Gyno Groupie

Normal labor begins after 37 weeks. Your "due date" is set at 40 weeks. If labor begins before 37 weeks, it's too soon.....preterm labor. About 1 in 10 pregnancies in the U.S. have a premature baby.  But what about the patients that “don't feel good", may feel they’re “too big", or just “want the baby out".  A premature baby -or "preemie"- can suffer serious illness, both acute and chronic; some could even suffer insurmountable complications leading to death. The earlier a baby is born, the greater the chance of health problems. Preemies grow more slowly, and may have problems with their eyes, ears, breathing, and nervous system. Learning and behavioral problems are more common in children born premature.

John Knapp M.D.

What is a Certified Nurse-Midwife?

More and more women in the US are choosing a certified nurse-midwife (CNM) for their pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and well-woman care. Certified Nurse Midwives are licensed health care providers educated in nursing and midwifery. They have master’s degrees in nursing, certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board, and are licensed to practice midwifery in the state of Michigan. National statistics show that in 2009 CNMs attended 11.9% of vaginal births, an all time-high. This trend has been discussed in newspapers such as the New York Times and in movies such as The Business of Being Born. As a leader and innovator in women’s health care, Eastside Gynecology and Obstetrics has committed to bring midwifery services to their clients, the only practice that does so in the area.

The midwives at Eastside Gyn/OB provide personalized, individualized care. We nurture each mother and her family with sensitive, holistic care. Our clients love that they get to know the person who will be taking care of them for their birth. We also have a commitment to promoting physiologic labor and birth, believing that labor works best when allowed to begin in its own time and progress at its own pace. At the same time, we are trained to recognize those situations where intervention is warranted and have the benefit of a close and supportive working relationship with the physicians in the practice when referral or consultation is needed.  As midwives, we aspire for you to have the birth experience that you desire. We promote mother-infant bonding immediately after birth, delayed cord clamping, breastfeeding, and childbirth classes such as hypnobirthing. We also desire for each birth to be a family experience for all who wish to be involved.