When I thought of becoming a midwife, I never thought of the business aspect of it. My focus was on getting to deliver babies and taking care of pregnant women. Some days I feel very overwhelmed at the enormous amount of things to do to get a business started. Every so often I slack off on it as well. The hard part has been that some of it (like advertising or buying supplies) you can't do unless you have money coming in, but you won't have money coming in unless you advertise.
The Pennsylvania Board of Medicine claimed that Diane Goslin, CPM, was practicing medicine for catching babies at home. How dare she? She wasn't a doctor. Forget the fact that her moms and babies did very well for the past 25 years. Forget the fact that midwives pre-date doctors. Forget the fact that PA's regulations doesn't give their BoM power over non-nurse-midwives. No, the BoM gave her a Cease & Desist Order, fined her $10,000 for practicing medicine without a license (where does a homebirth midwife come with that kind of money?), and another $1,000 for practicing midwifery without a license. But Ms. Goslin didn't take this laying down. She fought the ruling - AND WON.
Justice Friedman of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court said, "practicing medicine cannot be construed to be the same as practicing medicine...." Wow! The court reversed ALL THREE rulings against Ms. Goslin and because their ruling only focused on the legal aspects of the case, this opens up Pennsylvania for homebirths. But, beyond this, the court found that the BoM violated Ms. Goslin's right to due process. Hmm.... I can think of another court case, I'd be considering with such a ruling as this. One that might make other state Boards of Medicine think three or four times before they go after midwives not under their jurisdiction.
Hopefully, this appellate court decision will also be used in other states to protect midwives from such persecution.
I pray that one day, midwives will be completely legal in all 50 states. I pray that one day, parents will have a large supply of skilled midwives to choose from, so they can find a midwife who fits their needs, their desires, their family. I pray that God will move across this nation and bring about His best good will for homebirth. I pray that midwives won't work against each other to say we all have to have the same initials in order to midwife. To me, that's similar to what the Pennsylvania Board of Medicine said to Diane Goslin.
This article, featured in the New York Times, June 1, 2008 online edition, tells of the latest frustration with our county’s rising and epidemic cesarean rates. Women who have experienced a cesarean birth may either be turned down for health care coverage or their current coverage may raise their premiums and consider them to be high risk.
Add this to the decision of more hospitals deciding (contrary to all the evidence-based medicine) they won’t continue to offer women the choice of a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean), and our country’s 31% cesarean rate (MUCH higher in many areas of the country) and you have another simmering healthcare crisis.
So what is a woman to do? She has become another cesarean statistic, her hospital has quit offering VBACs and now her insurance coverage is in jeopardy.
One thing every pregnancy woman can do is educate herself with her very first pregnancy so she won’t become a victim of an “unneccesarean” (an unnecessary cesarean). Working in the field of births for many years, I can honestly say that when a cesarean is truly needed, you are very grateful they are available. They save lives and that’s the truth. But one-third (or more) of this generation’s women are not “broken” and unable to give birth vaginally. Not that many emergencies happen. Something has gone very wrong with the system, not women’s bodies.
Here are a few suggestions that have been shown to lower your statistical risk of delivering by cesarean:
Don’t allow an induction for any reason other than an immediate crisis for mother or baby. These do NOT include caretaker going on vacation, you want the baby born on someone’s birthday, you are uncomfortable and ready to get this over with, or baby seems to be getting a ‘little large’. Especially in first-time moms, you will considerably raise your risk of a cesarean outcome.
Avoid pain management that interferes with your mobility. Staying upright and mobile not only assists greatly with the management of discomforts during labor, it can make all the difference in getting a baby to maneuver more easily through the contours of your pelvis. Once you choose an epidural, you are confined to the bed and usually to laying on your back in order for them to provide good coverage and to work well.
Research the use of electronic fetal monitoring. Medical research has shown that continuous electronic fetal monitoring can increase the risk of cesarean without related improvement in outcome for the baby. It can be used as a screen, but should not be considered a diagnostic tool without errors. Request intermittent monitoring instead.
Avoid pitocin augmentation for a slow labor. It can cause fetal distress which would lead to a cesarean.
If your baby approaches your upcoming delivery with a less-than-optimal position for birth, check out Spinning Babies website. Lots of information there on encouraging a better position for baby, which could not only spare you a cesarean, but make for an easier, less painful vaginal birth!
If you have already experienced a cesarean birth, see my previous entry on “Protesting a VBAC denial“. Join ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network) and visit their website for lots of information about cesarean prevention and VBAC safety.
Interview different care providers. Find out their philosophy of normal birth, induction rate, interventions used, and cesarean rate. Find out how long they will usually allow the second stage of labor to occur without interventions or cesarean if baby is coping well.
Hire a professional support person (doula). Studies have shown having a support person reduces cesarean rates.
Educate yourself with more than your typical hospital childbirth classes. Read, ask questions, research, learn. Most people put more time and effort into choosing a new computer or car than they do the birth of their child. Learn what your rights are as a pregnant patient, both informed consent and informed refusal.
I just got home from this conference and it was so wonderful to have Christian fellowship with midwives; to learn with and from them; to seek our Savior's guidance on our ministries and to see how His Hand is all in and through birth. ....................... [There is supposed to be a line break here.] .......................
I got to meet wonderful ladies I've "known" on the Hismidwives list. Women who are encouragers, prayer warriors, gentle reprovers, teachers, etc. To get to put a face to their personalities was really wonderful. And, it was international, with women from Canada, Ukraine, and China and a woman who feels Chile is her home. ....................... [There is supposed to be a line break here.] .......................
We had really good speakers who taught or presented on a variety of subjects (placenta; FHTs; how to do the balancing act between family and midwifery; anatomy & physiology; herbs for the whole midwifery continuum; tricks of the trade; sexual abuse and on and on), but the best thing was that we had more in common than just midwifery. At the deepest level of our hearts, we love the Lord. We got to sing praises to our Lord together and pray for one another. We crammed in a bedroom and talked about how we could love our husbands more and exchanged hilarious stories. ....................... [There is supposed to be a line break here.] .......................
It was held at Gastoff Amish Village Inn, which really is quaint and quiet. But, I didn't see a single Amish person. Saw some Mennonites, and lots of "English," but no Amish. ....................... [There is supposed to be a line break here.] .......................
