I have been a licensed midwife in Michigan since August 1, 2019, the first day licenses were available in this state. I am an apprentice-trained midwife in private practice since 1982, and have personally attended over 1900 births. I was certified (CM) by the Michigan Midwives Association from 1983 till that program ended around 2010. Since 1997, I have been a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), credentialed through the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM). I am not a nurse, a nurse midwife, nor a physician. I do not have privileges at any hospitals or clinics, and have limited access to labs and testing facilities. No formal agreements exist between licensed doctors and myself for providing back-up.
Student midwives assist with my practice and at births. Associate midwives Laurie Zoyiopoulos, CPM, LM and Jennifer Holshoe, CPM, LM and Dorothy Vandezande, CPM, LM, also sometimes assist and provide back-up if I am unable to attend you. You may question them personally about their experience, skills and additional services provided.
We are all certified in Neonatal Resuscitation, and are members of the Michigan Midwives Association and the Midwives Alliance of North America. We practice according to protocols and standards for home birth and midwifery care established by licensure in Michigan, ourselves, our peers and / or our credentialing organizations.
You are encouraged to obtain referrals from other clients of Full Circle Midwifery Service. Ask to read birth reports written by previous clients evaluating the services we offer.
We are available to talk to you at any time. We strive to be open and honest with you: answering your questions, providing reassurance, helping to provide information to you so you can make informed decisions about your care. We willingly share our experiences. We acknowledge our limitations.
Childbirth is a normal event for most women. We believe midwifery care keeps birth safe and family-centered. It empowers women to keep healthy during pregnancy, to give birth naturally, and to parent in the best ways. Every woman has the right to choose where and with whom she has her baby. If we decide to work together, we will do our best to honor the sacredness of your birth, and to be respectful and accepting of your choices about your birth.
We monitor and assess the health of you and your baby during your pregnancy, labor, birth, and immediate postpartum. Permission is usually asked before care is provided. We keep you informed of what we are doing and why, and what our evaluation is. No medical procedures, drugs, or devices are used. We do not do most tests that have become the standard of care for medical maternity providers, including prenatal blood work, genetic screening, bacterial cultures, or ultrasounds. Copies of the records we keep on you are available to you any time.
I work to limit my practice to normal pregnancies and births, and will assist with referral to other health care providers if you need or desire them. All of life carries some risks to the participants, and no birthplace can eliminate all risk to mother and baby. Certain and specific hazards exist when giving birth in or out of the hospital. The only guarantee offered is to do my best, with the knowledge that I have, to provide you with a safe and satisfying birth experience. If complications arise, actions will be taken to appropriately stabilize you and / or your baby, and to assist with transfer to the hospital if that is what we all decide is best.
