Friday, October 17, 2008

It isn't about us...

...it's about them.

If I hear that phrase one more time, I am going to puke. What it means is, midwives do this for the women we serve...it's all about the women.

Ok, yes, I care a great deal about the women I provide care for. I want them to have a wonderful, fulfilling pregnancy and birth. I want them to have the journey they envision. These things are the top priority when providing care for women.

But I am a midwife, a mother, a wife, a daughter. Those women are not my top priority in the rest of my life...and yes, I think I have a life outside of midwifery. Granted, midwifery is still a very large part of my life.

I get tired of hearing "you don't go into midwifery to get rich", you don't become a midwife if you want to make money". SCREW YOU! I became a midwife because I love it and couldn't imagine doing anything else. But why can't I make enough money to support myself and my family without struggling paycheck to paycheck? I can't help it if my husband has a horrible heart condition and can either work or can go to school but not both. I think it sucks that we midwives are so willing to suffer and forsake what we deserve because we are so friggin' 'altruistic'. Check out this post Rambling part 2

I realize that others have it far worse - I try to remind myself when I get frustrated, aggravated...

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is this in response to the comments in the previous post?

I think we agree on this issue. I definitely can not work for very little funds. And this friggin loan debt is killing me just looking at it...

How are you making it with loan debt? Do you have any? Do you already own your home? I know these are personal questions, but I am having a hard time seeing how it's all going to work out in the end...

LP

Ciarin said...

No, it's in response to hearing one of the midwives I work with say it repeatedly. She can say this easily I think - she's married to someone who works full-time, she works a little less than part-time (she has medical issues), only one child still in the home. I love her to death but lately she is irking me with her holier-than-thou attitude. She also makes a lot of statements in regard to clinical practices - her way is the only or best way is how it comes across. Grrrr.

Since I only graduated last year I am barely beginning on student loan debts - I owe about 64K at this point...and I want to do my PhD next year - ha! And I would love to buy a home but that is looking pretty dismal.

I applied for another midwife job in the area but I seriously doubt it would be an improvement in any way - just did it out of curiousity.

I really do have a good environment for the most part but am just really feeling discouraged financially and feeling unappreciated.

minority midwife said...

Oh wow, 64K... I'm leaving with well over six figures... and I am worried. I want to go straight through for a PhD, but I feel pressured to work first, not only to pack back some loans (and buy a house...as if!) but because most senior midwives haven't been the most supportive about going straight through.

I am still deciding...

Where are you considering going?

Ciarin said...

Ouch! on the six figures!

I want to do something in naturopathy so forgoing prestige and thinking of an online program at Clayton College. I can get lots of alternative knowledge there which is really what I want :) But they don't do federal financial aid so will be paying out of pocket...yeah...right. I even thought of doing a program in my area but nothing really appeals to me.

AtYourCervix said...

I'm worried enough as it is about how much to borrow to pay for my midwifery education, and my subsequent ability --- or not --- to pay it back. So, yeah, money is important too. However, if I was going into this field strictly for the money, and not for the passion of birth, I would have found a different profession.