So I had a friend ask me today if I thought midwives were better than obstetricians. I replied with the following long winded answer:
obstetricians are absolutely needed in a few pregnancies and births and I am thankful they are available. However they are specialists and surgeons and best used in that way It is like sending everyone with a headache to a neurologist. A neurologist is absolutely needed in a few cases, however, sending them to a family practice doctor first to weed out the other causes for the headache first makes sense. Midwives should be the first providers for a pregnancy and if the pregnancy falls outside of the realm of normal, then the midwife would refer them to an OB and if it is outside the scope of an OB, they would send them to a perinatologist. it's' the way medicine works, when it works right at least.
I do not believe that either profession is better than the other, just that one profession is being overused in a situation that is not appropriate for it (normal pregnancy, labor and delivery). As Dr. House said if you put a patient with fainting spells in front of a panel of specialists the neurologist will see a brain tumor, the allergist will see a food allergy, the endocrinologist will see a thyroid issue, the gastroenterologist will see celiac's disease, and the cardiac specialist will see blood pressure issues. But if you send that same person to a Family practice doctor then s/he will discover the patient simply isn't sleeping enough at night!! Each of those specialists would have ordered an barrage of tests that were not at all needed, and those tests would have shown a few questionable results that would have lead to more tests and possibly extremely invasive procedures such as surgeries! Or at least, something like that, you get the idea (not sure how Dr. House put it LOL! I was probably too busy drooling over Hugh Laurie to notice exactly what he said..... :P~). Midwives are the guardians of normal, and should be used as such. Obstetricians are surgeons, and should also be used as such.
So there is my take on the obstetrician vs. midwife question!
My children have been blessed. They are blessed with oodles of grandparents who love them. They have both of my parents in their life, as well as my ex-husband's father. Though my ex-husband's mother is still living, she cannot be bothered with getting to know my children, and they do not even know that she exists. I know that is sad, and I used to stress about it, but I cannot spend my time stressing about it, it is her loss, and maybe not my children's loss.
They are also blessed to have both my maternal and my paternal grandparents in their lives. Though my ex-husband's maternal grandmother is still alive, again she cannot be bothered with getting to know my children and thus they do not know she exists. I am excitedly trying to plan a trip to New Jersey this summer with my children so that they will meet my father-in-law's mother, who is also still alive.
I believe that family bonds are important, and my children are so blessed to have so many grandparents. However I also recognize that my grandparents (and my father-in-law's mother) are getting quite old. I worry about how much time they have left to spend with my children. Right now both my paternal grandfather in Florida and my maternal grandfather in Ohio are sick, and one is having surgery next week. They aren't getting any younger....and I am saddened at the thought that my children will experience death and dying and grief at a much younger age than I did (as I haven't really experienced it with someone I am very close to yet!). I am not even sure how to help my children deal with grief and death and dying, as I have no experience with it.
But even as my grandparent's time draws nearer, my children are still blessed, and loved.
as of midnight tonight many midwives will no longer be able to practice legally in NYC due to losing their written practice agreement!!! Please take action today!!
I am offering low cost doula services (both intra and post partum) right now. If you are due in the month of May and live in South Central Tennessee or North Alabama and are interested at having a doula at your birth, please feel free to email me at mistymm77@gmail.com
I will start offering low cost doula services (both intra and post partum) in CENTRAL FLORIDA starting in JUNE of 2010! If you are due in the month of June or after and live in Central Florida, feel free to email me as well!!
Feel free to visit my website at http://wholevillage.homestead.com/index.html it is still under construction and will have some changes randomly, so check back often!
Well, it seems, my summer is suddenly packed. I had thought about trying to go out west to the grand canyon (simply because I've never been there) but it appears that that is not going to be able to happen. Then I thought about getting a summer job, but it looks like that might not be able to happen either. I may try to pick up a few doula clients over the summer when I am in one place at least LOL!
