Author – Deborah McBain CNM, MSN

I have been a registered nurse for over 30 years, most of those as a maternity nurse.  In 1994 I went back to school and earned a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Case Western Reserve Unversity in Cleveland, OH. I also attended Frontier Nursing Service in Heyden, Kentucky becoming a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM).  In 2002 I joined Henry Ford Health System in Detroit Michigan and continue as a staff midwife at Henry Ford Hospital coaxing little ones into the world.

As a certified nurse-midwife I not only take care of pregnant women,  I care for women throughout the life-span.  Routine annual exams, urinary tract and vaginal infections,  irregular periods and menopausal complaints often find their way to my clinic exam room.   Many of my patients are experiencing the challenges  of menopause.   “Listen to Women”  has been a motto used by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) and that is what I have done for my years as a nurse, midwife and women’s health provider .   What I have heard behind closed doors has been an amazing education.    The same skills that allow me to midwife women through the changes of pregnancy and childbirth is also appreciated  by women during the changes of menopause.

With more and more baby boomers reaching  this certain age, the expectation for knowledge and support is growing.  Self-determination, when it comes to making health care decisions, has been this generation’s Modus Operandi.  We are after all, the generation that revolutionized obstetrical care, making childbirth education and natural childbirth commonplace.  We want information and we want control of our health.

Experiencing a need personally and through my patients, I became credentialed as a menopause practitioner through the North American Menopause Society (NAMS).  In October of 2006 I did a very well attended talk for consumers on  menopause and received many requests to start a support group.  Since  April 2007 we have had monthly support group meetings with topics ranging from heart health to sexuality.  Participation is growing but I would like to reach a wider audience.  What better way than a blog?

Author – Charla Blacker, MD, FACOG, FACE

I have been a Reproductive Endocrinologist for over 20 years, specializing in reproductive disorders throughout a woman’s lifespan. My interests since early in my career have been at the opposite ends of the reproductive spectrum- infertility and menopause. Little did I realize when I first became interested, that with our aging Baby Boomer population, I would see so many women who were experiencing menopause but still interested in pregnancy!

I graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine and then moved to Detroit, where I performed my OB/GYN residency at Wayne State University. I chose to spend several additional years in a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellowship at the same institution.  I joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at WSU as an Assistant Professor in 1987. I have been actively involved in research studies involving menopause, osteoporosis, hormone replacement therapy, infertility, and IVF to name a few. I joined the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Henry Ford in 2001, and was promoted to Associate Clinical Professor at WSU in 2004.

I enjoy my clinical practice in which a day may bring in women striving to cope with menopause, couples trying to start or increase their family, teenagers experiencing their first gyn exam, or women with fibroids considering robotic surgery. I have given hundreds of talks to lay groups and I have been impressed with women’s ability to make good decisions when given adequate information in a format that they can understand. I have shared their frustration over being told to take or to discontinue treatments without explanation as to the benefits and risks- and feeling that their own medical story was being heard. This is particularly true of women undergoing the menopause with its huge impact on a woman’s body and psyche. Women are seeking accurate and timely information, which empowers them to make good lifestyle decisions. I believe in creating an environment which allows us to act as a team to improve the quality of women’s care. I welcome the opportunity to join the Menopause Support Circle as it keeps women at the cutting edge of women’s health care.

Author – Suzanne Mahoney, FNP-BC

I have been a Registered Nurse for over 25 years. I began my career as a staff nurse, initially as a post-partum nurse, then special care nursery nurse and eventually as a labor and delivery nurse. Over the course of my career, I have been afforded many opportunities to expand my skills and develop my professional growth. I was eventually hired into a management position, where I served as Clinical Manager of Labor and Delivery, Special Care Nursery and Women’s Health. In 2007, I sat for national certification and earned my RNC in the specialty of Maternal-Newborn nursing.

I graduated from Oakland University in 2008 with a Master’s Degree in Nursing, am board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner. For the past 18 years, I have been working for Henry Ford, and I have recently taken a position as a Nurse Practitioner in Women’s Health at Henry Ford Lakeside.

Over the course of my career, my focus has been on health and wellness. As a NP in Women’s Health, I have the opportunity every day to impact the life of women through health promotion and disease prevention.  It is my goal to provide comprehensive care to my patients, through effective listening, teaching, and establishing treatment plans. In my practice I strive to meet the needs of my patients, from adolescents through menopause and beyond, with an emphasis on body, mind and spirit.

From a personal perspective, I am most proud of my loving family. I have been married to a wonderful man for over 36 years. We have five grown sons, 4 lovely daughter-in-laws and six beautiful grandchildren.  My life experiences as wife, mom and now grandma continue to shape and mold me, enhancing my ability to meet the changing needs of women in our community.