Another Beautiful Week

I got my wish and attended a beautiful 6 lb 3 oz baby girl coming into the world the day after Christmas. It was an amazing birth with a very strong and resilient mama. She pushed for over three hours and it definitely renewed my spirit.

An amazing opportunity has presented itself to me and after talking to my family and tossing our schedules around in my head a bit, I have decided that I'm going to spend the month of May at the clinic in Tennessee on a short-term apprenticeship. The plan was initially that I would be going down for an advanced skills workshop the last weekend of April, but after getting the offer for the apprenticeship, I'll be staying from that weekend until sometime at the end of May. Luckily the clinic has a spare bedroom, so housing is incredibly affordable. The most expensive portion of the trip will be my travel expenses down there! It truly is a fabulous opportunity. And I think it is something that I may really need.

Unfortunately, I am not sure how things are working out with *M*. I have attended two prenatal appointments with her, but the most recent one was nearly three weeks ago. I was scheduled to go with her to a third, but she has been very ill with pneumonia. The mama that she has been letting me attend with is due to delivery in the first part of January, and I haven't heard from her in three weeks. I absolutely do not want to burden her at all, especially since she has been so sick. So, I'm starting to wonder if this is just a good opportunity to get to observe some births and help out a fellow birthworker, but not the long-term mentorship that I was hoping. We will see, however. I'm not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater quite yet.

But I do feel like by taking on this short-term apprenticeship in Tennessee, I am again adding to my "birth resume" and making myself an even more favorable candidate for any apprenticeship that should come up in the area, especially considering how terribly competitive this area can be for apprenticeships. It all leads me down the same path, but it is definitely better if I can prepare and make myself more competitive when a preceptor does become available.

It's a slow, slow process.

I finally got enrolled in an academic program to begin working in the direction of taking the NARM exam. I have chosen not to mention names or locations of any program on my blog, because I don't want it to turn into some sort of advertisement. But I can say that after spending months agonizing about which program to enroll with, I finally realized that putting myself into debt to pay for my education was not the best idea. So, my decision was definitely one that was driven by getting the best "bang for my buck," and I have definitely found that.

I've been attending prenatal appointments with *M* and I am still completely in love with the process. It's beautiful and it makes my heart soar each and every time.

Again, I am struggling with my constant urge to hurry up and make things happen. That just is not how the world works, but I fight the urge every day to rush, rush, rush. Midwifery will definitely be a series of lessons in humility and patience.

I am waiting right now for one of my doula clients to go into labor. The client I have been observing with *M* will be birthing some time at the beginning of January. Another doula client is due at the beginning of February. So, the births are coming. I just want to get myself immersed and the waiting it driving me crazy!

Part of that anticipation is the craving for that "space" that only a birth provides. There is a moment during a birth when everything else disappears. The world outside of the birthing room goes away. There is a total peace and energy. I wish that I could put more words to it. It is magical.

"The Death" overcame me...

And then I recovered.

Oh, my. The last few weeks really drug me down. I am 90 percent certain that I contracted H1N1 somewhere. It has a been a very long time since I have been that ill. There were moments when I could not imaging it could get any worse. And then it did.

But slowly over the last two weeks, with the aid of lots and lots of water, echinacea, golden seal, and massive quantities of Emerge-C, I have gotten back to healthy. It was a rather rocky road.

It really through a wrench into my schedule. I ended up having to reschedule numerous doula client appointments and ended up missing the prenatal with *M*. Fortunately, she was incredibly understanding. I'll be attending the rest of the prenatals with this couple and their birth in January. So, it seems everything is working out.

Now I just have to get through Thanksgiving and life can resume normal!

The World Can Be So Strange

The day before I was supposed to meet with the midwife about apprenticing, I called her to confirm our appointment. She was very sweet on the phone, but unfortunately, informed me that she had changed her mind. There are a lot of women in this area looking for apprenticeships and she felt that it was unfair to them to offer one to someone who had been studying for less time than they had. I understand that completely, even if I was a bit disappointed. I felt rather stupid on the telephone though after she told me that, and stammered my way through the rest of the conversation. It probably was not the most articulate moment of my life.

I was pretty sad to tell you the truth. In that moment, it seemed as though the only two paths that had been presented to me were blocked. The first midwife I had met with had been out of contact, and now the second one was not interested in working with me. I have to admit that I shed a couple of tears in that first ten minutes after hanging up my phone.

Then I set out to be proactive. I wrote an email to midwife #1, who from now on will be known as *M*. I told her in detail about the workshop in Tennessee and everything I had learned and how rejuvenated I felt by the experience. I asked again about attending births with her, even if it was just as an assistant. I told her I was willing to do anything just to get my foot in the door.

Within a half an hour, she responded back! My timing was perfect. She had spoke with a couple about me and they were interested in having me at their birth as an extra support. She had a prenatal appointment schedule with them for later in the week and asked if I could come with.

WOW. If that is not the world trying to tell me that this was meant to be, I don't know what it was!