I really liked the good sales of the vendors, too. I had to leave the area and not come back or I'd spend money I shouldn't. :D But, natural laundry soap nuts from MIdwifery Mercantile (www.midwifestore.com) were needed - I have to buy laundry soap, don't I? - and her shea butter is the cheapest I've seen. I got a great deal on natural soap and natural lip balm from Tracey Moore (what a great variety and I just love them). Jennifer Vanderlaan's new book, Christian Childbirth Handbook, had just come out and I got that at half price. I've been reading through it and really like it so far. (http://christian.birthingnaturally.net) ....................... [There is supposed to be a line break here.] .......................
If you haven't been to a CMI conference and you're a Christian birth anything, you really want to be watching for next year's conference (Apr 22-25, 2009). You can check out the website at http://www.christianmidwives.org/ ....................... [There is supposed to be a line break here.] .......................
I so look forward to the next one. I felt like I'd gone to midwife church. :D ....................... [There is supposed to be a line break here.] .......................
Debby S, Blessed Babies & Families
http://homepage.mac.com/dss7midwife/Personal1.html
I read an article about a woman who chose to have a cesarean because she was afraid she'd have to have an emergency cesarean after being in labor. She acknowledged that it was rare (I wish it truly were) but said she "didn't want to deal with it." (Chung, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1731904,00.html) An interesting side note to this story is that the woman is a psychiatrist. This may just show that birth remains a very emotional issue.
The article goes on to say that she was able to get her cesarean on demand and that it was "without any complications." (Really? No pain? No long recovery period? Does she know how many adhesions she'll have later?) The article called this "a tidy way" to deal with "messy ...childbirth." I guess to counterbalance this seeming bias on the part of the author, it goes on to say, "A panel of experts convened by the National Institute on Child Health and Development in 2006 stresses that [moms-who-have-their-babies-inside] need more scientific data that directly weighs the benefits and risks of both delivery methods." But, the author doesn't point out that elective cesareans can raise the risk of neonatal mortality or maternal mortality, only that it can cause babies to "suffer from respiratory problems..." and that moms may have pelvic damage and incontinence. (Did you catch that word "suffer" and do you remember that women who've never been pregnant can have the same problems?)
The article ends with saying that maybe our thoughts around birth will change and allow women to not feel so defensive about elective cesareans.
In our culture, we have mandatory child restraint laws in every state because we don't want little children to die when it can be prevented. That's the purported reason for such high cesarean rates, too. In 2004, 451 children age 4 and under were saved because of child restraints (NHTSA). Yet, elective cesareans raise the neonatal mortality rate from 0.62 per 1,000 vaginal births to 1.77 per 1,000 births. We have about 4 million births a year. The stated cesarean rate nationwide is 30%+; I'm not sure what the elective rate is. As you can see from the above article, this is usually kept quiet. Think about it. How many babies died just because they weren't born vaginally? And how many moms died because of their cesarean? Our maternal mortality rate is RISING, as is our cesarean rate. I think these are some of the risks moms should know before they make their decision for an elective cesarean.
My heart goes out to women who are afraid of labor. I so wish we could give them the information to help them have the birth they really want. I so wish we could show them that this huge cesarean rate doesn’t have to be so. That’s why we need more midwives and why we need to keep talking about this issue.
A week ago Friday, Beth Overton called me. She was needing to know if I had gotten my license in the mail. She was considering taking on a client that was possibly in early labor. But if one of her clients went into labor, she would need to have another licensed midwife available to handle it. Her daughter and partner, Jessica had let her license lapse. I hadn't received my license in the mail yet. But while Beth described the situation to me, I decided to check the Texas Department of Health website just in case, since I was already on the Internet. Sure enough my name was listed with my license number. Beth didn't end up needing me, but I was glad to be available for her.
And yesterday, I got the real deal in the mail. It is official, I am a Licensed Midwife.
I attended an interesting birth recently as a doula. The hospital worked very hard to be family-friendly and to allow mom informed consent/refusal and I was thankful for that. About 30 minutes after birth, they wanted to take the baby, weigh him, measure, etc. Baby hadn't begun breastfeeding yet, and I told them that the parents wanted to use AAP's current guidelines on that and keep the baby with them. "What?" "You know. The American Academy of Pediatrics' *current* guidelines... The one that says the baby shouldn't be removed from mom until the end of first feeding or for two hours, whichever comes last." The head nurse and the OB had the same response: 3 quick blinks with an otherwise blank expression. They looked at each other as though to say, "Do you know what the current guidelines say?" Then, the OB said firmly that it was *usual* for most hospitals to weigh the baby at this point and that they usually did that at that time, too. "We *need* a birth weight!" I responded, "I know it's usually done that way in hospitals, however, the parents wish to follow the *current* (stressing that word again) AAP guidelines in this." The OB said something I didn't catch and left the room. He returned about 5 minutes later and said, "Leave the baby with mom."
I think this information may not be widely known. The guidelines actually say, "Breastfeeding should begin as soon as possible after birth, usually within the first hour.80 – 82 Ex- cept under special circumstances, the newborn infant should remain with the mother throughout the recovery period.80,83,84 Procedures that may interfere with breastfeeding or traumatize the infant should be avoided or minimized. " And, later: "Pediatricians are encouraged to work actively toward eliminating hospital practices that discourage breastfeeding (eg, infant formula discharge packs and separation of mother and infant)." You can find this at http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/pediatrics;100/6/1035.pdf .
This dovetails with "Evidence-Based Guidelines for Breastfeeding Management during the First Fourteen Days," published by International Lactation Consultant Association. Management strategy #1 includes "Provide continuous skin-to-skin contact for at least the first 2 hours after birth or until after the first breastfeeding [and] Delay unnecessary procedures for at least the first 2 hours after birth or until after the first breastfeeding."
Holding hospitals accountable to evidence-based procedures is helpful for moms and babies and early breastfeeding success.
April is Cesearean Awareness Month. There's not a special theme to it this year, just trying to get people to realize how high the rate is now, and, I would think, that it doesn't have to be so high. One way you can help with this is to put something on your website about ICAN or that April is Cesarean Awareness Month. Nationwide, we are over 30%. Just think - several years back, almost every woman birthed her baby vaginally. Now, a third have their babies by surgery - and most think they "needed it."
But, I wonder if the reported rate is true. Though Georgia is stated to only (only!) be in the 30s, 3 nurses at my local hospital have told women that hospital is running 80% (not a typo) and a former head pediatrician at another hospital further away from me in Georgia told me that they were running 90% or higher. As he put it, "If - *IF* - we have a week where only 10 out of 100 babies are born vaginally, that's a good week."
