National Midwifery Week 2019, Detroit and Ann Arbor Midwives

It’s National Midwifery Week and we use this week to celebrate and honor midwives in our community. As a birth photographer and doula, I attend births with midwives in the hospital, at home and at birth centers and I get to see the incredible work these women do on a daily basis. In the last year, I’ve watched midwives support families through birth, breastfeeding, adjusting as a new family. I’ve watched midwives get babies out who needed some help, catch babies who flew out with force, and gently assist when asked. I’ve watched them meet moms where they needed to be met, whether that was on the floor, on the bed, in the water, standing, sitting, squatting and with nursing or adjusting to this new family dynamic and in every emotion of joy, fear, and overwhelm. Midwives give a LOT of themselves to be there for you and your birth. This week, it’s time to give back to them.

Scroll down to see more photos and stories of my favorite local Detroit and Ann Arbor Midwives.

Heather Robinson, Detroit Home Birth Midwife

Above, Tristany Beckwith helps to comfort a mom who was working through strong contractions.

Hannah Woodard Simmons, Battle Creek Midwife, listens to baby at a home birth. We spent the coldest day of the year together, welcoming the sweetest baby girl into the world.

Sometimes babies happen FAST and it takes the support of your midwives to move to a more comfortable place to give birth. I absolutely love how Heather Robinson and Nicole White supported this mom through her fast home birth in Detroit.

Midwife, Nicole White, snuggles the crying babe, as mom got situated in bed.

Smiles all around after this second time mom welcomed her son, at home, just as the sun came up. Heather Robinson of Beautiful Birth Detroit and Nicole White of Birth Midwifery.

Emily Stevenson, a midwife at Nine Short Months Community Birth and Wellness Center, snuggles a baby as mom takes a nap after an intense overnight birth.

Nicole Minghine, a University of Michigan Midwife, delicately helps this sweet baby earthside. This was a VBA2C (Vaginal Birth After 2 Cesarean Births) and mom was supported the entire way by her midwifery team.

What a catch! This mom asked if she could stand up to have her baby, the midwife said, ‘of course!’ She listened to her body and everyone around her supported that. It’s how birth should always be.

Midwife, Melissa Andary, supports mom as she delivers her first baby in a fast and furious fashion on the toilet!

Here, midwife, Melissa Andary, catches her 4oth baby at Nine Short Months Birth Center.

This lovely University of Michigan Midwife listened to her patient’s birth story as she helped her to get her son latched. Sometimes it’s the quiet moments that are the most beautiful!

(Above) If you didn’t already know this, the University of Michigan midwives are laborists for the entire Labor and Delivery unit in the hospital. Even if your provider is an OB, it’s likely a midwife is attending your birth while you labor.
This mom was laboring in the water when it became time to push. When the OB came in, she asked mom to get out of the tub and mom preferred not to. The OB said, ‘ok, we will call in the midwife!’ As the sun came up, she had her sweet baby. I absolutely love this embrace. They didn’t know each other before this day, but I’m sure mom will remember Debra, the midwife who caught her baby.

Celeste Groenenberg, Home Birth Midwife in Chelsea, Michigan - smiles as mom cradles her son in the water. Mom had asked to have a ‘hands off’ birth as much as possible and her midwives honored this request. It was a beautiful mother-led home birth, just the way mom envisioned.

Midwife, Cynthia Jackson, helps to support mom as she breastfeeds her daughter. Even though this birth didn’t go as planned, her midwife was there to keep her safe, support her and to assist her in her postpartum journey. I love the care she gave to my client.

I feel like many times, the midwife on call the night of your birth is definitely who is meant to be there. When I first met this client, she said that she loved her Midwifery Team at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Ypsilanti, but one midwife in particular really stood out to her, Emily. Of course, Emily was on the night her baby was born and she was exactly who the mama needed in those tough moments.

Whether you give birth with a midwife or OR, or in a way that is all your own, I’d love to capture that day for you. Reach out today to set up your free birth photography consult.