Health at Every Size® Healthcare Provider Listing
Grace Fox, CPM
(she/her)
Licensed Certified Professional Midwife
Dragonfly Birth
Rapid City,
South Dakota,
United States
Contact Me:
Make an Appointment:
Sliding Scale Available
Additional information about where I can practice: Rapid City and surrounding areas; Black Hills
Specialties & Areas of Focus:
- Hypothyroid
- Trauma
- Non-diet nutrition
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Gestational diabetes (GDM)
Modalities & Theoretical Lenses:
- Body acceptance
- Fat liberation
- Inclusion
- Herbalism
- Reproductive education
- Childbirth education
Age Groups Served:
- Children (birth through 12 years)
- Teens (13-18 years old)
- Adults (18 years old and up)
- Children (birth through 12 years)
- Teens (13-18 years old)
- Adults (18 years old and up)
Languages Services Offered In:
- American Sign Language
- English
- American Sign Language
- English
My Philosophy of Care
I'm a licensed Certified Professional Midwife offering holistic traditional midwifery services. I provide evidence-based care that honors the ancient wisdom of community-centered midwifery. My care is a blend of old and new, science and intuition, modern and traditional.
While I appreciate the many advancements in healthcare, I am also very aware of the brokenness of our current system, the biases and assumptions present in most healthcare settings, and the harm that can be caused by weight stigma, medical gaslighting, and stereotyping. As a fat person, I have experienced these for myself and now I work to fight against those pieces of healthcare and advocate for my clients' rights.
My goal is to offer care wherein you feel loved, accepted, and supported, no matter your size or other aspect of identity. I encourage informed decision making through the sharing of information and mindful discussion. My clients and I are a team, working together to find the solution that best works for their family.
While I appreciate the many advancements in healthcare, I am also very aware of the brokenness of our current system, the biases and assumptions present in most healthcare settings, and the harm that can be caused by weight stigma, medical gaslighting, and stereotyping. As a fat person, I have experienced these for myself and now I work to fight against those pieces of healthcare and advocate for my clients' rights.
My goal is to offer care wherein you feel loved, accepted, and supported, no matter your size or other aspect of identity. I encourage informed decision making through the sharing of information and mindful discussion. My clients and I are a team, working together to find the solution that best works for their family.
About Me & My Practice
I began midwifery education while still in the midst of disordered eating. As I went through my own process of understanding, accepting, and finally embracing the concept of size acceptance and Health At Every Size®, that began to carry over into my midwifery work. I started questioning things I had been taught in school, and what was accepted as "known facts" when it came to health, fatness, and the conditions that are often [wrongly] blamed on fatness.
Since that time, I have been digging deeper and deeper into HAES® and fat liberation by doing additional research (including scrutiny of fatphobic studies), reading books, listening to podcasts, attending seminars, and surrounding myself with other like-minded people. There is always more to learn, and I am always seeking that information. I have been challenging myself in this way for about five years, and I know it will only continue to grow and deepen and expand as more researchers, professionals, and activist organizations continue their respective work and share it with others.
When I'm not working, I enjoy reading, writing, fiber arts, and watching movies and shows with friends and family. I'm a big science and history nerd, and that has carried over into a serious fascination with ancient medicine and the history of midwifery.
Since that time, I have been digging deeper and deeper into HAES® and fat liberation by doing additional research (including scrutiny of fatphobic studies), reading books, listening to podcasts, attending seminars, and surrounding myself with other like-minded people. There is always more to learn, and I am always seeking that information. I have been challenging myself in this way for about five years, and I know it will only continue to grow and deepen and expand as more researchers, professionals, and activist organizations continue their respective work and share it with others.
When I'm not working, I enjoy reading, writing, fiber arts, and watching movies and shows with friends and family. I'm a big science and history nerd, and that has carried over into a serious fascination with ancient medicine and the history of midwifery.
Accessibility Considerations
Not only have I experienced size limitations for myself as a fat person, but one of my children also has a physical disability, which has led to an increased awareness of the lack of accessibility and inclusion in most of the world. As a result, I make a point in my practice to be as inclusive as possible (with some limitations set by my license, unfortunately), and to find creative solutions to accessibility challenges.
I have vitals equipment appropriate for fat bodies, and since I visit clients in the home, I have no limitations within an office space. My assistants are trained to be size-inclusive and to not offer advice or commentary on body size, weight loss, or restrictive diets. My nutritional philosophy is non-restrictive, accepting of all foods, and following your body's signals and cues. I do not weigh at appointments (I don't even own a scale). My approach to care is weight-neutral, relying on other symptoms and risk factors to determine health.
I have vitals equipment appropriate for fat bodies, and since I visit clients in the home, I have no limitations within an office space. My assistants are trained to be size-inclusive and to not offer advice or commentary on body size, weight loss, or restrictive diets. My nutritional philosophy is non-restrictive, accepting of all foods, and following your body's signals and cues. I do not weigh at appointments (I don't even own a scale). My approach to care is weight-neutral, relying on other symptoms and risk factors to determine health.