So, this is how the next few months look for me:
MAY
May is probably going to my busiest of all months it seems. I do hope to pick up a few doula clients during the month of May but if I don't, no big deal. May 2nd is the last day of religious education for my kids. May 15th is my brother's birthday, but will be my T1 and T2's birthday party (combined) as they will leave for their daddy's soon after that. May 19th is Bobby's last day of school and May 21st we all leave for Florida. We'll arrive on the night of May 21st, and on May 22nd I will have another birthday party for T1 and T2 with family and friends in Florida. On May 23rd the kids will go to their father's. I hope I hear from FSTM before then. Finger's crossed.
JUNE
June I will be in Florida for much of the time, hanging out with friends and maybe taking on some doula clients if I can find them due that month. I will be going to Gainesville for their CBE course in June (required as a prerequisite for admission).
JULY
July will be a bit busier for me. I pick up the kids from their dad on July 2nd and then drive up to Ohio to spend some time with my family. We'll probably be up there for a few weeks. During that time I should get my Doula workshop (also required as a prerequisite for admission) out of the way. Once we leave Ohio I will probably be coming back to Tennessee for a little while, but really what happens then depends on if I am accepted to FSTM.
was that dramatic enough for you? What do you mean no?!?!?! Well, what do you expect from someone who leads a virtually drama free life?? It's the best I can do, you'll have to get over it. LOL!!
So interview day eh? I got up nice and early and left Jimmy's house before he was even *awake*! I drove to Kelly's to pick up Jenn and Kelly and we got on the road to go to Gainesville. Now, this seems like it shouldn't be that big of a deal, but really it was a *long* drive! It's only two hours and a little, like the drive to Sarasota was when I was apprenticing there, but yet somehow it seemed like such a long drive.
We got there early, of course. That is life with Misty girls, you better get used to it! Seriously, living with a man who was the least punctual person ever has made me a little bit OCD about punctuality. If I am *on time* I feel late. I have to be a bit early. So, we were the first potential students to arrive.
We went in, put our lunch away (compliments of Kelly, who packed us all spaghetti). We talked briefly with Glenn as she was setting up for the interview day, and she let us know there was going to be a man there who wants to learn midwifery to go back to his country (Haiti) and teach other midwives. Seems noble, and I think he and I will get along just fine.
Kaitlyn was a little late to the interview day, she wasn't feeling well and that was obvious when she got there. Glenn talked to us for a bit, and then we split off to be interviewed by each of three people, the Business Director, the Academic Director, and then Heart, the I guess Dean of the school (I forgot her official title).
My interview with the Financial Director went great, she let me know that I would have plenty of financial aid, and how much I would get extra, which, it turns out, is enough. YAY! That was one big stress that I don't have to worry about now!
My interview with the Academic Director I also think went really well. She and I seem to have a few quirks the same, and have some opinions and other things in common about midwifery education. I really like her, and I hope she also really liked me. I got nothing but good vibes from her so I hope that is a positive thing!
My interview with Heart was awesome. She made a comment about how I smile every time I mention my divorce, and I, flustered at first because of how much negativity I got from Linda about my divorce, started to explain that my divorce was like my own personal liberation from an oppressive, abusive marriage. She totally got me, and I also only got positive vibes off of her. She hugged me on my way out the door and whispered in my ear that she'd see me soon.
There were six total potential students at the interview day. One other coming from Orlando area (other than the three of us), the man. I have a good feeling he will get in to the school, and maybe we can all car pool together then. That would help split the cost of gas at least.
After the individual interviews we had lunch together and got to know each other, and then we had group interviews with the clinical director and the senior student representative. I didn't really pick up on any vibes during these, maybe because they were not individualized.
They said it may be as late as MID JUNE before we hear anything!! I am walking on pins and needles now until I receive my acceptance letter!!
Sorry, I know, it's been a while since I posted. I have been neglecting my blog, as well as my journal, over the last few weeks. I have just had so much stuff going on. So let's start with my first day back after the conference:
Day one back, Tuesday.
