​Licensure and Malpractice Insurance

Community Herbalists, Holistic Health Consultants, Life Coaches, and Spiritual Advisors & Healers are not licensed, certified, or regulated in the state of Pennsylvania. Michele (“Misha”) is NOT a licensed, certified, or regulated medical physician, nurse, or other state-approved, professional medical healthcare provider. Their care is meant to complement, not diagnose, treat, or cure physical/mental health concerns, nor replace the care of a client’s current healthcare provider’s treatment or advice. They do NOT carry malpractice insurance.

 

​In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, there is currently no means of licensure for or regulation of non-nurse midwives; Misha is NOT a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) nor are they a licensed non-nurse midwife. Misha has chosen to not seek out Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) status through the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM). This allows them to fulfil and honour the choices of the families that they serve without being bound to conduct their practice in any one particular manner. This also keeps them from being coerced into supporting an organisation that creates—instead of dismantling—barriers to certification for BIPOC and Queer/Trans midwives. Misha has no future plans to become certified or licensed in midwifery through any state, organisation, or agency.

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​Traditional Midwifery Services

Traditional midwife-attended homebirths are offered to clients seeking a low-tech, physiological (“natural”), and non-medicalised birth. This means clients do not wish to have medical interventions performed before, during, or after birth. Services provided may not always align with the local medical-based standard of care of the community or city a person lives in. Services are offered for clients who are healthy, secure with their bodies and the birth process, and those clients who want to make their own healthcare decisions.

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Clients who are seeking care from a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), Medical Physician or any other medically minded/licensed person who can and will perform obstetrical procedures (artificial rupturing of membranes, electronic monitoring of baby, etc.) and use obstetrical instruments/treatments (forceps, Rx drugs, etc.), should not contract for services through Amethyst Community Health. We are happy, however, to offer parallel or co-care with such professionals. Clients wanting vanity ultrasound tests, complicated medical/diagnostic laboratory work-ups, and medical interventions such as pitocin induction, pain medication, or continuous foetal monitoring, should also not contract for services with us, as we are not licensed to practice medicine or perform medical diagnosis and treatments.

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What is a Traditional Midwife?

A TM is a direct-entry midwife who has been trained in the art of midwifery by way of the apprenticeship model; one or more senior midwives were involved in hand training a student midwife. The training includes traditional midwifery practices and knowledge, as well as more modern midwifery knowledge where it is most useful. For most TMs this means learning a lot about the use of herbs during the childbearing year and especially those needed to ensure a smooth and safer labour and birth for their clients. It can also include practices and knowledge that are culturally relevant when being trained by an indigenous midwife, midwife of colour, or queer midwife.

 

A TM’s educational pathway may have also included related college and/or the completion of a direct-entry midwife education programme. Some TMs will also have degrees or skills in related fields like massage therapy, yoga instruction, nutrition counselling, herbalism, and so on. It is important to ask your midwife what kind of training and experience they have when deciding if they are a good fit for your unique pregnancy and birthing needs.

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A TM *might* not be certified or licensed for personal/political/religious reasons, but this does not mean that they are any less capable of providing excellent low-risk homebirth midwifery care to their clients.

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Gender Inclusive Midwifery Care & Gender Diverse Care Providers

It is important to note that Midwife Misha is a transgender nonbinary/genderqueer person, their main back-up midwife is also a nonbinary person, and the rest of their team is a mix of genders, including a transgender masculine midwife assistant. If this will be a problem for you, your partner(s)/co-parent(s), or anyone else on your support team (or that may also be at your appointments or birth), our practice will NOT be an appropriate fit for your pregnancy and birth journey. There are other midwives in the area who do not prioritise gender diversity or inclusion in their care.

 

​Mandatory Reporting

Due to state laws, as a healthcare provider, and someone who has frequent contact with children, Misha is a Mandatory Reporter for child abuse and reports to the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare.

 

Please know that Michele takes this responsibility seriously and with great care, humility, and cultural sensitivity. Their main goal is to keep children safe and supported, not to cause harm or disrupt families. If they see that you have unmet needs or are in a difficult situation, their first move is to put on their Social Worker hat and work to help you find the resources and support you may need. The only time they would contact Child Protective Services directly is if a child's safety is in immediate danger due to clear abuse.

 

Michele also has a Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance, a clear Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check, and a clear FBI Background Check.