Living Waters Midwifery, LLC Emily Likens CPM
Serving Plainwell, Kalamazoo and the surrounding areas
We have a secret in our culture, and it's not that birth is painful.
It's that women are strong.
~Laura Stavoe Harm
About Me
Hello! My name is Emily Likens and I am pleased that you are looking into different childbirth choices.
It is my belief that babies should be born into a safe and loving environment. It is their right to be held, kissed and admired immediately by those who love them the most. I believe that home birth, with a trained midwife in attendance, is a safe option for healthy women who desire to give birth in the comfort of their homes. I believe that part of a maintaining a healthy pregnancy and delivery is achieved by making responsible, informed choices. It is my goal as your midwife to provide you with accurate and current information from which you can make an informed decision regarding your care.
My personal background
I was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the younger of two girls. I graduated from Cranbrook Kingswood High School in 1996 and attended University of Arizona in Tucson. I moved to Colorado in 1998 and in 2000 married my sweetheart, Robert, in Canon City. We have four boys Joel (16), Gideon (15), Jonas (13), and Elias (12). Joel, Jonas and Elias were planned home births. Gideon was a planned hospital birth.
After the exhilarating home birth of my first son, Joel, I knew I wanted to be a midwife. Because we were raising a young family, I put that pursuit on hold. At the birth of Jonas, my third son, I had a doula with me which was an immense help and comfort as I transported in labor to the hospital from home. Because of that experience, and with my husband’s blessing and encouragement, I pursued my certification as a doula. I wanted to help other women during the birth process. In May of 2005 I became certified as a birth doula through the Academy of Childbirth Educators. In early 2007, I certified as a birth doula through Doulas of North America (DONA). Although I loved providing labor support to mothers, I felt discouraged with the care or lack thereof, that mothers received in the hospital during this special time of transformation. In June of 2008, I began assisting a midwife in Colorado with prenatal, labor/birth, and postpartum care. Working alongside her inspired me to pursue midwifery, not only as a profession but, I believe, as a calling to serve women and their babies. In the fall of 2012 my husband and I relocated our family back to my home state of Michigan. I am now serving the area of Plainwell.
While most planned home births occur without complications, I have seen and helped manage the following complications:
It is my belief that babies should be born into a safe and loving environment. It is their right to be held, kissed and admired immediately by those who love them the most. I believe that home birth, with a trained midwife in attendance, is a safe option for healthy women who desire to give birth in the comfort of their homes. I believe that part of a maintaining a healthy pregnancy and delivery is achieved by making responsible, informed choices. It is my goal as your midwife to provide you with accurate and current information from which you can make an informed decision regarding your care.
My personal background
I was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the younger of two girls. I graduated from Cranbrook Kingswood High School in 1996 and attended University of Arizona in Tucson. I moved to Colorado in 1998 and in 2000 married my sweetheart, Robert, in Canon City. We have four boys Joel (16), Gideon (15), Jonas (13), and Elias (12). Joel, Jonas and Elias were planned home births. Gideon was a planned hospital birth.
After the exhilarating home birth of my first son, Joel, I knew I wanted to be a midwife. Because we were raising a young family, I put that pursuit on hold. At the birth of Jonas, my third son, I had a doula with me which was an immense help and comfort as I transported in labor to the hospital from home. Because of that experience, and with my husband’s blessing and encouragement, I pursued my certification as a doula. I wanted to help other women during the birth process. In May of 2005 I became certified as a birth doula through the Academy of Childbirth Educators. In early 2007, I certified as a birth doula through Doulas of North America (DONA). Although I loved providing labor support to mothers, I felt discouraged with the care or lack thereof, that mothers received in the hospital during this special time of transformation. In June of 2008, I began assisting a midwife in Colorado with prenatal, labor/birth, and postpartum care. Working alongside her inspired me to pursue midwifery, not only as a profession but, I believe, as a calling to serve women and their babies. In the fall of 2012 my husband and I relocated our family back to my home state of Michigan. I am now serving the area of Plainwell.
While most planned home births occur without complications, I have seen and helped manage the following complications:
- Fetal distress in labor
- Bleeding in labor
- Placental abruption
- Prolonged labor with little or no progress
- Posterior labor and delivery
- Hospital transport during labor
- Prolonged pushing with arrested progress
- Tight nuchal cord
- Compound presentation
- Shoulder dystocia
- Maternal hemorrhage after the birth
- Slow to start newborn, respiratory distress in the newborn
- Retained placenta
- Breech delivery
- True Cephalopelvic Disproportion
- Continuing Education as a midwife is ongoing and also includes NRP and CPR
- 2010-2017 Participated at Colorado, Kansas City, Michigan Midwives Associations conferences/trainings
- 2017- Serving as a Board Member at Large on the Michigan Midwives Association Board
- 2016- Attended Spinning Babies World Confluence
- 2015- Attended Twins, Breech, and Advanced Complications Seminar
- 2015- Graduated Summa Cum Laude with ASM from Midwives College of Utah
- 2013- Research article published in Midwifery Today
- 2013- Passed North American Registry of Midwives professional certifying exam
- 2012/2013- Attended MCU skills assessment conference; Suturing and IV skills workshops in CO and MI
- 2012- Worked at Dar a Luz birth center in Sedalia, MO
- 2011- Named Midwives College of Utah's Student of Excellence
- 2006- LDM training in facilitating healing for trauma and abuse survivors
- 2005/2007- Birth doula certification through Academy of Childbirth Educators and DONA