On this day I slept the entire day pretty much. I was apparently very tired. I did not get very good sleep at all while at the conference, mostly due to my sleep space. I am a bit of an insomniac anyway (have been since leaving my husband) but am generally really sensitive about my sleep space, partly due, I am sure, to some abuse issues in my past as well. Andrea and I shared a room with Linda, and that turned out to be problematic. Linda seems to have an aura of negativity surrounding her which made it very hard to sleep near her for me. Also she gets up at insane times in the morning which doesn't help either. Andrea and I *both* were quite pissy by the end of the trip. Linda called me at the end of the day on Tuesday but I ignored the call.
Day two back, Wednesday.
On this day I found out that Andy got engaged the day after he broke up with me. That was sweet. Really. At least I know his true colors now, vs later. I was dealing with this news which left me in an emotional mess when Linda called and said she needed to see me. I drove to the clinic and she gave me a letter, two pages, in a sealed envelope, that basically stated how much she thought I sucked and how she could no longer keep me as an apprentice. Even though I *knew* that pretty much everything in that letter was some messed up version of the truth and that it is not true that I suck and that I will suck as a midwife, it still really bothered me. I had to work through the letter with several friends before really feeling better about the whole thing. This process took several days.
Day three back, Thursday.
On this day I left to go down to Florida. I met fellow MTB student Jenn in Atlanta and picked her up to car pool with me down to Florida. It was actually a really fun trip, it was nice to share the trip with someone else instead of making the long trip alone. We got to know each other quite well on the way down and decided that we really got along great! I dropped her off at Kelly's house that night and then headed to Jimmy's to stay with him (where I prefer staying).
Day one in Florida, Friday.
On this day Kelly and Jenn and I drove around looking for apartments for Jenn and her family. We did that only part of the day and then I left them to go take care of some of my own stuff locally. Friday night we went to my friend V's birthday party and had a blast, we were there until four in the morning!!
Day two in Florida, Saturday.
I spent a good bit of day two asleep, I was exhausted. There isn't much exciting to report about this day.
Day three in Florida, Sunday.
I went to Mass on Sunday. I was planning a beach trip but couldn't make it. Otherwise, again, not much exciting to report about this day.
Day four in Florida, Monday.
Interview day!!! Read the next post to hear all about the interview!
Day five in Florida, Tuesday.
Jenn and I went back to the apartment complex so she could put in an application, however they rose their rates over the weekend so she opted to wait and see if they get a new special first. Then we headed home. There was no bad weather until I dropped Jenn at her car (which was in a parking garage in one of the *FINEST* parts of Atlanta! LOL!) and we parted ways. Then it was hailing tiny little hail stones and raining like mad. The rest of my drive home was uneventful and boring. I wished Jenn was in the car with me. I felt like I left my sister in Atlanta. It was sad.
Day one back home, Wednesday.
Today I had lunch with some of my favorite Huntsville women. I cherish my friendships with them and though they will be far away when I move back to Florida, I feel very blessed to have them in my life!
So I have been at the Midwifery Today conference now for four days and my brain is mush. I am exhausted and ready to go home. Its not that it hasn't been full of awesome information, and it has been really neat to be in the same room with the likes of Michael Odent and Ina May Gaskin, however I am still ready to head home. I have pictures of course!!
This is a picture of Michael Odent giving a lecture on "The First Hour After Birth." Andrea and I went to this lecture and it was absolutely fascinating. It was one that I was very happy I went to as we got to hear three different perspectives on the first hour after birth, one from Cornelia Enning from Germany, one from Michael Odent from France, and one from Gail Hart from the USA. I had decided pretty much as soon as I heard Michael Odent talk for the first time at the Breech workshop, that I could listen to that man for HOURS. I could listen to him all day long. He fascinates me.
