Rochester Women Planning to Bring Birth and Wellness Center To Area

This is perhaps the best time, ever, to be a woman giving birth. And a group of Rochester women want to embrace that fact.

Kathy Whitmore of Health and Healing Chiropractic, Janice Rex-Weaver of Peaceful Birthing and Natalie Fuoco, a hypnobirthing educator, are working to create a birth and family wellness center in Rochester.

The center would be the first of its kind in southeast Michigan, said Rex-Weaver.

"It would be a free-standing birth center, but also a wellness center for women," said Rex-Weaver. "There is no other center of that kind in the area. We think it's the best time ever to give birth, and we think southeast Michigan is ready for something like this."

The center, which will be located at a yet-to-be-determined location in Rochester, would employ medically trained midwives for pre- and post-natal care, pregnancy and childbirth education classes. It would include a birthing suite but also support home births. The center would offer family chiropractic care and massage.

The goal of the center is to help empower families in their birth and wellness choices through education and encourage conscious living choices. “We hope to create a paradigm shift in wellness through support, education, and awareness,” said Fuoco, who experienced the water birth of her daughter, which she said set the foundation for a more peaceful life.

The center will also include a nonprofit entity in order to provide care and classes to those in our community who are in need of support.

The team of women are in the fundraising stage of their venture. This weekend they will host two workshops with speakers and screening opportunities of Ricki Lake's four-part documentary More Business of Being Born. The film is shown in four parts and explores the modern maternity care system. If features stories from Cindy Crawford, Alanis Morissette and other celebrities.

Workshops are from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Emagine Theater in Rochester Hills. Tickets are $28 per day; each ticket includes two  showings, speakers and a light breakfast.

For a complete schedule and more information, including a link to purchase tickets, visit www.birthcenter2012.com.