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Amanda Grieshop,
Board Member 2008-present
Passionate about a woman's right to
birth naturally since giving birth at a freestanding birth center in
Topeka, Kansas in 2004, Amanda has recently joined the CAB as a
community member and Greenhouse Birth Center supporter. Amanda is
mother to Sam, 4 years, and Arlo, born at home in Washington State
in 2006 and wife to her best friend, Matt.
The Grieshop family moved to the Lansing area in September 2007
after
Matt accepted an Asst. Professor's position at MSU. As an at-home
mom, Amanda's days are spent laughing with her boys, chasing them
all over their 4 acres, knitting in the brief moments of down-time
and really enjoying life in Lansing.
Amanda believes that the Mid-Michigan community can only benefit
from a village like that of the Greenhouse Birth Center and is
thrilled to be a member of the CAB.
Shantana Goerge,
Board Member 2007-present
Shantana gave
birth to her son Fenton at the Greenhouse Birth Center in March
2007. She’s been giving birth to herself as a parent ever since. Her
family's journey to the GBC began with her being certain that she
wasn't "the kind of woman" who could give birth naturally: She was
afraid of needles. She fainted at the sight of blood. And she
couldn’t slay dragons with her bare hands. After a joyous water
birth at the birth center, she shares her story with anyone who will
listen.
She is a graduate of Michigan State University and was a county
health inspector in her former life. In her new vocation, she and
her son spend a lot of time at home, trying to recapture how her
Great-Grandmothers lived.
Fenton helps his mama with gardening, cooking, hanging clothes to
dry, splitting wood, food preservation and raising their chickens
Sophia and Duchess. She helps him crash toys into each other, and
build tall things to knock down.
She has been married to her soulmate since 2000, and is helping him
towards his own calling of becoming a minister. She tries to give a
little bit of time every day to who she is besides a mother.
She is still afraid of needles.
Heidi Connealy,
Board Member 2008-present
Heidi lives in
Lansing with her husband Chris and daughter Lucy. Heidi is
originally from Omaha, Nebraska and came to Lansing to study at
Michigan State where she is currently a doctoral candidate in
Medical Anthropology. In addition to caring for Lucy, she works
part-time at MSU and is writing a dissertation.
Lucy's waterbirth at the GBC was an amazing, empowering experience.
As a firm believer in the idea that “it takes a village to raise a
child,” Heidi is thrilled that the GBC and its “village” of smart,
savvy women compose a major component of her family's lives. She
hopes to work to extend the village and its philosophies to all
interested women in the area.
Becky Clark,
Board Member 2009-present
Always intrigued
by the birth center sign, Becky knew just who to call when she
discovered she was pregnant. After a normal, ordinary, and yet
completely extraordinary birth assisted by the GBC midwives, Becky
couldn't stop singing their praises. She and Tabitha soon became
fixtures at the Mom's Groups and she became interested in how she
could help spread the birth center's message. Becky soon found her
way to a CAB meeting and is looking forward to working with this
group of creative, passionate women.
After five years in food service management, Becky quit her job to
pursue her real dream of being a full-time mom. She and her husband
of five years, Travis, often joke about how two far-left,
nonconformists ended up in such traditional gender roles. When she's
not making Tabitha giggle, Becky likes to watch movies, dazzle
onlookers with her trivia
knowledge, and add to her ridiculously large music collection.
Julie Brown,
Board Member 2009-present
Julie is the
mother of three children, Maddie, Ethan and
Liam. Liam was born with the support of the
birth center midwives in November of 2008. She first learned
of the Greenhouse Birth Center two years earlier when her family was
preparing to move to the Lansing area. She was very excited to move
to a community that had an independent
birthing center. Upon
moving here Julie became involved in the birthing community as a
birth doula and later expanded her involvement as a postpartum
doula, childbirth educator and co-leader of the Capital Area
BirthNetwork. Throughout the 3 years she has lived here she has been
involved with the birth center in one capacity or another. She is
forever grateful for the support and services the midwives and
greater community of the GBC have provided her and looks forward to
giving back to the
birth center community as a member of the CAB.
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