke on Monday, April 9, 2018 at 3 AM. I was laying in bed wondering what position our baby boy was in. I rubbed and palpated my belly to see if I could figure it out. When I got out of bed, I felt a gush of fluid and went running […]

Check out these lovely VBAC Birth Photos taken at  Transitions Women’s Wellness Centre.  Sara Parsons was the gifted photographer!

This was written by Jennifer Cameron, CNM, of Transitions Women’s Wellness Center about a birth center birth she and I attended! It was Abby’s second pregnancy. She had a little trouble deciding where she wanted to receive care and where she wanted to give birth so she didn’t come to Transitions until about half way […]

Birth Report Parent’s Names: Thomas and Joselyn Lyons Baby’s Name and Birthday: Lincoln Gabriel Lyons born 12.10.17 @ 10:11pm This baby was your second baby and your second home birth. Address: 2692 165th Ave Morley, MI 49336 Why did you choose to have your baby at home? Women have been giving birth for thousands of […]

 I was privileged to assist Jen Cameron, CNM, at this birth! As the meaning of the word “Midwife” implies, being “with woman” is the basis for the relationship established when one seeks midwifery care. As a Certified Nurse Midwife, each and every woman I care for and each and every birth I have the privilege […]

Adelaide Maria July 10, 2017 Just six days ago, I experienced my fourth homebirth, and delivered our daughter, Adelaide Maria. Though I experienced only several hours of the intense pain of active labor and pushing, it is still very much in my memory! I can feel myself instinctively shying away from thinking about that pain. […]

My birth story 💙 We had planned a home birth with baby number 6 (my 3rd biological) due to the convenience of having such a big family, not being impressed with my first 2 hospital births, and my difference of opinion when it comes to drs and child birth, and definitely when seeing the statistics […]

Follow this link to some lovely photos and a birth story!

I was very surprised to go a week past my due date—a new thing for me. You think by Baby #4 you have it all figured out, but that was not the case! So I was good and ready and very happy to have a couple contractions on the evening of May 30th. I figured […]

Soon after I found out I was pregnant, a friend told me she had a dream I was pregnant with a boy a few weeks prior to me finding out I was pregnant. During the pregnancy I had two other friends tell me I was having a boy and he would be prophetically gifted. (I […]

Here’s a great photographer’s blog and photos of a client’s birth. And here is the written accounting – to see the pictures you will have to click on the link. One surprisingly snowy day in early April, I drove north to Big Rapids to meet Meadow in the early part of her labor. It was the […]

Tyven Marcel Knudsen 12/04/2015 Tyven’s birth story starts the same way as my previous two, with a few nights of false alarms. Playing the game of “when do I call the midwife?”. But, as with all three of my previous births, it became obvious quite quickly when I was actually in labor. I woke up […]

I chose to have a home birth because my previous experiences in a hospital setting left me feeling like I had failed. Like there had to be a better way. A better option than to feel bullied into major surgery based on the size of my baby via ultra-sound. My estimated due date was 3/21 […]

Pregnancy, for me, was a beautiful experience. I LOVED being pregnant, and with my first child, I anticipated a birth that would be just as beautiful as the months leading up to it. Of course pregnancy did come without some days of nausea and vomiting, but I considered it to be a blessing after having […]

The birth story of  Callie Jo Louise Carson (from the doula’s perspective) On Tuesday, October 27th, Hannah contacted me to let me know that she was having some contractions, but nothing that was very close together or intense.  I went to work as scheduled and checked in with her again later that day.  There was […]

Click on the link to see this birth in beautiful photographs! Summer Lee’s Birth Story – Pics

Being our 3rd baby I thought I’d be a little more patient leading up to the due date but realized quickly that it doesn’t matter how many children you have and how knowledgeable you are of the perfect timing…it is still SUPER hard to wait for your little one to arrive! A week and a […]

Here’s a link with pictures to go with the story, and the story only is below. http://organicmom617.blogspot.com/2015/07/welcome-phoenix-everett-his-birth-story.html Welcome, Phoenix Everett!! We were so excited to find out we were pregnant again right after we started trying because we knew we would get to work with the wonderful midwives at Full Circle for the 3rd time! […]

This woman is a former client, but moved to the other side of the state.  She gave me permission to share her great birth story! Here’s my vba2c birth story for Freddie: Tuesday May 5th: I was making breakfast at 8 am when my water broke! The fluid was clear. The rest of the day […]

Elizabeth Singleton-Birth Story for August Cohen Singleton I was 39 weeks pregnant and woke up around 1:30 in the morning on 11/23/14 for the regular trip to the bathroom. Didn’t notice anything unusual until I laid back down and my lower back started to ache. For the next hour and a half I kept changing […]

