UM Shore Medical Group-Women’s Care celebrates National Midwifery Week

Photo: Shown left to right are UM Shore Regional Health nurse-midwives Jessica Pate, Sunny Granger and Molly Bernish, who have delivered nearly 200 babies each during the course of their careers. — Shown left to right are UM Shore Regional Health nurse-midwives Jessica Pate, Sunny Granger and Molly Bernish, who have delivered nearly 200 babies each during the course of their careers. – Contributed Photo

UM Shore Medical Group-Women’s Health and UM Shore Regional Health celebrated National Midwifery Week, September 29 to October 5, 2019

Molly Bernish became interested in becoming a nurse-midwife after watching her first birth while she was a Peace Corps education volunteer in a small, rural South African village. As she recalls, “I was inspired by the strength in the community of women supporting the mother; not only during labor, but in the months that followed.”

Formerly a labor and delivery nurse, Jessica Pate reflects, “I admired nurse-midwives, and following my experience with a nurse-midwife after the birth of my fourth child, I felt motivated to pursue the nurse-midwife profession.”

Sunny Granger — whose first career was as an environmental geologist — was inspired to pursue her degree as a nurse-midwife after listening to a podcast about midwives caring for women in underserved communities. “I enjoy being part of such a unique and momentous experience in a family’s story,” says Granger.

UM Shore Regional Health is thankful for these women and their contribution to our health care family.