Northern Glow Midwifery LLC provides relational, family centered midwifery care by a Licensed Midwife in Traverse City and surrounding Northern Michigan.
Kristen Shook, LM, CPM, RN, BSN
I am a mother of three home-born children, ages 17, 14, and 11. My husband, D.J., is my best ally in both parenting and midwifing. We live in downtown Traverse City, a central location from which to attend births all over Northern Michigan.
I received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Seattle Pacific University in 2002. Following university, I worked as a Pediatric Nurse in Oncology/Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant at Seattle Children’s Hospital. After D.J. and I got married, he began working in central Washington and I started working as a Public Health Nurse with pregnant women and babies, providing childbirth education, nutritional education, and breastfeeding support. I loved working with pregnant moms and families.
When I was pregnant with my first baby, I discovered home birth. It seemed like a perfect fit. I wanted individualized care and an unmedicated birth in which I made informed decisions about my birth and my body. I’m an information junkie and love to jump into my interests full force. I read dozens of books about birth! Our daughter was born without complications at home in 2007, with a Licensed Midwife present. Shortly after her birth we moved to Northern Michigan to be near family — and went on to have two more babies at home, attended by midwives.
When my youngest was 18 months old, I decided to try my hand at midwifery. I began an apprenticeship with Kathi Mulder and Katy Hobbs of Dance of Life Midwifery. Over the next three-and-a-half years and over a hundred births, I learned the traditional skills and art of midwifery practice. I attended the National College of Midwifery and received my degree in Midwifery in 2019.
When not midwifing, I love to read, spend time with my family, eat good food, drink copious amounts of coffee, travel, bike around town, and most of all, engage in meaningful conversations. I love relationships with families and find midwifery a perfect fit.
Certifications and Trainings:
Certified Professional Midwife
Licensed Midwife
Registered Nurse
Certified Lactation Specialist
CPR certified
Neonatal Resuscitation Program Certified
Breech Without Borders Training
Body Ready Method Training
Spinning Babies Training
Copious Continuing Education
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My Office —
Northern Glow Midwifery LLC
310 W Front St Suite 202
Traverse City, MI 49684
(231) 944-9328
Belle Payette, Student Midwife
Ever since I can remember I have loved being around babies and was always fascinated by pregnancy. In middle school I remember thinking I would love to be a midwife when I grew up. I was able to observe a hospital birth in high school and was pretty much sold! After graduating college in 2023, with a B.S. in biology, my childhood dream started to become a reality when I moved back to my hometown of Traverse City to assist and train under Kristen! It has been a joyful journey!
I enrolled at the National Midwifery Institute in January of 2024 and have been to over 60 births. My goal is to graduate and get my CPM by the end of 2026. I can’t imagine doing anything else! Birth is a transformative experience that almost always proceeds normally and healthy. To witness it so frequently, with someone we’ve gotten to know and love is such a joy and honor. My favorite part of midwifery is the relationships we build with our clients over the pregnancy and postpartum period (as well as snuggling a chunky baby at the final visit). While this job certainly has ups and downs, I find it works well with my easy-going demeanor. Even two years in I am (almost) always thrilled when Kristen calls me to go to a birth.
As a senior student, I play a significant role in the care. I attend most prenatal and postpartum visits as well as births. Everything I do is under supervision and instruction by Kristen, who is providing me with a thorough, hands-on education. I participate in monitoring, assessment, procedures, and correspondence. I am so grateful to Kristen for this opportunity. I truly feel I am learning from one of the best!
I live in downtown Traverse City with my two cats and my family. In my free time I enjoy gardening, cooking, reading, making pottery, running and biking, or really any other outdoor activity. I value my family and friends and consider myself a relational and hardworking person.