Shiloh’s Birth Story Thursday, February 5th, 2015, I woke at 5:20 a.m. with irregular contractions. It was a gorgeous day, bright sunshine all day long. The evening before, we had gone to prayer meeting, where I was very uncomfortable with contractions coming 7 minutes apart. These had subsided when I went to bed, however. By […]

“First I would like to say thank you to my midwives: Patrice Bobier, Laurie Zoyiopoulos, and Jennifer Holshoe. My Doula, Joy Looy (also my mother) and my husband! You were all a comfort and encouragement and I couldn’t have done it without you! THANK YOU!” Nathan James Birth story It was the night of October […]

  Birth Report Parent’s Name: Chad & Rachel Staudacher Baby’s Name & Birthday: Hadley Elise 10/12/2014 This Baby was our 3rd baby, and our 3rd home birth. Address: 1926 Summerset Dr, Muskegon MI 49442 Why did you choose to have your baby at home? Home birth was an obvious choice for our family. It meshed […]

Birth Report Parent’s Names: Michael & Stephanie Chan Baby’s Name & Birthday: Kai-Lin Chan, October 10, 2014 This baby was your first baby and first home birth Why did you choose to have your baby at home? We chose to have our baby at home because we felt that our wishes for a natural, intervention […]

Birth Report Parents Names: Breanna & Andrew Kulikowski Baby’s Name and birthday: Brinley Louise Nov 3, 2014  This baby was your first baby and your first home birth.  Address: 511 E Main Fremont, MI 49412   Why did you choose to have your baby at home? We choose to have our baby at home because […]

A Home Birth Story  Background: Despite living in St. Louis, we had made the decision to have our baby in Michigan during the summer of 2013 before we knew how the remainder of the year was going to play out.  I wanted to have continuous care with one provider the entire pregnancy and know who […]

Birth Report   Parent’s Names  Patti and Andy Skinner Baby’s name and birthday   Sophia Charles Skinner June 11, 2013 This baby was your     first   baby and your      first        home birth. Address   7182 Crescent Dr. Pentwater MI.   Why did you choose to have your baby at home? I chose to have a home birth because […]

William Jacob Schmitt Born Wednesday, September 18, 2013 at 1:33 AM  at Jana’s Parent’s Home in Michigan All is well – He’s already been to the beach twice – And has a nice tan to prove it! 8 lbs. 11 oz. 21 in. Thanks to all for prayers and well-wishes. Sam and Jana and Family […]

The day started off with me going to work a half hour early since I knew I had a doctor appointment that day with Dr. Gerard at his north side office location.  Appointments were 1:45p for the ultrasound and 2:30p for the regular checkup.  I was super anxious on this day for a couple of […]

Noah & Dorothy Vandezande; Hesperia, MI; 3rd baby and 3rd home birth My due date was August 6th, but I had said for the last month of my pregnancy that this baby would be born August 8th and share a birthday with a cousin. August 7th I had a few contractions all day and they […]

I had been having lots of Braxton Hicks all week and at night I had some cramping and could feel the baby moving down into my pelvis. Not a great feeling, but I knew it wouldn’t be long now. We had a prenatal appointment on Tuesday night and Dorothy confirmed that the head was settled. […]

 August 11, 2013 After two induced and one natural labor at the hospital we decided to have our 4th baby at home. The movie “Business of giving birth” had something to do with this too. I didnʼt have any doctor until I was 30 weeks pregnant. Thatʼs when I got in contact with Patrice Bobier […]

Our last family of 3 trip to Mackinac Island!  We went when we were pregnant with Sawyer too! 32 weeks pregnant. Family Love! 34 weeks pregnant. I can’t believe I get to write another birth story already!!!  Time flies…feeling very, very blessed! We were approaching our due date which was mentally hard knowing I went […]

Birth Report Parent’s Name: John & Angela Bridgewater… & big sister Lydia (2yrs.) Baby’s Name & Birthday: Abigail Faith, June 30th 2012 This was our 2nd baby and our 1st home birth. Why did you choose to have your baby at home? During my first pregnancy I took Bradley Method classes and was excited to […]

This lovely story was written by a woman I only had email contact with.  She lives in South America, but is from this part of Michigan.  She was considering coming back here for the birth, but then found a good birth team in Brazil. The birth of a blessed being by Heidi Jo Haughn Palma on Wednesday, […]

Successful Homebirth After Multiple Cesareans Tarrah Hernandez As I write this I am holding my newborn baby girl, she has never left her place of birth, but is already home. Her birth was a completely natural homebirth. My intentions of writing my birth story are not to convince other women into choosing my path as […]

Birth Report Parents Name: Joselyn Fisher and Thomas Lyons Baby’s Name and Birthday: Daniel Thomas Lyons born 09.23.2012 @ 2:51am This baby was your first baby and your first home birth. Address: 1620 W. 104th St. Grant MI, 49327   Why did you choose to have your baby at home? Birth at home is natural. […]

