I’m not sure if that’s a good title for this, but it’s the general idea.
Two months ago, I enrolled into Ancient Art Midwifery Institute‘s Advanced Midwifery Studies, and it’s been more than an education already. This program is more than just a study of midwifery and the requisite knowledge. It somehow walks me through an internal raising up of questions, searching for answers, and being actually transformed. I like that answers to big questions are not just stated to me. Not that big questions are even asked outrightly. But I am caused to think through encompassing issues like “what does ‘midwife’ really mean?” “What does a midwife really do?” And I have to go on my own odessey to find the answer amid lots of ideas.
Lately, I’ve been provoked to think through what exactly is the role of a midwife. Does she serve clients differently depending on their own levels of need and education? What is the extent of her responsibility at births? How does a truly good midwife not take away parental choice while still knowing all possible outcomes? How does she not become controlling? How can she keep parents’ interests first?
Maybe all my life I will (and should) wrestle with these questions. But another question that came to me is: how does one define, desribe, explain a midwife positively, rather than negatively. I start to understand things I shouldn’t do or be, but what are the positive things I should do or be?
I found a piece of that answer here, in an interview with Gloria Lemay, a Canadian midwife.
Q- What qualities make a good midwife?A- Patience number one. And an ability to be in true service- to put yourself aside and see what is really needed in the other person. Love in the heart… It helps to be smart. One should be able to stay calm, and be reliable in the face of emergency.
. . .
Q: What roles should midwives have- aside from attending birth- in the community?
A- Classically, midwives have been the wise women who looked out for their communities: they were the women to whom you would go to get help with burying your grandparents; the women who would come with hot meals for the family when the husbands have been ill; they were mature women who never gossiped or betrayed confidences. They furthered wise action and harmony in their communities, and in turn, their communities took care of and honored the midwives. A midwife’s role should be to promote harmony.
That’s a good insight into the calling of midwifery.
“It somehow walks me through an internal raising up of questions, searching for answers, and being actually transformed.” this is exactly how i feel about my nursing program, the way it expands your thought process is magical, and makes you hungry for more. i’m so glad you are having this experience as well.
You know, you’re already doing/being this for me in the way you’ve talked me through some of my own thoughts and questions. THANK YOU!
phyllis, that is really sweet of you to say. I don’t feel like i’m helping you much, but i’m really good at understanding all the questions 🙂 I will say that I have repeatedly experienced that mothers make the choices that are right for them, even when it isn’t what I would choose. She chooses what SHE needed to choose, and that’s how it should be! I am learning to trust moms 🙂
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