08/29/2026
About 5 years ago I was teaching nursing and caring for pregnant and birthing patients. I was in my mid-40s, with many years working in women’s health, and wondering
with my patients and friends- now what? What are these new
things we’re feeling and experiencing and, importantly, why isn’t anyone asking us about
it or helping us navigate it?
As a women’s health provider and quality improvement specialist, I wanted to solve the problem! I spent the next few years earning a doctorate with a project already in mind. I focused on the epidemiology, etiology, and biology (the what, the why) of midlife women’s health. My project: a practice that addresses the needs of women in midlife in a way that traditional healthcare wasn’t, and to do it in a midwifery model of care. That means that we have long appointments, focus on the whole person, and engage women in conversation of information, education, and shared decision making. We want women to feel heard and empowered.
5/1/24, Midlife Midwife MKE opened its doors in a one room office with the exam table in the corner and a common waiting room. It was a great way to start and see if this was really something people were looking for. Well, it turns out it is! The
practice grew, in September Jen Konrad, Family Nurse Practitioner and long time women’s health provider and leader, joined the practice.
We quickly outgrew our one room and are thrilled to open this office- a space with the comforts of home, where people can feel safe, where there aren’t stirrups on the exam
table and soft robes and blankets replace paper. Appointments are long and we provide support in between. In our new space people can wait in our waiting room, enjoy our treats and peruse items we recommend, and most importantly enjoy the time and space that this type of care deserves.
We are grateful to everyone here, to our connections, referral sources, and people we know will provide mindful care when we refer people to them, and grateful to support of friends, family, advocates and ambassadors for Midlife Midwife MKE!