Chloe’s Birth Story: Two weeks before Chloe’s birth I started having regular contractions.  They were getting closer together, but they weren’t very strong.  I was worried that my labor would go very fast and we wouldn’t make it to our birth house if we left later.  So we left.  Well, that wasn’t her birthday.  Ten […]

Not my client, but another home birther in West Michigan: “The whole “natural childbirth” was something I had been afraid of. I mean, who wants to feel that kind of pain when you can do it pain free??? But I have to tell you, that moment, that I, without the help of a doctor, or […]

BIRTH REPORT Parent’s Name         Jeanna and Chris Baby’s name and birthday   Terra Hope Lamar  December 23, 2011 This was your    1st   baby and your   1st   homebirth. Address   11085 Southlawn Dr.  Stanwood  49346 Why did you chose to have your baby at home? We had been into natural health for a while so when we decided […]

RYER JOHN DIRKSE December 23, 2011,  Matt and Kate Dirkse 2nd Child and 1st Homebirth Fruitport, MI   WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO HAVE YOUR BABY AT HOME: At 35 weeks I tested positive for Group B Strep and was told by my doctor that I would have to have IV antibiotics administered during labor.  […]

Written by Laurie Zoyiopoulos on March 4, 2011 Most folks would say that I “deliver” babies (though I like to say “catch”) and this is true, but it is a fraction of what I do….what this calling requires of me. The contrasts between the jobs within my calling are surprising to me and unknown by […]

  Kate Heineman/Lee Henderson Maurice James Henderson 9/29/11 Why did you choose to have your baby at home? Knowing the inside story of the typical hospital birth, I wanted to opt out of all of it—any pain medication numbing me and affecting the baby’s ability to respond, the uterine augmentation, the hospital gown, an unfamiliar […]

Is very sweet and worth looking at it. Enjoy!

Mitch and Jordyn Anes This was our 2nd baby and our 1st home birth  Fremont, MI 49412                 Early in the week I had been experiencing regular contractions which were not very strong and thought that my water had broken, by the end of the day my contractions had faded and hadn’t had any more gushing of fluid.  Then […]

-Titus & Ashley Vandezande, 1st baby   I woke up on Saturday, July 23rd at 3:30am to go to the bathroom and decided that I wasn’t going to have the baby that day after all. I thought if I was I would have been in labor already. I was already three days past my due date. At […]

When I first found out I was pregnant, I just assumed I would have another c-section, as I had for my other 2 girls.  I was not happy about it, but did not think I had many other options.  I spoke to my OB in Muskegon and she said I could try to go to […]

I attended the Midwives Alliance conference at the World Trade Center in 1992 – a memorable experience in so many ways.  The Vista / Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, site of the conference, actually sat between the Twin Towers.  Merilynne Rush and I represented MMA, and roomed with Helen Jolly.  I had not been in […]

When my husband and I found out we were pregnant, we decided to start praying about where the best place would be to deliver.  My husband is a Chiropractor and he has always wanted to have a homebirth, but I was quite fearful of the idea and always thought my first baby would have to […]

Baby’s Name and Birthday: Anna B. Brenneman                  July 11, 2011 Parent’s Name: Ben & Lydia Brenneman        1st baby Why did you choose to have your baby at home? Because our doctor who was going to do the delivery went on a vacation. Describe your labor and birth. I got up at 2:30 to go […]

Birth- In Pictures  

I first started feeling contractions around 5pm. I had just woke up from a nap. They were stronger than any I had had before and after the third one I decided it was time to start letting Jake know every time I had one. He started writing them down in his notebook. They came every […]

In August of 2007 after finding out we were pregnant but shouldnt have been (on the pill) we were pretty excited! 3 months into it on October 16 we found out it was a (very rare) molar pregnancy (no baby but everything else) so I had to have surgery to remove it as it can […]

Birth Story I started having cramping and lots of tightening about one month before Niah was born and wondered if she’d actually come early. I was dilated to 3 cm and 70% effaced at the time of my due date. By the end of the week, on Friday, one week after my due date, we […]

BIRTH REPORT Parent’s Name Jaramia and Jessica Becker Baby’s Name and Birthday McKenzie Lee Becker, March 7, 2011 This baby was your third baby and your first home birth. Why did you choose to have your baby at home? I’ll be the first to admit that home birth was THE FURTHEST option from my mind […]

BIRTH REPORT Parent’s Name: Kyle and Beckie Badge Baby’s name and birthday: Skyla Summer Badge, Born March 18 at 4:09 AM This baby was your 1st baby and your 1st home birth Address: 8541 Belvedere St. Sw, Byron Center, MI 49315 Why did you choose to have your baby at home? I always felt in […]

After having my first baby a few days before my due date, I was very unprepared to go ‘overdue’ this time. (SUCH a bad idea. Next time, I’ll be prepared!) It was only a couple days, but I was SO ready! Monday, November 1st, I cleaned my whole house again and washed my bedroom walls. […]