West Michigan Midwifery

11/04/2025

Meet the Full Circle Birth Center Team!

✨ Katie Gorbold MS, CNM, IBCLC
✨ Brenna Kelley - Student Midwife
✨ Jennifer Holshoe, LM, CPM
✨ Maggie Bowman - Student Midwife

10/30/2025

Birth will grab your hand and drag you head first into labor, be FEARLESS! (or let us help you work through your fears...either is good 🥰)
Attention Swifties! We've got a weekly affirmation for every era! ✨

10/24/2025

Here's one for the Swifties! We've got a weekly affirmation for every era! ✨

10/23/2025

10/23/2025

Fresh produce every Thursday at the birth center! Don’t forget to grab some fresh produce after your visits today! That butternut squash would make a perfect fall soup. 🥬🥦🥒🥕

Optimal nutrition during pregnancy helps your baby grow and your body thrive!

10/22/2025

We love hearing feedback from our community and it has been an incredible journey serving West Michigan through our Muskegon location ! Have you checked out the space yet? Follow the birth center page for updates!

10/19/2025

We are often asked by clients if they can have a doula support them during their birth.
✨Absolutely! ✨ Birth doulas are always welcomed and encouraged.

We all have experience as doulas or supporting clients through the emotional and hands-on support needed during labor. We naturally incorporate these into the care we provide, however your midwife cannot also be your doula.

Throughout pregnancy - a doula can be another resource for suggestions on easing common pregnancy discomforts. Sometimes labor gives you a dress rehearsal and you experience prodromal labor. We’ve found doulas to be invaluable in these instances. They can help give you tips to ease prodromal labor, and provide additional emotional support during a really challenging chapter. Many doulas also provide body work which can help ease discomfort.

When labor is long - a birth doula can be hands on with you and your partner squeezing hips and helping you cope through hours of labor. They’re like magical mind readers who are there with a sip of water or a cold rag at exactly the right moment.

When labor is swift - a doula can be exactly who you need to reassure you that you are safe and help calm the confusion that often accompanies a fast birth.

When things don't go as planned - While most births are smooth and calm, sometimes things don’t go as planned. During those times, your midwife's main focus is the physical well-being of you and your baby.

Will we talk things through with you if you have extra bleeding? Of course!
Will we be talking out loud and reassuring you if your baby needs some help breathing? Also yes!

This can't replace the comfort and focused emotional support a doula can provide you and your family in a moment that may feel scary.

Postpartum - birth doulas often offer postpartum visits where they will discuss your birth with you and help you process through your experience. They are also a great resource for breastfeeding support, transitioning to life with a new baby, and so much more.

Long story short, we LOVE doulas.

Did you have a birth doula to support you during birth? Give a shout out to your favorite birth doula!

10/19/2025

Always a good solution 💕

just like magic 🤭🤱🏼🩷

10/18/2025

Such a big win for West Michigan! Families who meet their babies in the OR deserve doula support!

✨ Big news for birth support in Grand Rapids! ✨

After many years of advocacy, Butterworth Hospital is once again welcoming doulas into the OR to support clients during cesarean births starting in February 2026! 💛

We’re overjoyed that families will now have continuous doula support from labor, through surgery, and into recovery. Every birth deserves compassionate, familiar care, and this change means we can continue walking alongside our clients even when their journey takes a little side quest.

This is a huge win for birth equity, emotional safety, and the beautiful work of continuity of care. 💫

10/02/2025

Last night Midwife Katie taught the senior students of West Michigan Midwifery skills for suturing lacerations. We covered different needle sizes, suturing materials, how to anchor and tie off as well as suturing methods such as figure 8s!
We will be refining our IV skills next!

10/01/2025

✨CALLING ALL DOULAS AND PARENTS ✨

Hey parents- Are you in search of a Doula and don’t know where to begin?

Hey doulas- Are you in search of more families to support?

Please join us October 16 at Full Circle Birth Center for a quick workshop on comfort measures in labor. While there, you will have the opportunity to connect with doulas local to the area!
We will begin at 7pm, light snacks are provided.

For doulas- please bring your business cards and a rebozo or two if you have them!

For more information or questions please contact maggie@commongracebirthsupport.com

09/08/2025

We have one more exciting introduction to make! Meet Lindsey Shigemoto! We are thrilled to have Lindsey joining us as a midwifery assistant!

Hi I'm Lindsey, the owner of My Doula Grand Rapids, where I walk alongside families through pregnancy, birth and postpartum. I believe birth is powerful and l'm passionate about helping people feel supported and informed every step of the way. I
have been working on something very special lately, as I have been training to become a midwifery assistant. This means get to deepen my skills and support families and the midwives I love in even more meaningful ways.

I am an active certified body ready method professional, a certified birth photographer, and I have furthered my education in spinning babies and still birthday.
When I am not attending births, I enjoy spending time with my husband, two kiddos and our tiny dog. Reading and talking about books is my jam, and sometimes you will catch me out on a soul stroll in the park (especially in the fall).

I am so grateful to do this work and be invited into such sacred moments.