Reality Check

I have studied the history of midwifery and the history of birth, both in this country and around the world.  I have read many books and talked to many people.  I have been involved in birth since 2005 and began learning about it years before that.

Recently, I was attending a completely wonderful birth.  Actually, the night before, I dreamed that I was the midwife for this family.  So when they called me that morning I was not surprised.  They were welcoming their first child and were surrounded by family; sisters, mothers and even a sweet baby boy who was soon to be a cousin.  It was simply a beautiful, sweet experience.  The soon to be Mama and Daddy were doing wonderfully.  A little while into pushing, she reached inside herself to feel her baby's head for the first time.  I made a comment about the first physical touch and how lovely it is.  One of the soon to be Grandmothers then said, "We never got to do that with our babies since we were strapped down."

It hit me like a ton of bricks.  I know the history, I know that it was routine to strap women down during labor.  But this personal moment and revelation was so powerful.  This is why I do what I do, this is why we strive and struggle for the rights of women and their families to birth humanely.  We must always remember the past, so we can prevent it from happening again.

Interview

A little over a month ago I was approached by a great new organization, Future Midwives of America. It is great resource that is dedicated to helping students on the path of midwifery.  I am grateful that it is also a place that discusses both CNM and CPM as valid paths without trashing one or the other. They asked if I would be willing to be interviewed for the website.  I was floored...someone wanted to interview me?!? I said "sure" and then quickly became pretty nervous about the whole thing. Luckily, by the time the interview was scheduled I had been able to calm my shaky nerves. All in all, I think it went well, please check it out if you get a chance.  And then take some time to check out the rest of the website.
http://futuremidwives.org/?p=82

Tools Of My Trade #14

My Home Bookshelf
Book learning is indeed important, and is often how a woman begins on the path.  For me, it was Spiritual Midwifery that started the spark.  I have always been a devout book lover, so collecting them was nothing new.  I am always on the look out for a new addition to my collection.  As much as books have to offer, they are only part of the equation.  Through book learning we build the foundation but the most crucial skills and knowledge cannot be found within their pages.  By far the most important teachers are the women themselves; both the mothers and our teachers.  It is with them that we discover the authentic voice that is midwifery.  This does not diminish the importance of our beloved books as every practitioner requires a solid foundation upon which to build.

What books have been most instrumental for you on your journey?

Not One

     Claire had been woken up, the morning she turned 37 weeks, by the sensation of her water breaking.  The fluid was clear and the baby was moving well.  At the beginning of her pregnancy she had tested positive for GBS (group beta strep) in her urine, so she and her husband came in for an evaluation and a dose of IV antibiotics.  When they arrived, Claire was not yet having contractions.  Everything checked out good; her waters had definitely ruptured, the fluid was clear, baby and Mama were both doing great.  I started an IV and gave her a dose of penicillin.  Since she was not yet in labor I did not do a vaginal exam.  Claire and her husband then went back home to have some breakfast.  Four hours later, they returned to the birth center.  Again, everything checked out good and I gave Claire her next dose of antibiotics.  Because she was GBS positive, we talked about encouraging her labor to start.  Claire and her husband both agreed that they would like to get proactive.  I sent them home again, this time with some herbs.  I did not do a vaginal exam.

     Another four hours passed, Claire and her husband returned, and they were joined by their 5 year old son and Claire's mother.  It was obvious that things had shifted and Claire was starting to labor.  She was in that sweet foggy stage of early labor, when women seem to be floating above the world, mildly aware of what is going on around them.  I gave her the next dose of medicine and we all settled in.  In a short time Claire shifted again, moving into the active phase of labor.  It was lovely to watch.  She was supported wonderfully by her family and she easily let go to the process.  She moved well, walking around with the contractions and swaying with her husband.  Eventually, she asked to get in the birth pool.  Very shortly after sinking down into the water she began grunting at the top of her contractions and then proceeded to birth her sweet 7lb 2oz. baby boy into the world.

    And all of this without one single vaginal exam!  Of course, I think that is awesome.  A couple hours after the birth, Claire and I were talking about it.  She asked why I never did one and I told her that besides the fact that her waters were ruptured, I didn't need to do one.  It was clear that her labor was progressing and I did not want to disrupt the flow of that progress.  Claire said that during her labor, she briefly wondered why I wasn't checking her cervix but then reasoned that I knew what I was doing and let the thought pass.  It is important to remember that there are so many ways, other than a vaginal exam, to assess labor progression.  Sharp eyes, clear ears and an open heart are just as valuable.  What are some of those other signs to watch for as a woman labors?

