09/22/2022
An Announcement from Jennifer at Transitions Women’s Wellness Center
Birth work is hard. It’s time consuming and physically and emotionally exhausting. Birth work pulls you away from all the other things in life that you want to and should be doing. It wakes you in the night, sends you out on treacherous roads, pulls you away from family and friends, holidays, birthdays, other gatherings and even vacation time.
But even with all those demands, I love being a Midwife and I have loved the work that I have done in the last several years in Manistee. It’s been an honor to sit with you through your best and most difficult moments. For me, Transitions Women’s Wellness Center has been both a blessing and a curse. I built it from nothing in a time that I needed it and the community needed it…. and I’m proud of what it grew into. But it grew too fast for me to keep up with. The local hospital discontinuing OB services and then COVID made it even harder as patient numbers grew and demands became greater.
The state of Michigan is NOT welcoming to out of hospital birth in many ways… both financial and through practice limitations. Most insurance companies do not pay at all. Everyone is struggling financially, which makes it difficult for people to pay out-of-pocket. I have yet to be paid in full or even at all for many of the birth services that I have provided over the last 5 years.
In addition to financial challenges, out of hospital birth workers have to fight tooth and nail to be able to do their work within the medical communities that they practice in. Big healthcare entities like hospitals and large physician groups often do not fully understand or appreciate or are not generally supportive of the work we do…. They throw up barriers to practice and make negative and inaccurate statements about us. This is a nationwide problem, not just in northern Michigan.
In spite of all those challenges, I did it anyway, I provided those services anyway as my heart was very much in the work. The business finances became very strained… and in order to financially support Transitions and the work we were doing in Manistee, I opted to take a second job and pull in some additional midwifery support to enable me to be gone to that job. That job, in Midland Michigan has been a wonderful way for me to refresh my midwife soul as well as pay the bills at Transitions to keep the doors open. Most people have been understanding that I’ve had to be absent at times but some have not. That has been additionally stressful and demanding as I simply cannot be in two places at once. And honestly, without the income from the job in Midland, Transitions would’ve closed a long time ago. For the past several months, that job has been the only substantial source of income.
The past few months have brought forth additional challenges as our staffing levels have decreased and some of our most valuable staff members have opted to move on to other journeys in life. This has placed additional demands on myself and the other midwives that have been helping me and we simply cannot do it anymore. It’s not sustainable. I am burnt out and exhausted, both physically and mentally. Katy and Johanna both have their own home birth practices that keep them plenty busy without carrying the burdens of running Transitions for me.
Without a full-time support staff (of at least 3-4 more people) to take care of all the day to day duties to run the office, I simply cannot continue. And without significant increases in income, I cannot afford that support staff.
I am also at a point in my life personally that I want to work smarter, not harder. I want to work less and I want to go home at the end of the day and be able to be fully present with my family and not wonder when the phone is going to ring next for me to get called away.
So, due to endless challenges and no real solutions, I have made the very difficult and emotional decision to close Transitions Women’s Wellness Center effective October 21, 2022 (exactly 5 years from the day we opened our door). We will continue to care for those due in the coming months and anyone currently in our care that is willing and able to be flexible with our providers, opt for home birth only (as the center will be closed) as well as pay their balance in full prior to delivery. Anyone wishing to seek care elsewhere (with another midwife or with a physician) is absolutely free to do so and we can assist you in transferring your records. We are also happy to make recommendations based on where you live. Katy (North Country Midwifery 231-944-6451) and Johanna (Bloom and Be Midwifery 517-648-4102) are also willing to receive transfers from Transitions. Most of you already have a relationship with one or both of them so the transition should be easy.
Also, Jennifer will remain working at MidMichigan OBGYN in Midland (989-631-6730) and you can opt to transfer your care there if desired. There are three other amazing midwives in the group that offer low intervention, home-like hospital birth in Midland. GYN care will be provided through that office as well.
I thank all of you for your support, gratitude, and confidence over the past 5 years. It’s time for Transitions to make the final transition out of business. Much love and well wishes to all.
Jennifer M Cameron, CNM, MSN