Of course, the hotel food here is very limited and *VERY* expensive, so Andrea and I have been having to find food within walking distance (there isn't much!) we did find this awesome little sub/sandwich shop called Jimmy John's and we had lunch there yesterday. While there I saw the most awesome sign ever:
Ok so that brought a smile to my face, and I really needed a smile yesterday. I need more smiles today too. Oh, and the sandwich was amazing too! I got a turkey on wheat with extra mayo and it had yummy sprouts on it too!!
So on day one we went to an all day long breech workshop. It was absolutely fascinating. We watched videos on water breech birth that is being done in Germany Just watch this amazing video I found on youtube of a breech waterbirth..you will be sold!
So... More from the conference....I went shopping!! Yup, that's right, Misty actually bought *herself* some things!! I saw Andrea in this shirt one of the first times I saw her, and I had to have one. I could have bought one online but never did (I hate paying shipping). So now I have my "Believe" T shirt. Isn't it awesome?!?! I might have to buy another one at a later date too. I just *love* this shirt, and want to get them in sizes appropriate for my children too. Children are our best advertisers and advocates!! Having babies with midwives just *makes sense* to my children. They don't understand why you *wouldn't* and they are fast to say so to any adults as well!!
I bought this tote for Kelly, it made me think of her. I would love to find this print in a T shirt instead of a tote (I wouldn't use the tote, I know Kelly will). If I find it in a Tshirt I will probably buy myself one of these too at some point. Isn't the picture just so loving and beautiful?!?!?!
Today Andrea and I went to the Twin Roundtables which was fascinating. As I stated above I could listen to Michael Odent speak for hours, he is such a fascinating (and scientific) man. I snapped a picture of Ina May Gaskin, Michael Odent, and Cornelia Enning (from left to right) while at the round tables. I really enjoyed hearing Michal Odent's theory as to why twins are considered pathological now and in need of being "rescued" by doctors. He believes it is due to the very rare complication called Twin to twin transfusion syndrome. This syndrome can only happen to monozygotic twins, which only account for 30% of all twins as it is, and TTTS only happens in less than 10% of all of *those* twins. It is not something that happens all the time. Of course, there is also a risk involved if the twins are monoamniotic monochorionic as there can be cord entanglement with those twins, but again, that is very rare. As with anything else, there is an appropriate time to seek out the help of a surgeon (aka obstetrician) however not all twins are in need of the skill of a surgeon.
I also "donated" ten dollars and got two of these mosaic pendant necklaces. I bought myself the hunter green one, and Kelly the lime green one. I may go back for one more for another friend tomorrow if they are still giving them away for a donation. Don't you just love the way these pendants look? I love the image of a pregnant woman almost just a little bit submerged in colorful water. It's just beautiful and so worth the donation!!
I also bought this T-shirt for a $15 donation to the North Carolina Midwives Association which helps them fund their fight to get legislation passed in North Carolina. If it helps an illegal state, I am happy to do it!! Plus, I love the shirt.
Tomorrow we have round tables and some more general sessions, but it is the last day of the conference. I am tired, and ready to go home. I said that already didn't I? We did get a bunch of free stuff too, which is cool. So, that has been my adventure at the conference thus far. I probably won't blog again until I get home.
Today I must spend some time packing for the Midwifery Today conference!! I am excited about the conference, not as excited about the plane ride. I am only taking a carry on, so I will have to get shampoo and stuff at our destination probably. We'll see. Maybe I can pack some travel sized.
I am having a hard time trying to decide what to pack to wear. Should I wear long skirts, or jeans? or cordoroys? what shoes should I pack? Man I sound like such a girl...and I don't usually.
We get on the plane tomorrow, and we get back a week later. I will try to update as I can while there to share some of the awesome stuff I wll be learning.
I am going to put out the disclaimer before writing this post and say that I *understand* that the *supposed* reason for making children color inside the lines at school is to increase their fine motor skills tuning. However, I believe there is a much more powerful message being sent to our children with the demand that they "color inside the lines" for better grades.
