I founded North Star Midwifery in 2005 after finishing school in 2004 at the Seattle Midwifery School (now the department of Midwifery within Bastyr University). I am a Certified Professional Midwife and a Licensed Midwife in MN and WI. Having been in practice for over 10 years, I can say that I have seen a lot. However, it is amazing how unique every each birth is, and I learn something from every family I work with!
The first time I heard the word “midwife,” I knew it was my calling. To me, being a midwife means holding the space and fiercely guarding the safety and experience of the birthing family. In my practice, the people giving birth are at the center of their care. Families feel empowered to make the choices that are right for them for their prenatal care, their births, and beyond. I have been serving families for long enough to help some welcome their new babies multiple times! This has allowed those relationships to deepen over time; I often feel like a part of the family!
I have two children who were both born at home in the water (in 2007 and 2010), and giving birth myself, after I was already a midwife, deepened my understanding of the process and the transformational power of birth. As a midwife, I am actively involved in supporting the art of midwifery. Since 2007, I have actively served on the Advisory Council on Licensed Traditional Midwifery to the Board of Medical Practice. I am also a former board member of our state professional organization, the Minnesota Council of Certified Professional Midwives (MCCPM).
North star midwifery
Aly Folin, CPM, LM
What areas do you serve? Minneapolis, St Paul and 45 mile radius
Who is your ideal client? My ideal client is someone who wholeheartedly believes in and trusts their body to be healthy and give birth.
What do you want people to know about you/your practice? In my practice families are the center of their care. I provide personalized support for each family I work with. The foundation of my practice is shared decision making -- you get to make the decisions that are right for you and your baby. Together, we focus on being as healthy as you can to have the best pregnancy and birth possible. We also have fun during our hour long visits. I have been in practice as a midwife since 2005 and have attended over 500 births. I also work with a billing service that is very good at getting reimbursement for families.
What do you want people to know about home birth? I have always wanted people to know that home birth is not the fringe choice everyone thinks it is. All kinds of people have home births -- not just super crunchy folks or super religious folks. Also home birth, for a low-risk, healthy person, with a trained attendant, is safe. Emergencies are extremely rare as we are working with healthy people. Also as a midwife, I am trained and experienced in managing complications and carry important life-saving equipment and medications and I mostly don't have to use them. Also, most births are fairly uneventful and to me, even after being in practice for 14 years, every birth is beautiful in its own way.
If you had a week off call + unlimited funds, what would you do? I would travel. I love to travel and have a long list of places in the world I would like to visit.
What do you do in your free time? Read, walk in nature, hang out with my kiddos
How many clients do you take per month? I limit my practice to 4 clients a month