About Michele

See Michele on KUT: Portrait of An Artist: Michele Fitzgerald

  • 1982-Present: Ongoing education/yearly workshops
  • 1979-1980: Advanced midwifery course
  • 1979-1982: 3 year Direct Entry Midwifery apprenticeship with a local Austin midwife
  • Texas Midwifery Board license #96151
  • North American Registry of Midwives
  • Association of Texas Midwives (ATM)
  • Neonatal Resuscitation Program Provider
  • CPR Infant and Adult, updated yearly
  • View a doctor’s referral

Midwifery

  • Texas Midwifery Board license #96151
  • 1980-present: Operated home birth practice, in 1995 became preceptor for ATM
  • 2003-2004: Austin Area Birthing Center

Teaching

  • Prenatal classes Childbirth education
  • Apprentice classes
  • Preceptorship through Association of Texas Midwives

Continuing Education

2003: Postpartum Education

  • Cesarean deliveries
  • Understanding Lab Results, workshop
  • Midwives Alliance of N. America Conference
  • How to Improve an Apprentice program
  • PostDates Inductions: Midwifery Model
  • Homeopathy for infants and children
  • Fetal ultrasound and Midwifery
  • Fact or Fiction? Group B Strep
  • About Face: various cephalic presentations: face,brow,and military positions
  • Infants with Meconium stained amniotic fluid
  • 2002: Peri Menopause
  • Twins and breeches, history of midwifery
  • Postpartum hemorrhage and medications
  • Breastfeeding Problems
  • Health,Women, and Today’s World

  • Herbs for Midwives 2001: Completion of Preceptor requirements, ATM
  • 2000: Peer Review by ATM
  • 1999: Midwifery Today Conference:
  • Tricks of the trade
  • Anticipatory Labor Management
  • Lowering transport rates
  • PostDates and Postmaturity
  • Round table discussion: Difficult births with Michele Odent and Ina May Gaskin
  • Preventing Prolonged Labor
  • Improving the practice with Research
  • Insights and Realities 1998: Galveston,TX Midwifery Conference
  • Vital Statistics Workshop
  • Mentoring new Midwives Workshop
  • Advanced Midwifery Workshop, IV Therapy

  • 1996: Midwives Alliance
    of N. American Conference
  • Transporting the high risk newborn
  • Gestational diabetes
  • Troubleshooting toxemia
  • 3rd Stage Complications
  • Legal lssues
  • Beta Strep
  • Working with Insurance companies
  • 1995: Midwives Alliance of N. America
    Conference:
  • Herbology
  • Management of breeches
  • Identifying perineal lacerations
  • VBAC
  • Multiple births
  • Premature ROM
  • Lab Work
  • Natural pediatric care Infant Massage
  • Vital Statistics Workshop, TDH
  • 1994: Suturing Workshop with Anne Frye
  • 1993: ATM Conference San Antonio:
  • Advanced Lactation
  • Water Births
  • Massage and reflexology
  • Newborn assessment
  • Interpreting Lab work
  • Should I transport?
  • 1992: Cesarean prevention and VBAC
  • Venapuncture workshop

Special Accomplishments:

  • Creating a PBS Television Special to initiate a nationwide dialogue about birthing with Suzanne Arms
  • Participant: Legislative panel discussion for presentation at the State Capitol, 2003

  • Photographed in the book Anthropology for Midwives by Robbie Davis Floyd
  • Spoke to both U.T. and A.C.C. students in Human Sexuality Class about birth as a normal process
  • Taught Early Pregnancy Classes from 1980 through 1996
  • Was asked to help re-write the State exam for midwives in 1981 and 1982
  • Helped to write guidelines that are still in place for the NARM exam used nationally, 1993

Personal Affiliations

  • North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)
  • Association of Texas Midwives (ATM)

Personal Birth Experience

As a primary midwife, I’ve caught between 1,800 – 2,000 babies from 1979-2018. I am from a Catholic family with seven children and I am the second oldest. I have three sons who were all born at home.

Interests

  • Art, skating, dancing and travel.