If what I've been told is true and the reported rate is true, then somewhere in Georgia there are hospitals (not just one - or it has a huge volume of births) which have one of the lowest c-section rates in the nation! I know southwest Georgia lags behind the rest of the nation in good obstetrical practice - has for decades. SW Ga doesn't seem to follow evidence-based OB unless it's forced upon them. But, this is abysmal. Surely we don't believe even one third of women need to have their babies cut out of them and we should all be aghast at the rates in my area.
I hope midwifery associations try and verify through research and personal accounts what the cesarean rate is in their state. I think that would be a good "cesarean awareness" project for this month.
Debby S
http://homepage.mac.com/dss7midwife/Personal1.html
Now that I am official, I have been looking into ways to advertise my business. And not having any income yet, it needs to be inexpensive ways to start out. And needs to be able to be accessed by a large group of people. First though was the Internet of course. So I have been focusing on getting my website up and running.
I'm looking forward to going to "The Joy of the Lord" conference being put on by CMI. You can find more about it at http://www.christianmidwives.org/conference/index.php.
It's in such a wonderful setting and so inexpensive and with great topics and speakers. I'm looking forward to putting a real life face to those I only know via e-mail, too. With Roxanne Trent as my roommate, CMI may never be the same. :D
Debby S
We delivered an Easter baby early this morning. The older brother and sister woke up to not only find the goodies the Easter Bunny left the night before but also a new baby sister! How cool!
Wow! It has been a long time since I have been on here and updated. I took my NARM exams on Feb. 20th as mentioned in my previous post. And the fantastic news is that I passed. Now I am working on my licensing paperwork and trying to get my own website up and running.
I just got back from the truly amazing Trust Birth Conference. I've wanted to go to many other conferences, but this one was too good to miss - especially after Carla asked me to speak on breastfeeding. How could I miss it?
I got to meet and/or hear Sheila Stubbs, Dr. Odent, Dr. Sarah Buckley, Dr. John, Kathy Nesper, Gloria Lemay, Patricia Ann Edmonds, Kristi Zittle, Anji Church, Gail Hart, Jan Tritten, Shonda Parker, and many more. Most important of all, I got to meet Carla Hartley, who has changed my life in so many ways. I got to learn about chiropractic and newborns from Dr. Moreau; more about hormones in birth from Dr. Buckley; more about birth as it's seen in media from Rixa Freeze; I cried and was honored to hear Rachel Correa's story of the stillbirth of Stella.
I also got to graduate from Ancient Art Midwifery Institute, a dream of mine since I enrolled 14 years ago. Now, I overdid almost every portion of this course. So, if I can graduate, you can, too. :D And, Carla handed me my diploma - that was wonderful.
This conference was also special because the main point was, "Birth is Safe; Interference is Risky!" That birth was meant to work and that we need to be very, very careful to not interfere with the process.
The downloads will be available soon. If you really wanted to go but couldn't you can get the particular download you want.
Carla keeps saying she'll never do another one. That's a shame, because it was truly wonderful. Carla does many things well, this was one of them.
On December 23rd, I got the last birth of my training in. I am finally done with my schooling. Yea! I am so excited.
I will be taking my NARM exam on Feb. 20th. So I will be studying, studying, studying for the next 6 weeks.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Yesterday was my husband’s birthday. We had planned only a simple celebration. We were going to attend church with our daughter Jessica and her family and then all meet at our house for a Sunday dinner. Larry is also a huge Dallas Cowboys fan, so he planned to watch Dallas play the New York Giants later in the afternoon.
I woke up early Sunday morning, and I had just put a roast in the oven when my apprentice Mercy called me with the news that her client Susan was in labor. We had made a trip to the valley just the day before for a false alarm with this same client. Usually when we get called out for false labor, we don’t get called back for at least a couple of days. So, I had figured that this meant Larry’s birthday celebration would not be interrupted this year. Larry had told me that he thought it would. I told him he was just being pessimistic, but he said he was just being realistic. As it turned out, Larry was right after all. I’m thankful that my husband takes these kinds of interruptions in stride. He is always flexible about when we celebrate family events. And that’s a good thing, since a midwife’s life is subject to such interruptions almost all the time. So when Larry heard what was going on, he just smiled and said, “I told you so.”
Susan lives in the Rio Grande Valley. That’s a little over two hours away. Her contractions were already 2 to 3 minutes apart, so we needed to hurry. My car was already packed, so I just put on my scrubs, gave Larry some quick instructions about how to finish cooking the roast, and then headed out the door.
Mercy left around the same time, but she had a bit longer drive than I did. Mercy and I talked by phone several times on the way down to the Valley. She was in contact with Susan and keeping me up to speed on her labor progress. It definitely sounded like things were moving along quickly.
I kept my cruise control just over the speed limit. I wanted to go as fast as I dare without being dangerous to myself or anyone else. But I also wanted to avoid getting stopped for a ticket. I had to make one bathroom stop, and I also missed a turn. That slowed me up some. So instead of beating Mercy there by about half an hour, it looked like we would be arriving close to the same time.
When I arrived at Susan’s home, I rushed right in. It was about 10:55. The baby was about to be born and I didn’t want to leave her to go back to my car to unload my gear. So I just gloved up to be ready to catch the baby. I told Susan that she was doing great and that she could push if she wanted. With her next contraction, she pushed and her water broke. I looked at my watch and wrote down the time; it was 10:58. Everything was moving so fast I was afraid that Mercy wasn’t going to make the birth, but as it turned out Mercy got there right after the water broke. She was able to glove up and take my place, and since she was ready to catch the baby, I ran to the car to bring in some of our equipment. I made it back inside with the equipment (which we didn’t really need after all) and baby James arrived at 11:00 AM exactly.
He was absolutely beautiful and pink, and everyone was thrilled. Of course the parents were thrilled; they had their beautiful baby boy, and they were glad we made it in time. Mercy was especially glad she didn’t miss the catch. The baby’s father (also James) was the first to realize that his son was born on 11/11 at 11. Of course, November 11th is also Veterans Day. How cool is that?
The birth and postpartum went so smoothly that I even made it back home in time to spend some time with Larry on his birthday. We watched a “war movie” together. Since Larry’s birthday is on Veterans Day, he grew up watching war movies on his birthday. He’s kind of sentimental about that. I don’t relate, but hey, it’s HIS birthday. He gets to do what HE wants, right? Who knows, maybe James will be just as sentimental about watching war movies on his birthday in about 20 years or so.
I realized this morning that this year I also delivered a baby girl on my birthday (September 10th) and I delivered a baby on Halloween. I missed delivering a baby on my anniversary by only one day and also my son’s birthday by only one day. Thanksgiving and Christmas are still ahead. We don’t have any babies due around Thanksgiving. But there is one that could arrive on Christmas this year. Delivering babies may not be the way I want to spend the holidays and birthdays every year. But you have to admit that babies make pretty sweet birthday or holiday gifts, and when they are born on such days, I'll always remember them as special.
