Nikki Quarles’ newborn was not breathing.
She said she prayed to God not to lose Baby Ziggy as she watched the midwife and her assistant work at the Willow Midwife Center for Birth and Wellness in Mesa.
“It was a true emergency, but they didn't treat it as such,” Nikki recalled. “They put him on my chest. He was gray, lifeless, not breathing, not crying.”
Certified Professional midwife Nicole Amador was too slow in calling 911 and then “interfered” with medics trying to rush the baby to the hospital, according to reports by state health regulators, police and firefighters.
Since July 2024, the Quarles family and five other families have filed lawsuits against Willow Midwife Centers, which now operates three birthing locations in the Valley.
The centers, run by two nurse midwives, have said less than 1% of births have required hospital transfer for medical needs and their birth suites carry the same resuscitation equipment found in the hospital.
Overcoming the odds
Seven months after his traumatic birth, Ziggy is a social and active baby.
Ziggy’s dad, David Quarles, said the baby still “wheezes a little bit” but is otherwise healthy.
That’s a huge turnaround considering his first minutes of life.
“If you Google how long can a baby be without oxygen, he should be brain dead,” Nikki said.
Nikki said she chose Willow Midwife Center for maternity care because it accepted her medical insurance. Nikki was healthy, her pregnancy was considered low-risk, and she wanted natural birth for Ziggy, her second child.
“They seemed warm and cozy,” David said.
Nikki’s labor in December 2024 was slow and difficult.
“I was pushing for, I think, two hours,” Nikki said. “I was, like, ‘He’s got to be coming.’”
Then three complications arose within three minutes:
- Thick meconium: the baby’s first stool, which can be a sign of possible fetal distress and could cause respiratory problems if inhaled.
- Shoulder dystocia: the baby’s shoulder got caught behind the mother’s pelvis slowing delivery.
- Low Apgar: Ziggy wasn’t starting to breathe on his own and had poor tone causing a low Apgar score. The Apgar score indicates a baby’s general condition at birth and the response to resuscitation efforts.
Each one of these conditions should have triggered a 911 call, according to Arizona Department of Health Services rules for certified professional midwives and other non-nurse midwives.
Amador was attempting to give the baby oxygen and chest compressions, but state regulators found no 911 call was made until 10 minutes after noting the meconium, and seven minutes after the birth.
“The number one thing a father wants to do is protect his family, so not being able to protect him the first minutes of his life is rough,” David said.
After 12 days in the neonatal intensive care unit at a nearby hospital, Ziggy improved enough to go home, according to his family.
Investigating Interference
When emergency crews arrived, the baby still wasn’t breathing.
According to the fire department report, the midwife was giving “slow, inadequate ventilation” to the baby, and when medics tried to take over, she “interfered,” according to the police report.
One officer wrote in his report, “she was... keeping the medics from working to prepare the infant for transport,” saying she was “the most educated person there.”
“It was so bad to the point where I had to yell at everybody,” David said. Ziggy was then loaded into the ambulance. A police officer gave David a ride to the hospital, while Nikki continues to receive postpartum care at the birth center.
The ADHS, which licenses non-nurse midwives, including Amador, cited her for eight rule violations related to the care of Nikki and Ziggy.
Amador had been previously cited for other deficiencies in care during a stillbirth in 2023.
In June, Amador agreed to a six-month license suspension. The midwife center still lists her as an employee, but her job title was changed to childbirth educator and client coordinator.
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Nikki and David filed a lawsuit against Willow Midwife Center in May. It alleges Amador and the heath care facility acted negligently.
“Somebody needs to take them to task,” said attorney Steve Weinberger, who represents several families suing Willow. He says they want to prompt improvements in patient care.
“So that the numbers of these very poor birth outcomes decrease,” Weinberger said. “And it would be nice to see legislators take note so that we could put in place some regulations for birthing facilities.”
Willow representatives declined ABC15’s request for an interview about the Quarles case.
Lawyers for Willow Midwife Center and Amador filed a response to the lawsuit. In the court documents, they deny allegations of wrongdoing. They say the midwife acted in a reasonable and prudent manner, and they say any alleged injuries were the result of causes other than the midwife’s alleged actions.
On the day of Ziggy’s birth, Amador spoke to the investigating police officer. He said in his report that she said she didn’t have any issues with the fire department, and she was just trying to rush the process along for the baby’s welfare.
In ABC15’s previous reporting on Willow patients’ lawsuits, a company spokeswoman issued a statement, saying in part:
“Hundreds of families a year choose to birth with Willow. For patients who are healthy and low-risk, it is an excellent and safe choice. As part of rigorous accreditation demands, the birth center shares its data and outcomes and participates in national quality assurance protocols.”
Last year the ABC15 investigators created the only public database listing all Arizona’s licensed midwives, which include about 300 nurses and 100 certified professional midwives. It’s a valuable resource for families to learn more about a midwife’s experience, credentials, and disciplinary history.
Having trouble viewing the database? Click here.
