Tag: raw

Follow up on Jennifer: Apparently the burns on the baby were some of the worse the trauma docs have ever seen and they are dealing with car accidents at Daytona International Speedway, mind you. So, the conclusion is that the baby was not just getting a bath, but rather boiling water must have been poured on him or the hot water was ran and not tested, but surely anyone with any sense could have seen the steam rising, etc. This baby will be in pain for a long time. He had to be catheterized because his penis was too raw to chance getting an infection from the urine. Likewise, his previous rib and clavicle injuries indicate that mom was also responsible for baby’s well being, which was clearly compromised. A warrant is out for her arrest. I don’t think she will ever see her babies again. It will most likely be many years for her to get out of prison. I thought of her while I was at the beach today. It was 80 beautiful degrees and not a cloud in the sky.  I was hoping she was enjoying her last days of freedom.

So in class, I mentioned that this aspect of midwifery—the emotional intensity– surprised me. Granted this is a rare case, after all, we are usually birthing with families who take great care of their babies and are responsible, healthy productive members of society. When all is not well with a baby or family, as it was this week, it is emotionally crippling. I put so much stock into the transformative effects of homebirth. The empowerment it provides women and the gentle beginning it affords babies. However, I have taken this for granted. All types and kinds of mommies will be home birthing. I should not generalize and assume they are all the same just as I would not want them to put me in a box with all the other midwives I know.  While yes they are all women. They don’t all bring the same baggage on the trip. There journey may be very similar, but their destination quite starkly different.

I am taking solace in the fact that for whatever reason, I did not answer my phone that night and did not call them back. I would have gone to her house and would have had to make a hard decision—well, deciding to take the baby to the hospital would not be hard. It would be facing the fact that my hands welcomed this baby into this world and they are powerless to transform his family into something better now.  Maybe I am not ready for that lesson and that is why I was shielded from it. I won’t know why and need to know that it is ok that I don’t. The universe knew best.