As a youngster I was fascinated by life on the farm. I would stand quietly next to the nest and watch the hen lay her egg. Then as she sat brooding her eggs, I would count the days until hatch was due. I picked up the eggs and listened to the peeping chick before it emerged. Waiting to see the tiny, wet, floppy bird chip it’s way out and become a fluffy, curious chick before my eyes.
Wonderment at the mysteries of nature progressed from my farmyard midwifery to nurse midwifery and tending to human life cycles. As social/emotional factors influence the natural progression of wellness, so too they influence the birth process. My work as a midwife involves teaching and empowering women to find their own best scenario for birthing & facilitating their plan.
Preparing for births and parenting are only some of the skills in midwifery support. The fact is, some pregnancies end with a sad tone. Over time midwives support women through miscarriage, or birth defect, or stillbirth. We then work toward integrating the pain of grief and loss; healing the heart as well as the body.
I feel strongly that we need to preserve the archival midwifery skills that support spontaneous vaginal delivery. As a midwife, I am charged with using multiple resources of complimentary medicines to facilitate a safe & satisfying birth experience. These skills are diverse and somewhat determined by environment.
Initially, in 1972, I worked as a newborn nursery nurse and began assisting in Labor & Delivery at a major medical center. The routine medical interventions were troublesome to me. It was after a 2am delivery, when the doctor did not arrive until after the birth, that I decided it was time for midwifery school. It was 1978 when I established my initial homebirth practice.
My experiences have varied, from clinic hospital to freestanding birth center, from homebirth in a VW camper to VBAC on an island 8 miles at sea. To quote my mentor, Lewis Mehl-Madronna , MD, PhD, “As a woman lives, so shall she birth”. This premise is supported by a myriad of screening techniques to identify women at risk for complications during pregnancy, birth or postpartum. Utilizing these screening techniques can allow anticipation and avoidance of some complications or readiness for unchangeable situations. This can minimize interventions and increase the patient’s safety & satisfaction. The cesarean section rate for my homebirth private practice has averaged 3% in over 500 births.
It has been my honor to work with Andrea, offering homebirth midwifery services since 1990. We continue to strive for excellence in service and to promote safe & satisfying births for all.