childbirth education
Comparing local hospitals in Southwest Michigan
By Jessica English, LCCE, FACCE, AdvCD/PCD/BDT(DONA) One of the questions we’re asked most often by clients and students is, “What do you think of my midwife/doctor/hospital?” That’s a complicated question and there’s no one perfect place to give birth in Southwest Michigan. How will your birth unfold? If we take a “control the controllables” approach,…
Read MoreMichigan Doulas + Medicaid: an open letter to the state
An Open Letter to the State of Michigan Doula Medicaid Proposal The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recently released a draft proposed policy discussing Medicaid coverage of doula services. As doulas and advocates for families statewide, we appreciate the State’s attention to this important issue and we strongly support the concept of…
Read MoreDear Ascension Borgess: midwifery is the way
By Jessica English, LCCE, FACCE, AdvCD/PCD/BDT(DONA) Last week, physicians at Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo made the decision to cut the number of midwives in their practice from seven midwives to three. This is a frustrating, troubling change for our community, and it will limit midwifery options for area families, setting us back in decades…
Read MoreHome birth midwives in Kalamazoo
Looking for a home birth midwife in Kalamazoo? It’s a question we hear often from area families! Here’s our list of midwives currently practicing in the Kalamazoo area: Linda Healey, CPM Battle Creek 269-832-0755 birthalternatives.com It’s best to contact Linda by phone. She takes on a limited number of clients in the Battle Creek…
Read MoreNo you can’t put that on my vulva or in my vagina — I don’t consent!
By Jessica English, LCCE, FACCE, AdvCD/PCD/BDT(DONA) When colleagues around the country and the world ask me what our birth culture is like in Southwest Michigan, I tell them that overall, things aren’t too bad. Birth here is better than a lot of places, occasionally great, and we’re still working toward total fabulousness. We have a…
Read MoreUPDATE: Borgess & Ascension Health — where’s my midwife?
By Jessica English, LCCE, FACCE, AdvCD/PCD/BDT(DONA) Today, we are celebrating the best of news! We received the official word late yesterday that administrators at Borgess Medical Center, an Ascension Health facility, have restored full midwifery privileges to the Certified Nurse Midwives practicing through Borgess Women’s Health. Fantastic! There are a number of very specific things to…
Read MoreEverything you’re asking for is reasonable — take the wheel
By Jessica English, LCCE, FACCE, AdvCD/PCD/BDT(DONA) Over the past 14 years, we’ve worked with thousands of families giving birth in Southwest Michigan. We’ve also heard a lot about their relationships with their providers — good and bad. Here’s a relatively common story we hear from our students and clients: “I want XYZ for my birth,…
Read MorePositive for Group B Strep? Here’s what it means for your hospital birth
By Jessica English, LCCE, FACCE, AdvCD/PCD/BDT(DONA) You’ve done your research and you know that laboring at home until strong, active labor could help you lower your risk of cesarean birth and other interventions. You’ve got your doula on board, you’ve prepped with a great birth class, and you’re ready to rockstar your way through an…
Read MoreHey Borgess & Ascension Health — where’s my midwife?
UPDATE: Today, September 13, 2018, Beth Hawver from Friends of Michigan Midwives and I met with Dr. Jennifer Frink, at her invitation. Our goal was to encourage Borgess Medical Center and Ascension administrators to restore full scope of practice to the CNMs, including VBAC. We carried your stories, hopes and concerns with us — supporting…
Read MoreGuest post: Five things I’ve learned in my rainbow pregnancy (35 weeks)
Like so many parents, Brittin Schumaker and her husband have experienced great joy and great sadness. We asked Brittin to share some of the lessons from her “rainbow pregnancy” — a pregnancy after a loss. Several of our doulas have special training in grief and loss (and many of us have experienced loss ourselves), so…
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