Well, it’s been a while since I wrote my last blog. Because my last entry had to do with my health, several people have asked me how I am doing. So, I’ll begin by letting everyone know that my health is doing really well. Larry and I have continued our walking program and I’m staying off the caffeine and junk food. Well, maybe I’ve cheated on the junk food a few times, but I have stayed off the caffeine. I’ve even dropped a few pounds (though not as many as I would like). But what’s most important is that my blood pressure and my cholesterol are down, and I am no longer experiencing arrhythmia or heart palpitations.
What I really wanted to blog about today is what is new in my midwifery practice. About a month or so ago, I started receiving calls from women in the Rio Grande Valley area who were looking for a midwife. The Upper Rio Grande Valley is about a two hour drive south of Corpus Christi. “Holy Family Birth Center” in Weslaco had to close their doors for a short while due to a shortage of midwives. So “Holy Family” referred women seeking a home birth with a midwife to me.
My first inclination was to take on these women as my clients, but the logistics had to be worked out first. So after discussing this with my husband, daughter and apprentice, I decided to go for it. It worked out that I could serve these Valley clients without taking anything away from the care given to local clients. Jessica, who is also a midwife and assists me in my practice, agreed to cover for me here in Corpus whenever I need to go to births in the Valley. Mercy, my apprentice, will go with me when I travel to the Valley. We’ve already delivered one baby in the Valley and we have five other Valley clients due over the next few months.
Mercy and Jessica and I have taken to referring to these new clients as our “Valley Girls.” So far our plan to care for them seems to be working out quite well. All of the “Valley Girls” have agreed to come to Corpus for their prenatal care as it is needed. But as it has turned out, we’ve actually been able to do quite a few of their prenatals in the Valley. When I have a home visit in the Valley, whether it is a 36 week home visit or a postpartum home visit, I just call the rest of my Valley clients and arrange to see them in their homes on the day we come down. So far this arrangement has been quite nice for everyone involved.
Mercy and I get to enjoy the time to talk on the way down and we really enjoy getting to see our clients in their homes. Our clients love it because they don’t have to drive to Corpus for every appointment with us. “Holy Family” may have a new midwife joining their practice in November, so I don’t know whether or not I will continue to serve women in the Valley long term. But it all seems to be working well for now.
Hello everyone! I was just wanting to know if anyone has taken midwifery coursework from The Ancient Art of Midwifery.
I am planning to enroll later in the month and, being the ever studious student, wanted to see if anyone had some feedback to offer. I am super excited!
I was looking at a Blog for a woman I know who is soon to have her 3rd child tonight and got ticked off upon reading it...She had had a doctors appt. today and is due in October. Well she said her doctor told her they would induce her on October 15, why is my question? She has had two previous children and no problems during labor and delivery....I asked her why they were inducing her and not letting her go into labor naturally when her body said it was time. I don't know if she'll reply and I may have upset her...But I want to vent and don't dare do it to her. But why if the woman has had a healthy pregnancy, no problems with two previous deliveries do they want to induce her? Why do doctors have to (in my opinion) play God! What happened to having children naturally? I am so fed up with the medical community....I know of one girl a few years back that her doctor scheduled a c-section for her as he was going on vacation on and around her due date, grrr....What is wrong with these Doctors? Having a baby is supposed to be a natural occuring event for a woman not a scheduled date. I am so glad that I know what by sons actual birthday is and that I used no drugs during labor! He's a healthy happy child! I'm truly glad for having gone to a midwife and having my child at home naturally! I feel God's blessings everyday!
I live in Portland so this has not effective my home life substantially, but I work in Corpus Christi at a Children's Hospital and it has definately made an impact on the hospital. I was just interested to hear how others were dealing with this or how they would if they had to. I was also thinking of what a huge burden this must be for moms using formula. Another great reason to breastfeed!
Wahoo!!!!!!! I finally found a doctor who listens and he is actually happy that I want to avoid drugs and interventions.
Ever since my scary trip to the ER (see my last blog entry), I’ve been determined to practice what I preach about nutrition and exercise. So, I immediately got off all caffeine and stopped eating junk and fast foods. And my husband has joined me in walking every day for 30 to 40 minutes. We’re doing the “old people” thing and walking at the mall.
My daughter gave me a really nice heart monitor and so I’ve been keeping track of my heart rate on a consistent basis, especially when exercising. I also researched what I need in the way of supplements and herbs to help me with my heart palpitations. And while I was at it, I also started taking some herbal supplements for menopause since I had been dealing with hot flashes.
Each day, I have felt noticeably better. The very first day, my blood pressure dropped back down to normal and by the 5th day, I was no longer experiencing heart palpitations. I kept a log of my daily activities, along with my heart rate and blood pressure readings. So when I went to see my doctor I took him a 3-page printout of that log.
As I mentioned in my previous blog, I went to see an old friend whom I know as “Johnny.” Well, even though I was hopeful that Johnny would be more likely to listen to me, I still wasn’t sure how comfortable he would be with me being so against interventions and pharmaceuticals. So I was still pretty nervous about seeing him.
My time in his waiting room was comparatively brief, but waiting did add to my anxiety. So I kept doing slow deep chest breathing to try and keep my blood pressure low. The last thing I wanted was for him to get a high reading. Even with my efforts, my blood pressure was 124/84, a bit elevated compared to my recent readings.
I couldn’t have asked for a better visit. Not only did Johnny listen to me, but we talked for a good 40 minutes. To my surprise, he was even knowledgeable of herbs, and discussed with me intelligently some of the herbs I was taking. He said that it looked like I was doing exactly what I needed to do; he saw no need for a stress test (whether regular or “nuclear”) to be done at this time. He encouraged me to keep up with what I was doing, and even suggested that I step up my exercise program. He said he would like to see me raise my heart rate to a higher level (but still within my target range, of course). He told me that he “hates” prescribing drugs and was very pleased that I was willing to take this approach to improving my heart and my health.
Since my cholesterol was high, he also asked me to continue to work hard at what I was doing and then recheck my cholesterol in about two months and fax him the results. That’s right, he asked me to check my own cholesterol! He knew that I could do that since I am a midwife and have a lab I deal with. I was so pleased that he showed me that kind of professional respect.
Needless to say, I’m on cloud nine. Not only did I get a good report, but I found a doctor that I feel like will really care for me properly. What a blessing!
