02/21/2026
We were blessed to share another incredible homebirth with a hospital-based maternity care provider. đź’— Unforgettable.
🌟Holly Kifer, CNM
🌟University of Michigan Health, Midwifery Service
“As a CNM I believe in normal physiological birth. In my 8.5 years practicing, I had never been fortunate enough to experience birth outside the hospital. Being a part of my friend’s home birth gave me so much perspective! Not only is it safe, but it is supportive and magical. There was no in and out of a room, beeping machines or loud voices. Instead, there was a calm environment, low supportive voices, and physiologic birth advancing on its own, without constant cervical checks or continuous fetal monitoring. There were fetal heart tone checks, emergency supplies, and a competent midwife with her team assessing the wellbeing of the expectant parents and baby. After birth, there was focus on baby bonding and breastfeeding while still maintaining safety of monitoring for extra bleeding or complications. A repair was done and vitals were taken in the comfort of a personal bed while food was prepared. I am so grateful to have been able to be there for my friend’s homebirth and even more grateful for her birth team.”
At Holly’s hospital, all healthy mothers are discharged within 4-6 hours after birth, and babies are discharged soon after that. Then, her midwifery service rounds on both mother and baby, at home, for their 24 hour visit. They also perform a newborn assessment and all the newborn screenings. How cool is that?! We will never forget this special birth, Holly’s first home birth, and the wonder and awe of seeing her experience birth in a whole new way. She cried. And we cried because she cried. May this birth be forever written on her heart and may the way it changed her forever trickle into all the births she attends for the rest of her blessed career. We love you, Auntie Midwife Holly!
