Welcome to Transitions Wellness & Birth Center
At Transitions Wellness & Birth Center, it's all about you!
Welcome to Transitions Wellness & Birth Center
At Transitions Wellness & Birth Center, it's all about you!
At Transitions, we want to be partners in your health care.
How We Can Help You
At Transitions, we want to be partners in your health care. Our appointment times are long, so you have plenty of time to get to know us, and for us to get to know you! You'll be treated respectfully and gently. We take into account your history, thoughts, values and wishes. We want to care for your body, mind and spirit. You will be treated as you WANT to be treated. Our Midwives and staff believe in a person's right to have control over and make their own decisions regarding their body and health care. We also believe that the changes a person experiences throughout life (puberty, pregnancy, menopause) are usually normal and we work to educate and support people through these changes.
We can provide care for people of all ages, including wellness care (annual exams), treatment of minor ailments, contraceptive counseling, preconception counseling, low risk pregnancy care Including labor, birth and postpartum.
Our specialties include teen's first GYN visit, care of abuse and assault survivors, LGBTQIA+ sensitive care, first pregnancy support and education, alternative approaches to health including non-traditional, homeopathic and herbal remedies, lactation support, postpartum depression support and bereavement care after pregnancy loss.
We offer free, no pressure introductory visits, call today to find out if Transitions and Midwifery care is right for you!
Pregnancy, Labor, Birth & Postpartum Care
We provide low risk prenatal care and labor and birth services, both at your home or in our comfortable birth center. We follow you through the entire process and into your postpartum period. We provide lactation support and make referrals to lactation specialists if needed. We believe in a person's ability and right to give birth wherever and in whatever way they feel comfortable. We support natural birth without unnecessary intervention and are always available to help you through it!
Other Services
We provide yearly wellness exams including cervical and breast cancer screenings, age-appropriate and clinically indicated blood tests and bone density scans.
We can treat common ailments like bladder or yeast infections, irregular or painful menstrual periods. We counsel on and provide a variety of contraceptive options. We provide testing and treatment of STDs, including partner treatment.
Our Midwives
Johanna Grimes, Licensed Midwife
Johanna Grimes LM, CPM is one of the newest midwives to join the ranks here in Northern Michigan. She is a native Michigander, having grown up in Lansing, but she and her family have been making Benzie County their home for the last five plus years. For Johanna, the journey to becoming a midwife began when she was an adolescent and would watch “A Baby Story” on TLC. Birth was so magical and exhilarating through those lenses. (What? You can have a baby in a tub of water?!!) She eventually enrolled in school and became a registered nurse with the plan to become a Nurse Midwife. But as life goes, there were a few turns along the way that led her to where she is now, a Certified Professional Midwife- same values, just a different scope of practice. She attended Birthwise Midwifery School in Maine. She feels the education she received was the perfect blend of science backed, evidence-based practices and traditional midwifery knowledge acquired over millennia of wisewomen and healers serving their communities. She has attended close to 100 births and every one continues to feel like magic.
When she's not “midwifing,” you can find her raising and homeschooling their twins, pulling weeds in her gardens, floating down a river or taking a walk in the woods with her dog. She also works part time as a geriatric nurse at a local nursing home.
Jennifer Cameron, Certified Nurse Midwife
Certified Nurse Midwife, Jennifer Cameron is a Manistee native, committed to the health and wellness of the families in the community. She's been working with the people of northern Michigan since 1992 as a Nurse and since 2013 as a Midwife. She is passionate about a person's right to make their own decisions regarding their body and health and provides care in a supportive, accepting, no pressure atmosphere. Jennifer holds an Associates Degree in Nursing from West Shore Community College and a Masters Degree in Nursing-Midwifery from Frontier Nursing University. She is Board Certified through the American Midwifery Certification Board. Jennifer has been married since 1993 to Mark, a firefighter/paramedic for the City of Manistee. Together they have three sons, Bryce, Noah and Caleb. Jennifer and Mark also have two crazy but loving labs, Sadie and Remi.
Katy Hobbs, Licensed Midwife
Katy Hobbs, LM, CPM has been attending births since 2007, became a Certified Professional Midwife in 2021 and became Licensed in 2019 when licensing became available in Michigan. She's especially passionate about helping people find their own way to an empowering pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience. She particularly loves helping families prepare for and navigate the postpartum period. She lives with her husband and three children who were all born with the help of midwives.
STAFF
We employ a number of birth assistants and doulas at Transitions. Glory Curtiss, Alicah Gates, Andrea Quinn, Krista Blair and Brea Vertz attend births and assist in several other ways on a regular basis. All are trained in Neonatal Resuscitation, birth emergencies and CPR. We also work with students frequently as we feel bringing up a new generation of qualified and compassionate practitioners and birth workers is of utmost importance!
Services
Wellness (annual) Exams
Minor ailments, contraception, STD testing & treatment
Minor ailments, contraception, STD testing & treatment
We provide yearly wellness physical exams and health screenings including Pap smears, pelvic and breast exams and ordering of age appropriate blood tests, mammograms and bone density scans.
Minor ailments, contraception, STD testing & treatment
Minor ailments, contraception, STD testing & treatment
Minor ailments, contraception, STD testing & treatment
We can treat common ailments like bladder or yeast infections, heavy, irregular or painful periods. We counsel on and provides many contraceptive options. We provide testing and treatment of STDs, including partner treatment.
Pregnancy, labor, birth & postpartum care
Minor ailments, contraception, STD testing & treatment
Pregnancy, labor, birth & postpartum care
We provide low risk prenatal care and labor and birth services. We follow you through the entire process and into your postpartum period. We provide lactation support and make referrals to lactation specialists if needed. We believe in a person's ability and right to give birth wherever and in whatever way they feel comfortable. We suppor
We provide low risk prenatal care and labor and birth services. We follow you through the entire process and into your postpartum period. We provide lactation support and make referrals to lactation specialists if needed. We believe in a person's ability and right to give birth wherever and in whatever way they feel comfortable. We supports natural birth without unnecessary intervention and are always available to help you through it!
Birth Services
We offer birth services both in your home and/or at our free standing birth center.
Payment for Services
We will run verification of benefits for any and all insurance coverage you may carry. We will connect you with our billing service so you may attempt recover payment from your insurance following laws and guidelines, but fees for service are ultimately your responsibility. We require a non-refundable deposit of $300 at the time that you sign on to receive services with us. We also require that you begin making payments towards your balance early in the pregnancy and prefer that you have at least 75% paid by 36 weeks of pregnancy.
GYN visits can be billed to insurance (if desired) on an out-of-network basis and your copay is due at the time services are provided.
We do accept most major credit cards as well as cash and checks. A fee of $50 will be assessed for any returned checks.
Discounted rates
We do offer decreased rates for those meeting certain income guidelines. We also offer discounts for paying your entire balance in full by certain dates. Details available on request.