So why is it we are so proud of children when they color inside the lines on coloring books? And what is with the American fascination with coloring books with already made pictures in them? I can understand the idea of my children drawing a picture..of a dragon for example, and then wanting to color that dragon in and stay inside the lines. But why should my children feel inclined to stay inside lines someone else drew for them?
The message being sent to our kids by demanding they stay inside the lines someone else drew is a message that wreaks of conformity. This line is here. It is here because I say so. The "Powers that Be" put that line there. You must not cross it. I want my children to build their own boundaries, their own sense of self, and color their own pictures inside their own lines. I love giving them blank papers to draw and color on. I loathe printed coloring books.
I am not a conformist. As a midwife I simply cannot be a conformist. Going against the grain is in my blood, and in my very soul. I will never praise my children for coloring inside someone else's lines, I will instead celebrate their uniqueness when they draw their own pictures or find a way to make someone else's drawing uniquely their own (in or outside the lines).
The next time you are at the store and consider picking your child up a coloring book, consider, instead, reaching for the blank crayola sketch books designed for children, and let them draw their own lines and find their own uniqueness within themselves.
My interview at FSTM is set for April 26!! I will be heading back to Florida on April 23, and will be staying until April 28 I belive.
I had a bit of emotional upset (that's an understatement) today and found myself at wells hill park hiking the whole day instead of cleaning at home like I should have been. While there, I saw the most amazing thing. Can you see her? This is the roots of a tree (the tree is above and out of the picture) which were eroded by the river that used to run heavily through this area (and now is mostly just a shallow stream..which I was walking in. I walked past this and saw a woman standing, with her legs crossed and her toes pointed, and her arms outstretched holding back the land that was above. It was so inspirational, and was exactly what I needed right then. Isn't it beautiful? I also saw the roots of a tree that looked like a gorilla holding her baby. I haven't uploaded that picture yet from my camera but when I do I will add it to this post!
And then call your congresspeople and tell them to vote YES to SB414!! Don't live in Alabama? Know someone who does? Ask them to call!! Don't know anyone that does? Call ANYWAY!! Many people called Mississippi legislatures who did not even live in MS and helped to make a difference and STOP the awful law making midwifery illegal!! ALABAMA NEEDS TO HEAR FROM *YOU*!!!!! CALL NOW!!!
I want to love passionately, and to be loved equally passionately. I want to be happy. I don't know if I ever really have been. I want to be understood and I want to be depended on to understand. I want to be held at night. I want to be the most important thing in someone's life, and vice versa. I want to be loved and not judged. I want a good male role model for my boys and a healthy marriage for my daughter to be molded by. I want to respect and be respected. I want someone who lives passionately. Someone who will cherish me. Someone who will sing like no one is listening and dance like no one is watching. Someone who will happily sit between two of my kids at Mass so that there is an adult separating all three, simply because they know it makes my life much easier, even if they can't stand going. Someone who will be my pillar of strength when I feel I haven't a shred of my own left. Someone who can make me laugh when I'm crying, and who can cool my hot anger with the slightest touch. Someone who will accept my children with open arms, and love the individuals they are. Someone who is open to life. Someone who is stable in his own life. Someone who can stand the life of a midwife. Someone with patience to match my own. Someone who can share me, happily, with the whole village of women, children, and families who I live and breathe to serve on a day to day basis. Someone who not only respects my dreams and ambitions for my future but helps me attain them and maybe even travels with me happily years from now on mission trips to pre-industrialized countries. I wonder if that someone exists. I wonder if it might just be too much to ask. But that's what I want.
What a fitting time of year for this post. I found myself reminding myself today of this journey called life, and what it is all really about. I was forced into a truth today that I'd rather have done without, but now it's out.
After my exhusband left I began looking at my life as a series of rebirths, each one resulting in a slighly newer, slightly smarter, slightly more improved version of me. When I was in fourth grade and we moved to Florida from Ohio, thus getting me away from my abusers, I was reborn.
When I met Andy and started going to Church, I was reborn.
When I graduated from high school and realized that sometimes love hurts - a lot. I was reborn.
When I got married I was reborn.
