How To Become A Midwife: 1 Woman's Emotional Journey To A Fulfilling Career | TODAY

Summary

This video highlights the journey of a passionate midwife who blends her personal and professional experiences to provide holistic prenatal, labor, and postpartum care. Her approach is centered around building strong relationships with clients, empowering them throughout their pregnancy journey. The midwife shares her transformative experiences, including the tragic loss of her daughter to cancer, which inspired her to open a birth center. She emphasizes the importance of listening to clients, creating a supportive community, and advocating for personalized care. Her work reflects the belief that birth is an empowering experience, and every birth is a miracle worth celebrating.

Takeaways

• 😀 A midwife's role includes providing prenatal care, labor and delivery assistance, and postpartum care, emphasizing a deep connection with women during pregnancy.
• 😀 The path to becoming a midwife involves completing a midwifery program and apprenticeship with a licensed midwife before starting a practice.
• 😀 Personal experience with home births and the loss of a child to cancer led to the creation of a birth center, which serves as a space for building community around out-of-hospital births.
• 😀 Building strong relationships with clients is crucial, as is listening to their needs and respecting their choices throughout the birth process.
• 😀 Midwives view the birthing process as a team effort, with the mother as the captain and the midwife as an advisor, making the client an active participant in the process.
• 😀 Postpartum care goes beyond just the birth of the baby, ensuring the health and well-being of both the mother and baby after delivery.
• 😀 A midwife must be prepared to handle both the routine and the unexpected, as the profession involves dealing with life and death situations.
• 😀 Midwives encourage collaboration between young and experienced midwives, as real-world experience is critical for managing high-stress and life-threatening situations.
• 😀 Midwives empower women during childbirth, helping them overcome doubts about their ability to give birth naturally and building confidence for future challenges.
• 😀 The passion for midwifery is reflected in a deep commitment to the work, with the practitioner always ready to serve, no matter the time of day or night, seeing every birth as a miracle.

Q & A

What is the role of a midwife, according to the speaker?

A midwife provides prenatal care, assists during labor and delivery, and offers postpartum care. The speaker emphasizes that as a midwife, they are an advisor, with the mother being the captain and the partner being the co-captain of the birth journey.

What led the speaker to pursue becoming a midwife?

The speaker was attending Brown University, initially aiming to become an obstetrician. However, after experiencing care from a midwife in a clinic, the speaker realized the value of midwifery and decided to pursue it, attending a midwifery school for three years.

How does the speaker describe their experience with their second daughter's health condition?

The speaker's second daughter, after completing high school, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. What initially seemed like back pain turned out to be a serious condition. From diagnosis to death, the daughter lived for only 10 months. The speaker shares that this experience inspired them to open a birth center, as it was the daughter’s request.

How does the speaker manage multiple births at once?

The speaker describes their ability to handle multiple births simultaneously, explaining that during busy times, such as April with 17 births, they were prepared to manage multiple births at once, though they never had to handle three simultaneously.

What importance does the speaker place on community in midwifery?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of building a community for families having out-of-hospital births. Since many of these families’ friends and loved ones are going to hospitals, the speaker created a space for these families to come together, share experiences, and support one another.

What is the speaker's perspective on the medical field and the care they provide?

The speaker shares that their experience in the medical field, as a registered nurse, led them to seek other options when it came to childbirth. They felt that certain procedures and medications were not aligned with their natural preferences, prompting them to pursue midwifery, which offers more personalized care.

What does the speaker say about the relationship between midwives and their clients?

The speaker believes in listening closely to their clients, saying that the mother is the captain of the process and the midwife is the advisor. This team dynamic ensures that the mother knows best about her body and the baby, emphasizing the importance of trust and communication.

What advice does the speaker give to young midwives?

The speaker advises young midwives to work with experienced midwives for an extended period of time, as they will deal with life and death situations. Experience is crucial in handling complex situations, ensuring both the baby and the mother are safe.

What is the speaker's philosophy on birth?

The speaker believes birth is empowering and transformative. They describe how facing challenges during birth, such as the possibility of needing pain medication or experiencing complications, can give women a sense of accomplishment that helps them overcome future challenges in life.

How does the speaker feel about their profession?

The speaker expresses deep passion for their work, saying that every birth is a miracle. They share that even during late-night phone calls, they are excited to help and that the energy of each birth feels new and fulfilling, despite their many years of experience.