Today I went to a birth. Yippeee! It was at the home of the couple that I had my very first prenatal. What a coincidence, I know! The birth was fabulous and I loved how the midwife is very aware and forward-thinking. It seems like she is always two-steps ahead. I can’t wait to be at that place too.
I guess I did okay at the birth. The midwife is not the type to give feedback to apprentices. So, although I love her, I don’t think we will be a good match in the long run, because I am sometimes an idiot and need to be told what I am doing wrong. If she won’t do this for me, then we may end up in a bad spot. I don’t want to change her, but I also don’t want her to get pissed and our relationship to go to a bad spot. I think she is a great person and would make a good friend. However, she did give me a little bit of feedback, even though I know that was hard for her to do as she definitely did not want to offend me (and she didn’t). She explained that Amish women don’t like a lot of praise in labor. Apparently in their culture, you should not tell them you are proud or that they should be proud. Next time, I will be encouraging, but watch my words more carefully so that I don’t offend anyone.
I found out today that although this journal is for the birds, it will come in handy when I write my book someday. One of my best friends and I have been planning on a book deal once this whole midwifery dust settles. We have high hopes for ourselves—she wants to be on the MANA board and I want to speak at conferences like Midwifery Today. Okay, speaking is not my thing, maybe I will just be present. I dunno yet. However, the big epiphany today is that I couldn’t have done this journey without her. Our relationship not only helps me get out of bed, but it keeps me from crawling back in. I am eternally grateful that I found her before starting on this journey as I could not imagine going on it without her. Her encouragement and support have been invaluable. Thank you dear friend.
My Journey as a Licensed Midwife in Louisiana 