When I had my first baby I was reborn. When I caught my husband cheating the first time I was reborn.
When I had my second and third baby, I was reborn each time.
When I returned to Church I was reborn.
When my husband left, I was again reborn.
When I found Andy again, and rediscovered parts of me I thought were gone forever, I was reborn.
And now that my heart has been shattered, I am yet again reborn.
How many times, I began to wonder, must one be reborn? And I realized the answer while driving home from Church, tears streaming down my face: We shall be reborn over and over again until the final time, our own resurrection day. We shall be reborn again and again through this journey called life, and the last time, the final time, that we are reborn, we shall be perfect. And we will live in the Millenial Kingdom as perfect beings.
But in the mean time, I feel like the phoenix rising. And that's why my first tat will be that of a phoenix. I will take pics of it as soon as I finally manage to get it.
"Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again."
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die...." John 11:25,26
Father Joy told us a story last Sunday that went something like this:
A Bishop was telling a story at a Mass one Sunday that went something like this:
a young man came into a Church and told the priest that he did not care if Jesus died for him, he didn't ask Him to, and he didn't want the gift.
The priest then told the man to go up to the front of the Church, to the huge crucifix hanging from the ceiling, and to yell at the top of his voice "I don't care that You died for me! I didn't ask ou to! I don't want Your gift!"
So the young man did so. He walked up to the front of the Church, to the Crucified Christ, and yelled at the top of his lungs "I don't care that You died for me! I didn't ask You to! I don't want Your gift!"
"Good" the priest said, now do it again!
And so the young man yelled again, this time with a little less might "I don't care that You died for me! I didnt' ask You to! I don't want Your gift!" as his voice was breaking and tears were streaming down his face
"Good" the priest said, now just once more...
And the young man stood there, and began crying in heavy heaves. He replied to the priest "I cannot do it again." and he looked up to the figure of Christ on the Cross.
"And who was this young man and what became of him?" asked the Bishop. "The young man is me." The Bishop replied to the Church full of people.
The moral of the story? Jesus died for all of us, that we all might have the chance to live in Heaven. It was a gift he gave selflessly. The ultimate sacrifice. He gave it for you, and me, and she and he whether or not we wanted it, or asked for it. Please accept his gift. The most precious gift you will ever be offered. And live forever in Him.
I believe in dreams. I believe dreams are our mind's way of working through problems in our every day life. Working through our stresses. Finding solutions. Living vicariously through our own dreams. Letting the part of us that we suppress every day come out. Many times dreams are hard to understand. They are symbolic and archaic. They have hidden meanings that are hard to interpret. But sometimes those dreams are crystal clear.
Last night I had a powerful dream. A dream that I was a decade or more older, and working as a missionary in Africa. I was working with another midwife friend, Kelly. We had started traveling around Africa teaching the women how to be safe practitioners in the art of midwifery. Teaching the girls and women what herbs they can take, and how to harvest and keep them, in order to avoid pregnancy, treat pre-eclampsia, increase milk supply, ward off infection, and other useful things. Teaching them how to breastfeed and the importance of it. And, of course, delivering babies. Lots of them. During our missions in Africa we became experts at breeches, twins, and other variations from normal. It was an amazing and blissful dream. It is the whole of my goal in life.
I keep telling myself that I need to keep my eyes on the prize, as my friend Thomas says to me all the time. My life, and the successes (or failures) therein are my responsibility. I have to own it. And I want to love it. I have decided to look at it like my life has been filled with different challenges simply to prepare me for the awesome task ahead of me. Being a midwife is an awesome responsibility, and being a teacher to an entire nation of midwives is almost as big. I hope that I am up to it.
I don't remember if I blogged about this or not, but I completed my application to FSTM. I am just waiting now for my interview date to come through the wire. They have assured me that I *will* have an interview, so my application made it through the first step. I am not nervous or anxious about it, mostly I am just sad at the thought of leaving my wonderful, peaceful world here in south central Tennessee. But I have to keep my eyes on the prize. And the prize (currently) is my CPM and Florida License, which will allow me to become licensed anywhere in the USA that licenses midwives.
