Response to UC blog post by Pamela Powell

Please read the blog post on UC birth resources by Pamela Hines-Powell:

http://www.pamamidwife.com/

I was trained through apprenticeship, and have lately been thinking long and hard about the pro's and con's of not having gone to midwifery school. However, hearing the responses to this post from school trained midwives, I was able to add to the 'pro' column that I was exposed very early on in my training to UC as a positive and empowering experience for women and families. My first exposure came through a friend who had a falling out with her midwife mid-pregnancy and decided to have an unattended homebirth with her second child. I was newly interested in midwifery, and I was in awe of this woman. She successfully birthed her baby with her partner, son, and a friend a few days after my 20th birthday. It so normalized UC for me, that I have very rarely thought of UC as an extreme option. My second and more formal exposure to UC came through a midwife that ran a study group that I attended for years. She had some of her babies UC and helps UC families as a back-up and source of PN care and advice. I considered a UC for the birth of my second child, but decided against it mainly for the reason that my husband wanted a midwife. It didn't seem fair to put him in a position of responsibility that he didn't want himself. I was also just looking for an out to having to choose a midwife from my many wonderful colleagues. In the end, I was so happy to have my midwife, for many reasons that are both mundane and deeply personal.
As a new midwife, I have gone through phases about my feelings about UC. I have always assumed that when the opportunity presented itself, that I would help. I am always curious about the WHY of it for a family. (Interestingly enough, I might now be 'suspicious' of a mom who wants a UC because she didn't get along with her midwife!!) I am concerned about the liability involved in helping families who may refuse your best professional opinion when the chips are down. I am not naive enough to think this doesn't happen when you've been hired as the Midwife! I do not believe that my presence at the majority of births is what makes birth safe, and therefore do not believe that UC'ers need to have a perfect or deep understanding of all that our work entails-you don't have to be a midwife- to have a safe birth! I do believe that I have enough tricks up my sleeves to avert an unnecessary transport. As with everything, my feelings about UC are constantly evolving, and I expect will continue to do so. I thoroughly appreciated Pamela's advice to TALK to UC'ers. It is through women's stories, tempered with an understanding of the physiology of birth and a good measure of critical thinking, that we receive our best education.
I find myself more and more sitting in the corner at births. It is becoming less and less about me all of the time, and I am constantly exploring my ego-involvement in my work. The topic of UC is a catalyst for me to think more deeply about this, as well as a challenge to my true beliefs about the perfection of the birth process!
Many thanks to Pamela for her post.

Editorial, JOGNN

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/121645508/PDFSTART?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

Transitions..., or, The End of An Era.

I just taught the last in a six week Beg. Midwifery Study Group (more of a class really). We finished up with normal PP and watched Birth Day with Naoli Vinaver, I cried as usual. I always cry during birth movies. Sometimes I think it's the sound track, and sometimes I think that it's because I can't cry when I'm working so I save it up for when I'm watching birth videos. As with most things, the truth probably lies in the middle. It was a wonderful group, eight amazing women who may or may not become midwives, but will all be bearers of the torch of truth. An equally important job. They are now going to take the reins and form a real study group. One where thay actually do self motivated learning at home and then get together to hash out the details. I have agreed to come every other week to guide them and make sure that they are hitting all of the relevant points. I am thrilled to see them taking charge of information gathering and book learning.

Still only one of four February babies, so I am enjoying the little spots of sunshine and having time with my kids. I am reading "Green Thoughts" by Elanore Preyeni, and recomend it to the horticulturally inclined. Now is the time when my daydrems of digging in sun-warmed earth start creeping in to my daily life to an alarming degree (alternating with a day drem that involves a beach in Mexico and an ice cold beer...). Arlo is about to loose a tooth, and Emma is talking like crazy, and both of my kids are inspiring warm feelings in me. Every once in a while I realize how much I like my kids, and how lucky I am that I do. Even when Arlo is teaching Emma to scream "baby butt" at the top of her lungs. Good thing I think Baby Butts are cute.

What a girl wants, what a girl needs....

I am constantly spinning my wheels about business models that work for homebirth practices. I am intrigued by the idea of partnerships, and am constantly soliciting advice from those who have been there and done that, or are still happily partnered. I am curious about the idea of superimposing a birth center model onto a homebirth practice. This could just be several midwives that have a revolving call schedule (3 mos on, 1 mo off), or two midwives that alternate weeks on/weeks off for prenatal care. What about an office space? One midwife recently suggested to me that a co-op office space to house several practices might work. It is interesting to think about. For those of you that have an office, how do your clients feel about it? Do you feel like it changes your clientele? I was trained in a solo practice, and worked as a second midwife in what was, essentially, a solo-practice(we both did everything). It's what I know. But it doesn't allow for time off call, and it feels lonelier somehow. I have always worked in clinical settings, and really enjoy the camaraderie that comes from sharing my work with others who get it, so I think that's part of the draw to a group practice.Please send me any ideas/experiences!

February has turned out to have a mellower feel than I thought it would going into the month. One mama went to the hospital early with pre-eclampsia(she had an amazing birth! beautiful, really), so I'm just waiting on three primips who are all doing their primip thing. In the mean time, I hope to get my website up and running, and finish up my Beginning Midwifery Study Group. I am turning 31 on the 14th, which feels pretty anti-climatic. But if everybody stays pregnant, I may even get a date with my hubby!

The Next Generation

I just finished the teaching the fifth class in a six week introductory study group for aspiring midwives. We have covered a lot of territory, much of it personal. At each class, I have been graced with the details of these amazing women's lives; some of it mundane, and some of it deeply personal, all of it important. Next week we will finish with a class on Post-partum Care, and then we will decide if we should continue, if they want to be more of a 'real' study group, or if we all want to take a break. As an apprenticeship trained midwife, I am so thrilled to be able to continue the thread of passing on knowledge. I have the fondest memories of all of the study groups that I ever attended, and of all of the midwives that graced me with stories and information. The oral tradition is a powerful one. I am part of the newest generation of midwives, but I can already see the seeds of the one to follow being planted behind me. My rally cry: MORE MIDWIVES!!!