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.