I have been worried a lot lately about my boys. My daughter has me to use as a role model for how to be a strong woman (at least, in my opinion I am a good role model). But my boys don't have a strong male role model in their life. I worry that they will grow up to be just like their father, and my father, and my uncle. It's not how I want them to be. I have somewhat become hyper focused on making sure that I do everything I can to show them how to be loving, compassionate, patient, slow tempered individuals who respect women. I wish that I had a male role model to offer them, but I do know that if we are closer to Jimmy, that he will be an amazing role model for my kids. At least until (*if*) I find the right man for my life.
I am opening a new blog. Those of you who are sneaky may have already noticed that there is a new blog on my list. It is not ready to be read yet, as I am still working on "building" it. However it will be called "Silence Us Not!" and will be a blog that is completely focused on activism of all kinds, everything that I support and try to be active in, with urgings for anybody to join me. I think it will be a neat blog, and as my fourth one to be opened..I think I can officially be called a blog addict!
Well, all in all, not much. I have been working on getting my life back together, and doing a decent job of it if I do say so myself. This is Easter week and so I have been busy with stuff for that too. I did all of the laundry yesterday and packed up all the winter coats and clothes. Spring is in the air, and so is spring cleaning.
I have sent in the rest of my paperwork for FSTM. Now what my life will look like in the fall really depends on whether or not I am accepted. It makes me both sad and happy. I love it here in south central Tennessee, and I will miss it so much if I go. I love that my kids can play down the road and I don't have to worry about them as much. I love how much land we have. Everything feels so cramped in Florida. The traffic is awful, crime is everywhere, and I feel claustrophobic when I am there.
I've made good friends while here in Tennessee and Alabama, and I will be sad to leave them too, if that is the way I am led. I guess now it is just a waiting game to see what happens.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Exodus 1:15-20
The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, “When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”
The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”
So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
Patron Saint of Midwives, newborns, infants, pregnant women, childbirth:
St. Raymond Nonnatus
St. Raymond Nonnatus (1204 - 1240) hailed from Catalonia, Spain. His name means not born (= non-natus) as he was delivered by caesarian. He was a priest and Master-general of Mercedarian Order. He was said to have spent his entire estate ransoming Christians, and then giving himself up as a hostage to free another. Pope Gregory IX made him a cardinal. His feast day is August 31.
Midwifery Student, Apprentice, newly engaged single mom. I have been thrust into a life I never thought I'd have, and have learned that I am loving every moment of it. I never dreamed I would be a single mom, yet I am. I definitely never dreamed I would be a single mom *and* a midwifery student, yet I am. I thought once I gave up on my marriage I also gave up on midwifery, at least until my children were grown, but I was wrong. I love my life, and am thankful to be where I am. I am a strong advocate for women, no matter their particular situations in life. I love my work, and consider it more of a calling. It is God's work, and I am merely His humble servant. A servant of God, Women, Children, and Families.
overused in a situation that is not appropriate for it (normal pregnancy, labor and delivery). As Dr. House said if you put a patient with fainting spells in front of a panel of specialists the neurologist will see a brain tumor, the allergist will see a food allergy, the endocrinologist will see a thyroid issue, the gastroenterologist will see celiac's disease, and the cardiac specialist will see blood pressure issues. But if you send that same person to a Family practice doctor then s/he will discover the patient simply isn't sleeping enough at night!! Each of those specialists would have ordered an barrage of tests that were not at all needed, and those tests would have shown a few questionable results that would have lead to more tests and possibly extremely invasive procedures such as surgeries! Or at least, something like that, you get the idea (not sure how Dr. House put it LOL! I was probably too busy drooling over Hugh Laurie to notice exactly what he said..... :P~). Midwives are the guardians of normal, and should be used as such. Obstetricians are surgeons, and should also be used as such.