By “medicine” I mean “advice,” not “pharmaceuticals.” I have been thrust into a situation where I’ve had to both consult medical professionals and at the same time take responsibility for my own health and make my own decisions, even when—make that, especially when—those decisions go “AMA” (against medical advice) and buck the status quo. And in doing so, I’m feeling very much like a fish swimming upstream.
It’s been a long time since I have personally been in such a situation. I’ve been here before, but not lately. And so when I have counseled clients facing opposition from others for choosing a natural homebirth rather than the status quo (i.e., a drug induced hospital delivery), I have counseled them as one having some personal experience in bucking the medical system, but it was experience long past. Well, as of a week ago, that changed; I just had an unwanted refresher course in going AMA. Here’s what happened.
This time last week, we were at a family gathering at Jessica & Chris’ house (Jessica is my youngest daughter). My oldest daughter Kassy had come down from Sugar Land with her girls (her son and husband were at a Boy Scout function out of state). My son-in-law Chris decided to cook burgers, hot dogs, sausage and shrimp on the grill. Some of Chris’ family was also there, including his Aunt Debbie (more on her in just a moment).
While there, I began to feel heart palpitations and an irregular heart beat. I had Jessica check me out (In addition to being a midwife, Jessica also has had emergency medical training and experience). After that, Jessica got my husband, Larry. We talked, and agreed to let Debbie take a look at me. Debbie, Chris’ mother’s sister, is a nurse with decades of experience in cardiology. She talked with me at length, and advised me to have this checked out.
The hospital of choice in Corpus for heart health care is Spohn Shoreline. It is just a few blocks away from our house, but clear across town from where Chris & Jessica live, where we were when this episode took place. Jessica suggested we drive to the nearby fire station. Jessica had done some of her EMT training there, and knew that we could walk in and ask them to do a test on me. So my husband drove me to the fire station with Jessica and Kassy coming along to help.
Jessica took me inside. As it turns out, a personal friend, Scott Marsh, worked at the station where we went. Their testing showed that I was having a lot of “Premature Valve Compressions” (PVC). So they recommended that I go to the hospital and have it checked out. They offered to take me by ambulance but I wanted my family to drive me. So we drove straight from there to Spohn Shoreline.
We got to the hospital around 5 PM, and we were there until nearly midnight. They did an EKG and ran a series of blood tests as well. They also kept me on oxygen and hooked up to monitors. Mostly, the reports were good: no evidence of damage to my heart; no evidence of restriction of blood flow to my heart; no congestion around my heart; my thyroid was in normal range. My cholesterol was high, and the tests they had done could not explain my irregular heart beat. They released me with a referral to have a stress test done.
The following morning, I went to see the doctor to whom I was referred. He did not have much new information for me; he had just received my records faxed to him from the ER trip the previous night, and was setting up the stress test through his office. After a pleasant but brief visit, he turned me over to his subordinates. It wasn’t until they were scheduling my “stress test” that I found out they wanted to do a “nuclear stress test.” I thought to myself, “Wait a minute! What do you mean ‘nuclear’? Why not do a standard treadmill test?” Suddenly I wasn’t so comfortable with the situation; I had lots of questions. But my doctor’s appointment was over. This piece of news had not been told to me until I was on my way out the door. It was presented to me matter-of-factly as if I should have no questions to ask.
As we drove home, I realized I had many unanswered questions and wasn’t sure what to do about my questions. The test was scheduled and if I wanted to cancel, I had been told to give them 24 hours notice or they would charge me $270. That meant I had less than 24 hours to reconsider. My whole family was so worried about me. They were worried that I wouldn’t take care of myself. They had been afraid I would not cooperate with the doctors. They had been so relieved when I had scheduled this appointment. I felt enormous pressure and I didn’t know what to do.
I spent the rest of my day trying to research this “nuclear stress test” to see what it entailed, but I quickly realized that one afternoon wasn’t going to be enough time to thoroughly investigate my options. I was dreading telling my children that I needed more time to decide. I was dreading telling them I might decide to cancel the appointment for the test. They are terribly concerned about me. And I understand their concern. But I also know that I must be sure I’m not blindly accepting some procedure just because some doctor says I need it, especially when that procedure might have potential risks of its own.
As things stand now, I’ve made another doctor’s appointment, this time with a different doctor. But I can’t see him for two weeks because he is on vacation. I decided to go see this second doctor because I want a second opinion and because I feel like I can talk to him. You see, I’ve known him for a long time. To many of his colleagues and most of his patients he is “John E.” To me, he’s “Johnny.” Our friendship goes back to Jr. High school. I probably would have seen Johnny before now except that it feels a little awkward going to see an old friend for medical care. But going through this experience made me realize that I needed someone who could be more like a midwife to me than a doctor. I needed someone who knows more about me than just what he reads in a chart. So, I decided to go see my friend Johnny.
Now, I have a little more time to research the various testing procedures available for the heart. I also have time to think about what questions I need answered before I agree to any of the more invasive procedures. And I’ve already told my children about my plans. They were more understanding than I expected. They are still concerned about me. But they didn’t freak out near as much as I thought they would when I told them. I just explained that I needed to research my options more before making the final decision on testing. I believe they will support me and respect me in the decision I make. I think the biggest thing is they needed to know that I wasn’t just ignoring my situation. They needed to know that I am taking it seriously and not just treating it like it doesn’t matter.
What I’m going through must be similar to what women face every day when making decisions about childbirth and prenatal care. Perhaps, it’s easy take the path of least resistance and just follow mainstream thinking. You know, the status quo approach of going to a doctor and accepting whatever he or she tells you without question. I have to admit, I’ve been tempted to do just that in my situation. But I know that isn’t really the best thing to do, and it isn’t really what I want. Taking responsibility for your own health care decisions isn’t easy. But it’s still the right thing to do.
And I believe this recent experience, this “taking some of my own medicine” is going to help me to be a more empathetic midwife.
Day 2
1. Took 1 pill as directed
2. Forgot to take acidolophilus. Getting some right now!
-ok, I'm back
3. Painted myself violet
4. Drank some ginger tea as I still feel gross - scratchy throat
5. Oh, gave son his medicine in horchata* again
6. Day is not over, I will continue to wash laundry in vinegar
I have to say that my breast does not have that evil pain anymore. Y es, I will still press on with the meds. I am a good girl when it comes to completing a prescribed cycle. I want this thing eradicated! Not 100% yet!
