Canadian Woman Alleges Mexico Midwife Gave Her Misoprostol Without Consent

Jennifer Nosek, a Canadian magazine editor, said her pregnancy in Sayulita, Mexico, had progressed smoothly after two prior miscarriages. She had arranged for Heather Baker, a midwife known in the local expatriate community, to assist with a home birth.

Nosek said Baker gave her a white pill shortly before labor that she described as a mild homeopathic remedy. Nosek now believes the pill was misoprostol, a pharmaceutical drug used to induce labor. She said the drug caused intense uterine contractions that she believes cut off the baby's oxygen supply.

The baby's government-issued death certificate lists perinatal asphyxia as the cause of death. "I don’t even have words for the violence that was done to me," Nosek said. She filed a complaint with Mexican prosecutors alleging that Baker misrepresented the pill.

Nosek has also filed complaints with the FBI and the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, the licensing agency in Baker’s home state.

Nosek’s account spread through the Sayulita expatriate community and online groups. At least six other women, along with Baker’s former apprentice, have filed complaints with the Wisconsin licensing agency. The agency cited Baker in 2014 for practicing without a license and has reopened its investigation.

NBC News interviewed 10 women who said they gave birth with Baker, including eight in Mexico. Four of those women filed complaints with the Wisconsin agency. At least two women besides Nosek have spoken with the FBI. Some reported receiving a tincture or pill described as homeopathic that produced sudden, strong contractions.

A complaint from Baker’s former apprentice stated that Baker had recommended progesterone to stall labor until she could arrive in Mexico. Stephanie Mitchell, a certified professional midwife and founder of a birth center in Alabama, said the allegations contradict core midwifery principles.

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Baker did not respond to multiple calls or written questions from NBC News. Accounts on social media associated with her sent cease-and-desist messages to Nosek and another former client. The messages accused the women of making false and defamatory statements.

On her website, Baker states she is not currently attending births in person, a change made in April. She describes herself as a traditional midwife trained through apprenticeships who has attended births since 1996. Baker has said she gave birth to five children at home, four of them unassisted.

Authorities have provided limited responses. Caroline Clancy of the FBI’s Milwaukee division declined to confirm any investigation. John Beard, a spokesperson for the Wisconsin licensing agency, said the state’s options are limited when unlicensed professionals are accused of violations outside Wisconsin.

Mexican authorities did not respond to requests for comment. Nosek and her husband, Rene Lemos, had moved to Sayulita in 2021 and joined its community of American and Canadian expatriates. Nosek said she had hoped to avoid another cesarean section but was willing to transfer to a hospital if complications arose.

She said she would not have consented to pharmaceutical induction at home.