Paths

I'm actually getting tired of this topic. I just want a plan. Well really I just want to assist women in their ideal birth...

I've been thinking through what I want to do. Finding a preceptor is proving impossible. So the next options are a year at Maternidad La Luz or a few stints at Casa de Nacimiento
MLL is really my first choice. It's a complete program, everything would be done in a year's time and I would have direction to keep me on task. (I'm a master procrastinator) but it would mean the whole family going which means the house we're in either has to be sold, which this house sat for a year before we bought it. Or we have to have enough money saved to take care of payments on this house for a year. Nathan wants $20K in savings to make sure we don't default on this house.

I'm really feeling like this is just an impossible feat at this point. We seem to have an impossible time saving money. I could go get a job, but it would have to be after Nathan is home in the evenings and really, I wonder how much I can really make. AAMI is a minimum of 4 years and I still need a preceptor after that. I'm definitely sticking with AAMI, I think it's a very comprehensive course and an excellent continuing education opportunity. I don't think that it's necessary to start assisting in births though.

Anyone want to send donations?

Midwifery Today Conference Eugene 2007

WoW! WoW! WoW!
There is nothing better than going to a beautiful city, enjoying great food and delicious wine while being in the company of 300+ women passionate about birth! I suppose the only thing that could have made it better would have been to catch a baby LOL!

I made some great friends! Nothing like a bottle of wine to bring people together! Really though we had a fabulous time talking about things we likely haven't talked to too many other people about. I suppose the safety of anonymity allows people to open up. I hope we remain friends and in contact.

I think my favorite discussion was on the placenta, oh how I love the placenta. Such an amazing organ. Followed closely by Robbie Davis-Floyd's presentation about the renegade midwife. It's a fabulous presentation about the need for autonomy for midwives. Currently the autonomous midwife is usually practicing outside the general "rules". The need for this kind of midwife, the one who will bend protocols to give the the mom who is 42.6 days time to go into labor on her own, or the one who will support the 2x c-section mom in a VBAC, or the one who will take on the grand multiparas are all assets to the birthing community. Without these midwives we could lose valuable skills.
I also had the opportunity to talk with Pamela (right? it is Pamela... man I'm horrible with names) she blogs as Sage Femme. She brings a new/old perspective. I say old because I think it's the more traditional role of a midwife, sit back and wait until your needed, and assume that you're probably not. I say new because it seems that many midwives have forgotten this idea and have become much more hands on, many who project the idea that the birth can not/should not happen without them.
I hope she is asked to speak at more conferences.

I hope that I can assist with the next conference somehow and possibly develop relationships with some of these very experienced women.