* Just an FYI, I have found that horchata tastes eerily similar to breastmilk. Well, I don't go around tasting my friends' breastmilk so I am speaking for myself. It does. My husband pointed it out. Horchata is the only thing our son gulps the way he does breastmilk.
My nursing relationship has been wonderful so far. Almost 22 months now and only a few plugged ducts or a sore nipple here and there. Then, today's diagnosis.
Thrush.
As soon as a local LLL Leader (thank you so much, Danielle) told me that some women describe thrush as feeling as if your baby is sucking shards of broken glass out of your breast, I knew I had it. It was hard for me to describe the pain I've had for over a week now. Shards of broken glass is accurate, beyond belief.
So, she also told me that it sounds like a mild case, right now, as some women have it for months at a time with no relief. I understand how the nursing relationship can be compromised as a result. After giving me some suggestions, I went off on my quest to cure my evil curse. Oh, and the vaginal infestation as well.
My obgyn prescribed a 14 day course of treatment. Diflucan. I called my son's pediatrician to get something to treat him with, simultaneously. (More on how I set lactavists back a few hundred years with that simple phone call.)
I've decided to document my course of action with my blog as I understand it can take time and some serious gorilla warfare. Lalalalalalala! (I don't know what sound gorillas make so this will have to do.) I want to keep track of all of my tactics so that I can stay on top of it.
Day 1
1. Took 2 pills as instructed
2. Hid sons medicine in horchata - success!
3. Painted nipples violet - freaked son out!
4. Used q-tip to paint inside of vagina. Great fun!
5. Showered
6. Repainted girlie bits - More joy!
7. Spilled gentian violet on bathroom sink -oxygenated cleansers work!
8. Hands yeast free thanks to coat of violet
9. Did not stress about shopping tomorrow, in public, with violet hands and a small child with violet lips. Nope, no stress here.
10. Washed a load of laundry with vinegar )this is normal for me and necessary, from what I found out
11. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy thoughts
...even when you are sick. of course, fellow mothers, I needn't tell you.
I've been off for the last couple of weeks. 'Off' as in weird, not as in vacation. Whenever I feel this scratchy throat come back, I up the vitamin C and fluid intake. I really like those ridiculously expensive natural drinks at the grocery store. You know, by Odwalla or Naked? The "C boost" drinks are delish, even at 3 bucks a pop. I feel better right away. Till the next day. My flora feels all screwed up, if you get my drift, and I have something called a bleb. At least this is what all symptoms point to. With the wonderful, Al Gore invented internet, I can look up anything I want. It has been going on for a but over a week and nothing seems to get rid of it. Nursing is a pain, literally.
My son has been sneezing and I've been tending to him as well, which is why we are not at our monthly BAMBAM meeting right now. I was really hoping to get back in the groove of attending since it is the only thing that gets me out of the house. My husband is going to be out of work in the next few weeks as his company just got bought out. He's been there over a year and this is the third buyout. He has always been the breadwinner so I am a little worried. The money is not really the issue, well, we hope not; rather, the health insurance. I am trying to find a major medical plan that we can use if needed. Last year, we spent a little under 10k between premiums, copays, and deductibles. If we would have paid for our services straight out, we would only have spent a little over 3k. Insurance is such a racket! Where is socialism when we need it? I'm moving to Amsterdam!
On the good side of life...
I am a freelance writer by trade (I teach at the university during fall semesters) and have a zillion contracts in right now for professional writing. Basically, I write whatever a business needs, RFP, RFI, RFQ, grants, business reviews... you name it. Work keeps me busy and AT HOME. I get to stay with the little one. I also got my husband some contracts for when he is at home. That will help keep him busy and out of my hair.
The last baby due this month finally arrived and we had a lovely birth. I’ve asked my client to write her own birth story, so I won’t try to tell the whole story here. I’d much rather have her tell the details from her perspective. We had another little boy. We started the year with bunch of boys in a row, and then we had a bunch of girls in a row. So maybe now we’re back to catching boys for a while.
My client has given me permission to tell about one funny thing that happened at her birth. She was laboring in a birth pool in her living room. She had been doing an amazing job of working with her labor. Except for checking heart tones and watching closely, our jobs were pretty easy because everything was going so well. Her mother was there and so was her husband. We all were waiting for that urge to push because we expected it any minute.
My client was laboring on her tummy. This is one of the most favored positions in a birth pool, because you can actually lie on your tummy in the water, which of course is impossible anywhere else. Suddenly, we started seeing little bubbles coming up between her legs. Initially, I thought nothing of this; I assumed (as no doubt you have as you’re reading this) that it was something quite natural. But this was different; the bubbles kept coming in a perfect steady stream. My mind was racing to think what in the world it could be. I reached in to examine the mother and the bubbles only increased. I was concerned but didn’t want to show it. I did not want to alarm my client’s husband or her mother. I could tell they were already concerned. In fact, both of them were looking to me for answers as well as Jessica and Mercy. I didn’t have a clue what was happening. None of us did.
So, as much as I didn’t want to disturb my client’s labor, I asked her to roll over so I could check her from a better position. When she did the source of the bubbles became obvious. A small hole had formed in the air-cushioned bottom of the birth pool. We all laughed…well, all except the mother! She didn’t have a clue what was tickling us because she was in her own little world. Of course, the bubbles didn’t stop, so we had to occasionally stifle our snickers as they reminded us of all the crazy thoughts we had had. How silly we all felt that we had not figured out what should have been so obvious.
The baby arrived safely and I got home around 10:30 that evening. Jessica provided my client’s postpartum care. So, Larry and I were able to leave on our vacation the next morning just as we had hoped we would. We had a wonderful trip. Now I’m back home and feeling completely refreshed and eager to get back to work.
Finding time for a real out-of-town vacation can be tricky when you are a midwife. It is for me, anyway. There is only one other midwife in my area that I can call on to fill in for me when I’m gone. That midwife is also my daughter, Jessica Gregory, and she works with me in my practice. It is wonderful having Jessica work with me, but one of the main reasons she is able to go to births is because my husband Larry baby-sits her four children for her when her husband Chris is at work. This means that I can’t go on an out-of-town trip with my husband unless we have no babies due. And, it’s a rare thing to not have babies due.
Well as it turns out, I have a brief break coming any day now. I’m waiting on my last baby this month. Once this baby is born, I will have the remainder of the month to use for vacation time. So, Larry and I are planning a long overdue trip to see his family in Dallas and Thorp Spring, Texas. His older brother lives in Dallas, and his mother and younger brother live on their family farm in Thorp Spring, a small farming community situated a little north and west of Granbury (a town about 40 miles southwest of Fort Worth). I’m really looking forward to the trip and the opportunity to visit with family.