*M* has communicated that she does not feel ready to take on an actual "teaching relationship" at this point, but that having me attend births and appointments as a support to her and families would be helpful.

I attended and observed my first prenatal last week. And it was so wonderful. And regardless of the official definition of my relationship with *M*, I learned a lot just from that one meeting. Watching her interact with the mom and dad taught me SO much about interacting with families. When we walked out we talked briefly about some of the unsaid communication that was presented (body language, etc) and I realized that I had so much to learn about just simple observation.

I can absolutely see myself doing this for the rest of my life. In fact, it is the only thing I can see myself doing.

Trying to Find a Path in the Forest

I think the scariest part thus far on this new adventure has been the idea of finding an apprenticeship.

I believe so strongly in the apprentice model of education. Midwifery is one of the few career choices you can take any more than relies so heavily on apprenticeship. There was a time when most careers were learned by extended apprenticeships, whether that was as a baker or a seamstress. Young people would find a master to learn from, aspiring to become masters at the craft they were learning. They experienced their chosen field in the real working world. They learned from situations, and not from text books.

This model truly seems to be the only real option when it comes to midwifery. It is a calling that does not lend itself well to classroom learning with hypothetical situations. It is an art where each and every situation can change in a moment, and there is no way to learn the level of flexibility and sustaining stamina without truly LIVING it.

There is also the sisterhood of midwifery...just an aside, kind of-- The "Sisterhood of Midwifery"is one of those phrases that tends to lend itself to what I call the "fluffy" language of midwifery. Personally, I'm not a into fluffy language. I like to tell things how they are. I love beautiful language. I'm a literature hound. Some of my favorite reading is poetry. Yet, when it comes to the real world, I like to keep things real.

But in this case...it is a phrase that I love. The sisterhood of midwifery. Sisterhood. Women, together, in a bond that is unbreakable and undeniable. It describes *exactly* the experiences I have had that have kept me coming back to my passion for birth and the birthwork. It's that sisterhood that refreshes me and rejuvenates my passion. And apprenticeship plays into that sisterhood so much! Women teaching women to care for women. Each One, Teach One. Leaning on each other for our education and, once we are ready, furthering the educations of future generations.

So, I have been searching for an apprenticeship. I've been searching hard. I have contacted every midwife in Minnesota. I've received very few responses back. A few are not looking for apprentices right now, and I have genuinely appreciated that they at least took the five minutes to tell me that. Most suggested that if I was still looking in six months to a year, I could contact them again. I have met with one midwife, but never really heard much from her again after we met. I'm taking that to mean that it just was not meant to happen. I have an appointment this week with another midwife, who I am very interested in working with. There are a number of reasons that I find her practice appealing, including her wonderful reputation. We'll see how the meeting this week goes, but I'm really crossing my fingers.

I know that I will find an apprenticeship when I am supposed to and that the right doors will open when they should.

Boon at the Warehouse Book Sale!

I have been trying to budget out money for books for school for some time now. Books can be damn expensive and I just didn't know how I was going to be able to do more than one or two books at a time.

When my partner mentioned that there was a warehouse sale at the State Fair grounds this weekend, I jumped at the chance. Hoping I would get one or two books to check off the list. Wow, was I surprised when I walked out with a bag that is overflowing with books.

Here is what I got:

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
Amazon Price: $13.00
My Price: $2.00
Savings: $11.00

HypnoBirthing: The Mongan Method
Amazon Price: $13.57
My Price: $2.00
Savings: $11.57

The Official Lamaze Guide, Giving Birth with Confidence
Amazon Price: $8.64
My Price: $1.00
Savings: $7.64

Taking Charge of Your Fertility: THe Defininitive Guide to Natural Birth Control
Amazon Price: $16.49
My Price: $1.00
Savings: $15.49

The Birth Book by William and Martha Sears
Amazon Price: $10.19
My Price: $2.00
Savings: $8.19

The Breastfeeding Book by William and Martha Sears
Amazon Price: $10.19
My Price: $2.00
Savings: $8.19

The Hip Mama Survival Guide
Amazon Price: $19.00
My Price: $2.00
Savings: $17.00

How to Make a Pregnant Woman Happy
Amazon Price: $11.21
My Price: $2.00
Savings: $9.21

Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year
Amazon Price: $9.95
My Price: $3.00
Savings: $6.95

New Choices in Natural Healing
Amazon Price: $14.21
My Price: $2.00
Savings: $12.21

The Official Lamaze Guide: Giving Birth with Confidence
Amazon Price: $8.64
My Price: $1.00
Savings: $7.64

Our Bodies, Ourselves
Amazon Price: $18.72
My Price: $2.00
Savings: $16.72

Fertility Wisdom: How Traditional Chinese Medicine Can Help Overcome Infertility
Amazon Price: $4.40
My Price: $2.00
Savings: $2.20

TOTAL Savings: $126.57

ONE HUNDRED TWENTY SIX DOLLARS AND FIFTY SEVEN CENTS!

That's a HUGE savings!

