It's the End of the World As We Know It

2015 is coming to an end. It's been a year. A year of primary births. Over a year since my first solo catch and this year has seen two deliveries where I was the only one who made it.

With this year coming to a close, I am looking towards creating new goals for the new year. These goals are in no particular order, but the are the top 12 for 2016. I'd love to hear yours below.

1. Complete Family Handbook for clients
2. Finish reading HM 1&2
3. Varney's front to back
4. Participate in midwifery study group, on time, every week
5. NARM paperwork completed and sent off
6. Business in legal and running order
7. Read 12 non-midwifery birth books so I can refer to clients
8. Office schedule hammered down and stuck too
9. Second set of all major birth supplies
10. Blog at least 2x a month, 4x preferably
11. Complete all Practice Guidelines
12. Establish my midwifery library

Humbled

I've been in the birth world for 4 years now. 4  blissful years of working with families and babies. Watching the miracle, the journey of life blossom and I can only say that it deepens my sense of amazement.

I had the opportunity to meet with a family yesterday who suffered a loss previous to this pregnancy. A situation that no family, no mother, should ever have to face. But what struck me most of the meeting was how humble this family was. How much honor they have for their little on in heaven. Moments like this really stop and make me realize the full scope of what it is midwifery is.

It is not just prenatal care, serving the family in birth and serving them in their postpartum. The residual energy left by any birth attendant is strong. It shapes their life and the life of the baby. So much of midwifery care is spiritual. Like a gift of intuition and foresight.

I feel like in that short visit I learned so much more about my calling, myself and how every little action I do as a birth worker shapes the lives of the families I have the honor to walk with.

New Office

Okay, so not homebirth related. But I have a new office!!! A home office, of course, where I study and work on building my doula, placenta encapsulation and childbirth education classes. I am so stoked. It's whimsical, it's me and it's the one spot in my house I DO NOT HAVE TO SHARE.

It's the little things, right?

I Did It, I Had My Homebirth

So two weeks ago we had a birth. A beautiful birth where the mama (a ultrasound tech) who was very unsure of herself totally rocked her birth. It was a great birth. And the first one I have attended with my preceptor by myself in the entire year we have been working together. I arrived a few hours before my preceptor did and got to do all the vitals and assessment. This isn't the first time, but it was the first where a mom was so far into labor.

I remember responding to her text that she was 25 minutes out with "Good! She's really close" or something along those lines. I knew this mama was in transition as soon as she moved to the pool. I was not wanting my first catch to be without my preceptor! (Someone pass the towels... I'm afraid to drop a baby!)

I felt really empowered by my preceptor, as she would silently suggest things to me to have the mom do, instead of directing herself. She suggested we get mom up and move around or sit on the toilet to the mom initially. The mom didn't bite, so we tried some counter pressure and clary sage and that really perked things up. After this again came the silent suggest (I love these!!) to get her up and walking. As soon as mom stood her membranes ruptured. Which was amazing, because in my gut I felt like that is what we were waiting on.

We moved to the toilet and got baby the rest of the way down. Within in 45minutes or so of ROM, mom was in a supported squat-like position with myself and dad holding her up. Her beautiful baby girl came out in a handful of pushes and was just as beautiful as can be.

I learned so much from this birth. I learned new skills and got to have my first fully hands on experience as an apprentice. I learned how to guide the placenta out, monitor mom and baby postpartum, did the newborn exam and did discharge information. It was a very empowering experience all around, summed up by the sentence. "I did it. I had my homebirth."