The last time we took a vacation trip was in October of 2002. That year, I didn’t realize I had a break coming at all until it just happened. We had several babies due one month but they all came early. Suddenly, I realized that I wouldn’t be on call again for another couple of weeks. It had been a long time since we had taken a vacation, so we made last minute arrangements, packed the car and headed out for about a week. It was a crazy fun vacation because we had a general plan of where we were headed but no specific daily agenda.
We knew we wanted to drive out-of-state, but when you live in South Texas that takes some doing. (Larry loves to quote an anonymous Texas Cowboy/Poet on the subject of traveling in Texas: “The sun has riz./The sun has set./And here I is/In Texas yet!”) It takes the first day of driving just to get out of Texas. We also knew we wanted to chase down some family roots. So, the second day, we headed through Louisiana and into Mississippi. Larry’s Great-great grandfather Jesse Dial Overton was the fifth of seven children, the first to be born in Mississippi, in what is now Alcorn County, in the northeastern corner of the state. We checked out the local library and the Alcorn County Courthouse in Corinth, Mississippi. Larry found many interesting documents.
From there, we drove west to “Overton Hill.” Larry’s Great-great-great grandfather Abel Overton and his Great-great grandfather Jesse Dial Overton had lived there. Overton Hill was—and is—also the location of Overton Hill Community Church (OHCC). Jesse Dial’s log house had been situated on the hill, which doubled as the post office (Jesse Dial was the postmaster). This service put “Overton” on the Mississippi map in Alcorn County December 8, 1890. Since the post office was closed out in 1911, the town is no longer on the map. But if you drive about 15 miles due west of Corinth on Highway 72, turn north on Alcorn County Road 747, intersect Alcorn County Road 770 and drive west and north for a mile, you’ll come upon the “meetin’ house” for old OHCC.
There we met a very nice young man who directed us to the nearby home of the Drewery family, who are members of OHCC. They were lifelong residents, and really knew the history of the area. Southern hospitality is alive and well in Alcorn County, Mississippi. Though she’d never laid eyes on us before, Mrs. Drewery invited us into her home, offered us supper and cake, and told us ever so much about our family on Overton Hill. We were also seeking directions to the cemetery where Abel Overton was buried. Travis Drewery was the 5th District Supervisor for Alcorn County, and he gave us wonderfully precise directions to Bethel Cemetery (“Ol’ Bethel,” in local parlance). We found it, and the obelisk-shaped monument to Abel and Mary E. Overton, Larry’s Great-great-great grandparents. We even dug up a small seedling pine tree from the grave site and brought it home with us. We managed to keep it alive for a while, but eventually our South Texas heat was too much for it.
I guess you can tell that Larry and I like “family” vacations. By that I mean we want to visit family or learn about family roots. Theme parks and such are okay, but we never seem to have as much time as we would like to see our far flung family (my sister lives in Seguin and my brother in Elgin, and our oldest daughter and her family live in Sugar Land), so our vacations most often involve seeing family. We look for opportunities to visit family wherever we can get it. I’m really looking forward to this little mini-vacation for that very reason.
Today started out like any other day. Then I get a phone call from the radio station manager. "Ali, will you call of my scheduled guests and cancel their appearances? We are off the air."
"Huh?"
Turns out that the owner of our radio signal decided to pull the plug. This means that he took our money (we have to buy air time for our shows) and then decided to cancel on us. Can you say bad business practices? He knew this was happening but cashed our checks anyway. Without my money, I have no clue how I will pay my advertisers back. I am stressed.
Then, I get a call from my son's babysitter. He bit someone today. He has been going to that place since last August and has had 4 incidents of biting. Each time, he was bullied beforehand (or what he perceived as bullied). Now, I am NOT making excuses. It is not ok. Ever. It is also not ok that he has been bitten by another child (the babysitter's to be exact) and that her son also will get bossy and push the other kids. He, like all kids, is acting out. My feeling is that kids will be kids. If getting bit or pushed is the worse thing to ever happen to a child, then they are lucky.
Later on, I call to check on him. He is doing fine but she wants to mention that if he is going to stay there over the summer, she will either need to cut his hours or hire someone else to help her. I guess with school being out, she will have 8 kids. And, my son is a handful (he likes to climb) so it is too much on her alone. I get this. But I feel like it is so not my problem that she now has too many kids. And how will cutting his hours back benefit? If she has too many kids and cannot give him adequate attention, how will cutting back his hours help? It just means, to me, that she has fewer hours she has to deal with him.
Obviously I want my child to be happy. If he feels he needs to bite, as my husband points out, he must not be happy. If she is overloaded, then it is not wise to keep my son there. If he is being bullied, he is learning bad behavior. It needs to stop. It is about his needs.
So now I do not know what to do. I am a writer. I need a few hours a day, two to three days a week, to do my work. I guess I need to get asomeone to watch him in my home. With summer here, perhaps I can find a nice teenage girl with great plans to become a nun upon graduation. I pay well. Not that future nuns care, but it will give her quite a bit for the offering plate.
Ah. I do feel a bit better. I think organizing my thoughts in a rant was key. I really want to have another child but when I think that it might take away from my time with my son, I get depressed and feel it will never happen. I can barely get him to take naps as it is. His current babysitter does. Why can't I work with my own child? He looks at me like I am so uncool and have no authority. He really is the most awesomest little person ever, I just want him to think I'm slightly awesome.
There, I depressed myself again.
With the closest family members being 10 hours away at best, and no support group, days like this become especially frustrating. Not that the family is dependable....
Sometimes I just need to attend a good birth. It’s hard to explain; there’s just something so therapeutic about attending an easy, normal, natural birth…the kind of birth where my skills for dealing with complications are not required…where in large part my role is one of “silent observer.”
I don’t know, maybe this is one of those “Ya gotta walk in my shoes” kind of things. Perhaps only another midwife can fully understand, but I want to try and convey my feelings. Childbirth has such a profound effect on me. I can come home from a birth that was long and difficult, and yet feeling totally empowered because I know that I made a positive difference. But I can also attend a simple, easy birth and come home completely renewed because I am reminded just how natural and normal the process is. But I can also come home from a birth totally drained because I have used up all my reserves of energy and have nothing left to give. Every birth is different, and when I walk out my door, I never know what type of birth I’m going to face.
I remember back to when I was a brand new apprentice. I was given the opportunity to stay for a whole month at Angela Fran’s birth center in Terrell, Texas. That month was a particularly busy one for Angela, and she allowed me to come for the experience. Prior to that month, I had only attended three births besides my own.