The Ina May Weekend

My work at the birth center is an integral part of my life.  In many ways, it does not seem right to call it work.  Midwifery is so much more than a profession; some refer to it as a calling.  It becomes a core part of your lifestyle and a defining part of your character.  I am proud to be a midwife and cannot imagine doing anything else.  Like many midwives of my generation, I was partially inspired by the work and writing of Ina May Gaskin.  She has been referred to as the Mother of Modern Midwifery and is the author of several groundbreaking books, including Spiritual Midwifery.  When I was pregnant with my first child, I found Spiritual Midwifery and it is part of why I chose the path of midwifery.

Recently, I was blessed to have the opportunity to meet and spend time with Ina May.  (I briefly mentioned this in my previous post titled, Powerful Weekend.)  A midwife friend, Samantha McCormick, who owns Baby Love Birth Center in Florida was hosting a screening of the new documentary Birth Story and Ina May came down to present it.  I was invited by my friend to join the fun and thanks to my generous boss, was able to make the trip.  And boy o boy was it worth it!  The documentary is amazing; funny, insightful, inspiring and truthful.  Luckily, there are  screenings all over the country, you can learn more at http://watch.birthstorymovie.com/  .  I highly recommend seeing it if at all possible.  You will laugh, you will cry and you will hopefully be inspired!

It is an intimidating thing to meet an icon, and I was more than a little nervous.   Sharing dinner with Ina May and several other wonderful midwives is an experience that I will never forget.  I found her to be warm and welcoming, with a wicked sense of humor.  I was somewhat nervous about coming off as a groupie, but was quickly reassured by Ina May's open, down to earth demeanor.  In hindsight, I am grateful and happily surprised that I was able to sit with this group of midwives and feel like an equal among peers.   This “work” is fulfilling and beautiful but it is also exhausting and demanding.  To have the opportunity to be in a circle of other midwives from around the country, including Ina May Gaskin, was a powerful way to re-charge my batteries. 

 

Powerful Weekend

This weekend, I was honored and blessed to have the opportunity to meet and spend time with several amazing midwives at an event in Florida.  One of whom was Ina May Gaskin.  It was truly a gift and I will be sharing part of my experience in an upcoming post, but I wanted to briefly discuss the content of these photographs.  As part of her presentation, Ina May brought parts of her Safe Motherhood Quilt. To stand up with her, and other midwives, to hold and bear witness to this powerful project was intense, moving and inspiring. As a midwife, I feel that guarding the health and safety of Mothers is an integral part of my duties. It is a responsibility that I take very seriously and physically holding this quilt resonated in my bones. Please take some time to learn about this project and visit the website atwww.rememberthemothers.org

Flight

Sometimes the universe likes to be funny while keeping us on our toes.

I was on call, there was no one in labor, but I was at the clinic enjoying lunch with my co-workers.  We were all  chatting about our weeks and just enjoying the company.  One of our midwives mentioned a movie she had just seen, "Flight" (which I have not seen) about an airline pilot who has to respond quickly to an emergency, preform some "superhuman" maneuvers and remain calm to manage the situation.  And that she thought it had some correlations to midwifery.  That sometimes, things are progressing calmly and normally when an emergency can arise and we must respond quickly and assertively, utilizing our skills and training to mange the situation.

Several hours later, a family had come in to the center, excited to be welcoming their first baby.  Mama was very tired as she had been in latent labor for a very long time, Dad was hanging in there and they had a fantastic doula with them.  We settled in for the work.  Amazingly, after all the hours and hours of early labor, once at the birth center her labor progressed remarkably fast.  She was a trooper and had a pretty intense ride for about an hour and half as she moved through transition.  Then her sweet little babe had some difficulty, letting us know through her heart rate.  She had several dips, with good recovery, but still she kept having the dips.  We changed Mama's position several times and gave her some oxygen.  I stilled the room, made direct eye contact with Mama and told her that she needed to pull out her Mama Bear and bring her baby to us.  Never underestimate the power of the "Mama Bear Instinct".  This Mama was so focused, so powerful and did amazing.  Her husband and her doula were fantastic.  We were all focused on this little baby and bringing her through safely.  Despite her courageous efforts, the babe was still not coming quite as fast as I liked and I called EMS for a transport.  This gave Mama an extra surge of energy and as the EMS crew arrived, the baby was birthed.  Baby girl was completely tangled up in her cord, it was looped all around her several times almost like a harness. After untangling her, she needed a little help to get started but then did wonderfully.  Thirty minutes later and all were tucked up in bed getting acquainted.

An hour or so after the birth, I was sitting at the desk working on all the paperwork.  The Dad came over to me, gifting me with extremely heartfelt words of gratitude.  We had a little discussion about how the birth had gone and then he says to me, "Have you seen that movie Flight?" Seriously, he said that to me!  I was so surprised, I thnk that I just sat there for a few seconds with my jaw hanging open.  He then proceeded to relay the same basic observations that my midwife colleague had made about the movie earlier that afternoon.  I guess I have a movie to go and rent....