Day 3 & 4: Tennesee Workshop Trip

I'm struggling a lot to put to words the entire workshop. So, I decided to split it into sections so that I can make sure that I cover everything. The days kind of run together in my mind, because it was all so over powering and completely exhilarating. It would be like trying to describe a roller coaster ride moment by moment. There is just too much. Emotions change by the moment. New information is learned each and every second.

The Clinic

As I was driving up the pavement to the clinic, I was greeted by 100 pounds of Great Pyrenees.

Technically, this big guy is just out of puppy-hood. He's a year old. Sweet as all goodness, but damn, was he stubborn. He was laying in the exact middle of the driveway as I pulled up, and refused to move. I slowed my car down to less than five miles an hour thinking that as I got closer he would get up. He didn't. I ended up having to inch my way around him. When I got out of the car, he and another Pyrenees, as well as a beautiful yellow lab met me at the car and proceeded to sniff my luggage to make sure I didn't have my dogs stowed away in one of the bags. I'm sure they could smell my pack, and it was funny to watch them attempt to climb into the trunk to investigate.

Off to my left was a goat pen, so of course, I had to go say hello. I told you that there was a bit of country in me, but I always notice it more when I'm presented with a real farm.

I was enthralled by the beautiful countryside every day I was there. The second morning I was sitting in my car waking up with a cup of coffee and I was drawn to the dew on the grass. I had left Minnesota in the heart of fall, and when I got to Tennessee it was still very much late summer. It was so beautiful. Little did I know that when I returned to Minnesota, I would have missed Autumn all together. It was SNOWING at home that morning!


I have to say that when I was sitting outside enjoying the mornings, I was also smoking cigarettes. I was horrible embarrassed by that the entire time I was there. I hate that I have such a terrible addiction to nicotine. My insurance will only pay for me to attempt to quit once a year, and January is coming soon so they will pay for medication one more time. This attempt will be much more supported. I'm going to attempt the regular medication route, but add in some alternative health options as well. Hopefully that will increase my chances of a healthy quit.

The Women

The beautiful, amazing, intelligent, loving women that I met during the workshop have changed me. They touched my heart deeply.


From left to right: Joy, Andrea, Misty, Leah (holding Eowyn), Linda, Gay (holding Sophia), and me

It is very rare for me to feel as though I "fit". I tend to feel very much like an outsider no matter where I go. I've gotten good at blending, even when I'm obviously the sore thumb that sticks out. But I didn't feel as though I had to do that. I felt like we were all very different and very unique women, but that there was something bigger than all of us that had drawn us together and made us all part of something special. It made us all "fit".

We all laughed and cried. We sat up talking through the night about our lives and our experiences. We shared meals and "space". We formed a good sized family for the two days we were together.

These women inspired me and reinvigorated the passion that I have for midwifery. I try desperately not to become jaded in this world, but it's difficult at times. These women reassured me of the fantastic love and joy in the midwifery community.

What We Learned

The learning happened so organically and instinctively. We learned through conversations, stories, and hands on experiences.



Andrea and Misty, the midwife's apprentices, were incredibly talented at pulling learning opportunities out of each and every conversation. They found things that peaked our interest and elaborated on it. They took time to help us go over our NARM application packets so that we would be able to navigate the complexity of all the paperwork.


We learned universal precautions and sterile technique. We practiced basic physical exam skills on each other. Two beautiful mamas came in to the clinic to give us the opportunity to learn basic prenatal exams, including Leopold's Maneuvers and fetal heart rate monitoring. A delicious little two week old boy came in so that we could learn to do a newborn exam. I couldn't help but spend some time sniffing his little head.

I have always had a deep fear about my ability to use needles, either for injections or to draw blood. It just wasn't something that I could imagine myself being able to learn. Yet, I did. With a very patient Joy and Misty, I was able to draw blood for the first time. Now that I've actually done it, I feel like I could do it again. It was just getting the feeling for the vein and knowing that I could do it. Confidence!

I have to say that my favorite part of the workshop was the time we got to spend exploring placentas. The two most recent mamas to deliver with Linda donated their placentas to the workshop. It was fascinating! You can read about anatomy all you want, but you never fully understand it until you can witness it physically. And with placentas....wow. There is just such a power in that little organ. There is something almost magical about it.

The Tree of Life
(see those gorgeous veins that look like branches?)

Ms. Linda talking to us about cord attachment

Me, exploring the amnion and chorion

When I left the clinic on Saturday afternoon to head to my hotel in Nashville, I must admit that there were tears in my eyes. I was so incredibly joyful and empowered. The experience changed me, and I can't quite even explain how. But it did.


Thank you, Tennessee for showing me your beautiful land. Thank you to the other student midwives for sharing your wisdom and your babies with me. Thank you to the Universe for the opportunity to learn and grow. Thank you to Andrea and Misty for sharing your mentor, and for putting so much of yourselves into helping us learn. And mostly, thank you to Linda for the delicious food, comfortable housing, wonderful stories, and for having faith and hope for the future of midwifery.