Marion Toepke McLean, CNM, attended her first birth as primary midwife in August 1971. She received her nursing degree from Pacific Lutheran University in 1966 and her midwifery and family nurse practitioner degree from Frontier Nursing Service in 1974. From 1976 through 2001 she did home, clinic and hospital births, while also working as a family nurse practitioner. In 1980 she taught a year-long program for local midwives, returning to Frontier Nursing Service to teach during the summer. She had a homebirth practice until 1985, when she went to work at the Nurse-Midwifery Birthing Service, a freestanding birth center. In June 2000 she completed a BA in International Studies at the University of Oregon, with concentrated studies on Mexico. Since 2002 she has worked in a reproductive health clinic and attended an occasional homebirth. She lives in Eugene, Oregon, and is a contributing editor to Midwifery Today.
Marion’s Message: Preventing Problems Through Prenatal Care
Prenatal care can detect and treat many problems. Preeclampsia comes to mind. The classic signs of preeclampsia are high blood pressure and protein in the urine. It affects the placenta by reducing the blood flow and, unchecked, can lead to intrauterine growth retardation and fetal demise. Checking blood pressure and urinary protein are routine parts of prenatal care. Read more…. Marion’s Message: Preventing Problems Through Prenatal Care
