A New Path

“The Midwives Model of Care includes: monitoring the physical, psychological and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle. providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support.” (from the Midwives Alliance of North America)

I believe in this model of care and I’ve decided to begin to pursue my midwifery education and certification through the North American Registry of Midwives Portfolio Evaluation Process. Right now all this means is that I’ve printed out a bunch of forms and made a rather intimidating white board, but soon it will mean that I begin attending births as a student midwife.

I am excited and nervous, but I feel good about this path.  I want to help other people have a childbirth experience like mine. Where they can labor and birth in their own homes, where they feel safe and secure. I want to see more photos like this:

I want to see happy families, midwives, and their assistants gathered together to celebrate new life.  I want folks to have options for their birth. I want to not only support families physically, educationally, and emotionally during their childbearing year, but also medically.

I will still be working as a Doula during, and likely after, this certification process. It will take a lot of time and many sleepless nights.