Born in Germany and trained in the United States, she is a graduate of the Seattle Midwifery School and has attended over 500 births. A mother of three, Heike catches babies both in client's homes and at the Puget Sound Birthing Center. Jennifer also is Program Director of the Nurse Midwifery program and Assistant Professor of Clinical Nursing at the Columbia University School of Nursing in New York, and works internationally, particularly in South Africa and Nicaragua, to develop health care options for women. She is also the mother of three wonderful children. The mortality rate for African American mothers is four times higher than for whites.
Doctors cite custom and the threat of lawsuits as reasons.
Nevertheless, the conditions of childbirth are rarely part of the dialogue about women's health. Let us know if you'd like to help get the word out in your community.