I wanted to be a midwife when I grew up cuz my own childbirth experiences weren't what I wanted them to be and because I fell in love with Woman's Health. I really want o make a difference for women - I want to help them take control of their healthcare. I love making that connection, especially during labor and birth. I love being a part of one of the most special moments in their life. It's a privilege and an honor.
Not only do I miss this, but the longer I go without a midwife job the more fearful I become that I will start forgetting what I learned. Probably not too realistic in light of the fact that I am reading Spiritual Midwifery . I'm also part of nursing faculty at a local college and am teaching OB/GU among other things this upcoming semester. That serves for good review for me at least.
So anyway...all my babies were born vaginally...I know...what a shocker huh! It's surprising in this day and age!
My first baby - born when I was 20...and yes he was actually planned. Oh and even better, all my kids are by the same father. Don't see that much anymore! He was premature, born at 34 weeks. I did a lot of reading about pregnancy to educate myself but was of a low socioeconomic status at that time. I had three strikes against me and was treated as such...poor, no higher education (not even a HS diploma - got a GED), and unmarried to a black man. I was 'cared' for by residents (baby doctors - and I don't mean neonatologists). It was time in and out of the hospital being 'treated' for preterm labor. Yucky medicines such as terbutaline (makes you feel like you just jumped out of an airplane - kind of jittery and nervous) and mag sulfate (which makes you feel like the Mack truck rolled over you...then backed up...then once more over you for good measure in case you didn't notice the first time). Not a pleasant experience. When I was finally allowed to labor (I was 6 cm) they broke my water and made me get an epidural. What a sucky experience. And was he ok? No, he had chronic subdural hematomas that caused brain damage due to going undetected. He's 'ok' but not 'ok' in the sense of my two other kids. But he's a great kid nonetheless...starting that teenage smart mouth crap though.
My second child was the worst experience...and I'm still waiting on it to get better! She was warm and cozy in there and didn't want to come out.
2 comments:
If you don't mind I am curious about your child who is a former 34 week preemie. I have one (33w 3 d) who has a diagnosis of high functioning autism, so very borderline. Sometimes I wonder if he is merely motor-skill challenged and a little immature socially.
I really believe that my son has Asperger's Syndrome, which some consider in the higher functioning end of the autism sprectum. There is some controversy over this syndrome as some believe it is not real. But jeez, my son fits the profile pretty damn good. I am having him re-evaluated by a child psychiatrist (again). Autism has been ruled out when he was younger but AS is often not diagnosed until the child is older and has been evaluated several times.
Post a Comment