More from Michele….

I witnessed my first birth when I was 13, that of my brother born safely in our home. I too was born at home, as were four of my six siblings and thus my birth culture was shaped by this normalization of uncomplicated low risk birth. Choosing nursing was initially a means to an end, however I found myself identifying strongly with the role of educator and caregiver, that embodies nursing.  I found that the skills I was obtaining would serve me well in my future and thus cultivated my nursing identity prior to advancing my education.  With my background in normal low risk homebirth, I stepped into Labor & Delivery at Stony Brook and experienced the polar opposite.  

I was exposed to high risk, high acuity patients and the multitude of intervention and active management the hospital setting offers and this patient population frequently requires.  The collision of my inner knowing of physiologic birth, with the exposure to an array of pathologic birth, served to broaden my clinical knowledge base immeasurably.  My foundation however was strong and my hospital experience did not serve to scare me but rather to remind me that birth exists on a spectrum and mitigating risk with appropriate screening is imperative as a skilled midwife.  

The comfort and gentleness of welcoming a baby earthside in the home, patiently waiting for birth to occur when the birthing individual is ready, is a place of genuine joy for me.  I do not feel pressure to intervene but rather easily can sit in a place of stillness awaiting the inevitable.  This is not to say that birth never requires support from a skilled provider but rather a skilled provider knows when they are needed. 

I aspire to this… to be a skilled provider that is capable of using my knowledge when it is needed but not to supersede the inner knowing of the birthing dyad.  

As a provider, I seek to embody the definition of midwife, to be with women throughout their lives from puberty through the elder years, to support physiologic birth and to collaborate with the community of hospital based providers to seamlessly transition care to higher levels where indicated.  I look forward to a long career fulfilling these aspirations. 

Finally for those who want to know… I completed my education at Stony Brook University, obtaining my first degree in abnormal clinical psychology with a concentration in women’s studies in 2006,  my degree in nursing in 2008 and midwifery in 2020.

My passion for the care of birthing people was ignited as a youth and I am dedicated to meeting my calling.  As a Certified Lactation Counselor, Certified Childbirth Educator and now practice owner at East End Midwifery Services, LLC., I continue to serve my community on the East End of Long Island in a variety of ways. Through volunteer work, community activism and an endless desire to learn and grow, I endeavor to provide respectful and autonomous care to women and birthing people on Long Island.