We had a birth my very first day there. The experience was exhilarating; I was absolutely elated. But after that initial thrilling experience, it was almost a full week before we had another birth. I’ll never forget Angela telling me one evening, “I feel a bit down; I just need to go to a good birth.” Of course, as a new apprentice, I was eager to go to any birth, any time I could. But it was clear to me that Angela was expressing a feeling or a need entirely different from that of my own. I did not relate to or understand Angela’s need or desire at the time, but I took note of it and I’ve never forgotten what she said. Something told me that one day I would relate. Well, it’s taken a little over ten years, but Angela, if you are reading this, I relate to you now.
For many reasons this has been a stressful year for me. I won’t go into all the details. Some of it’s personal and some of it is the normal stress of work. But this has been a particularly hard year. So, on my way to a birth the other day, I found myself “needing” to experience a normal, easy birth.
I often pray on my way to a birth. I pray for the mother and for wisdom; mostly I pray for the safe arrival of a healthy baby. But on my way to this particular birth, my prayers were a little more selfish. Maybe it was because we had just gone through a more difficult birth. But I also think it was more than that. I didn’t want to be “needed” that night.
I found myself praying for the same things I always did: a healthy mother, a healthy baby and an easy delivery. But I couldn’t seem to help the fact that my motives were also more selfishly motivated this time. So, I finally had to confess to God that I needed this birth to be a good one formy sake. It made me feel bad to admit it, but I also knew that God knew my heart anyway. So I thought, “I might as well just ‘fess up.” After my confession, I then asked Him to give me the strength and wisdom if I did need to get through a complicated delivery. I knew He would give the strength if I needed it. He always does. But this evening I was really hoping for an easy delivery.
Well, God answered my prayers. The mother labored beautifully. When she called me, her water had just broken and her contractions weren’t very strong or regular. But by the time I arrived, she was already in her birth pool and well into active labor.
Mercy and Jessica did most of the work setting up the room and getting her vitals and starting her chart. This mother wanted as few of interventions as possible. So, at her request, I didn’t even do a vaginal exam.
She also wanted a lot of privacy with her husband during labor. So, I settled down in the den with my crocheting. But within an hour after we arrived, she was ready to push. The father wanted to catch. So, I just sat by the pool and watched closely, getting heart tones between pushes. She only pushed a few times and the baby’s head was born along with her left hand up by her ear. I gently reached down to hold the baby’s hand close to her face to prevent the mother from tearing. And the baby slipped out easily right into her daddy’s arms.
She was a little blue at first but only needed a little tactile stimulation to start breathing on her own. The placenta arrived promptly with practically no blood loss. And except for the tiniest tear that needed just a little repair, my “work” was done. How awesome and healing birth can be! I know the mom and dad got exactly what they wanted. I’m really happy for them. But I have to confess that I also needed that birth. What a blessing!
That was the question asked at my first workshop as a student. The teacher went on to expand her question. Did we want to open birth centers, have a partnership, or work solo. Before that day, I hadn't given it much thought. I just planned on being a midwife. That was it.
Over the next couple years, I have really had to think about it. I ruled out opening a birth center by myself. I wouldn't mind opening one with someone. I would join someone's exsisting practice. The big question is: would I work solo?
I hear of other midwives who do. It sounds like things work out pretty well for them.
During my apprenticeship, I have thought maybe I could do it too.
Right now I apprentice for two midwives. All three of us are at every birth. We have had a few births where things have gotten a little hairy. Later I ask them, "What did you do, before I came along? How did you do it?" Some situations seem like they would be too difficult without the three of us.
Today was one of those days. We had a hemorrhage. Things got pretty crazy for awhile. But it helped me make up my mind. No, I don't want to practice by myself. If I can't find a midwife to work with, then I will hire a birth assistant. Some things should never be dealt with alone.
Today is Larry and my 34th wedding anniversary! He's been a wonderful husband, father and companion all these years. I am truly blessed. We married right out of high school. I was only 18 and he was 19. I guess you could say that we've raised each other. God blessed us with 3 beautiful children and they have blessed us with a total of 12 beautiful grandchildren (6 of whom I have delivered).
I hope no one decides to have a baby this evening because we have special plans. So far it looks like we won't be interrupted. But Larry's very understanding of my work and very supportive when interruptions do occur. I am grateful for that. And we both know we can always celebrate special days on "other" days when it becomes necessary. Still, it's nice to have the day to ourselves.
Tonight we are going to our favorite Italian Restaurant in Rockport, Texas. It's owned by one of my clients and her husband, Susan and Francesco Inguaggiato. Susan lived overseas as a child. In fact, she was born in Anaco, Venezuela (her father Norman was in the oil business). Francesco was born and raised in Sicily. He was a professional basketball player in Italy but he is also an excellent chef. The two of them met in the States. They lived for a while in Italy after they married. When they moved to Rockport to be near Susan’s family, they opened their Italian Restaurant called Bellino's.
So, we are off to Bellino's for an evening for good food, good wine and to celebrate our 34 years of marriage with the company of some wonderful friends.
We are very excited to announce that we are opening "Gentle Beginnings Birth Center" in July of this year! Our new birth center will be located in Hurst off of Harwood Dr. We will have two birthing rooms, an exam room, a clinic waiting room and a family waiting room. We will have birth pools and a claw foot tub for labor and herbal baths! We are looking forward to giving women another option in Tarrant County for birth!
I got to catch another baby today. This was MY client. It was her third baby, but first homebirth. The last few weeks she has been scared about doing labor without an epidural. She did beautifully though. She did have a hard push, because of nuchal hand and cord. But her baby girl is doing great.
I have eight children, I know in my head that I am done having babies but my heart is not sure. If you have read Beth's blog about inner conflicts dealing with clients, the client Katie that she speaks about is me. I know that for my health another pregnancy is probably not a good idea and to be honest I don't want to do the labor and birth thing again, especially knowing that I probably would need OB care and a hospital birth. But how can I get my heart to agree with my head? Pregnancy, babies and children have been my life for the past 14 1/2 years. How does someone just change what their entire adult life has been about just like that? It is like starting all over again, trying to find what I am about, who I am.
Our website community continues to grow. We now have 210 members, 87 of which have registered as midwives, 83 as consumers and 53 as student members. The majority of our members are from the United States, but we also have a few from other countries who have joined us. I am pleased to see the variety in our membership. I truly desire for our website to be a community for everyone who supports midwife-attended births.
This week I made a few small adjustments to the website based upon some of the suggestions I have received from our members.
Yea! I am so excited.