Wow...it's been a long time

I know I know...after abandoning for so long, why am I back?

Today I can't help but smile at a mom who is finally wearing her baby in a wrap I have been suggesting for TWO months, and changed to a lower-iron formula, which I also suggested. You'd think they'd come to trust me and at least TRY my suggestions, lol.

This Friday I'll be making baby wraps with some pregnant friends.

Lately, I've made homemade baby wipes, bought ingredients to make homemade 'gripe water', baked a turkey, made turkey soup, baked an apple pie... I'm feeling very 'domestic' and natural.

Spent yesterday at a Midwifery Clinic in another town...was great. Learned a lot, laughed a lot. Can't wait to be a midwife in this place!!

P.S I have a WICKED boyfriend, and I'm so excited to surprise him this weekend with a really fun birthday gift. Road trip!!!

Until next time (which could be YEARS)

....another chooses midwifery

We recently had another girl move in, who is due in November with her first baby. After some discussion between another resident in midwifery care, and myself, this resident applied for midwifery care. Thankfully she was still early to get in, and she's very excited!!

This past Monday we all went to a midwifery orientation/initial interview, and 3 other couples went too. We were showed a video that discussed midwifery care in Ontario, and the three pillars: informed choice, continuity of care, and choice of birthplace. It made me feel extremely blessed to be called a midwife, and being such, I wanted to jump up on the table and announce it to everyone. I'm sure the girls appreciated that I didn't.

After the video the midwife discussed a more in-depth look at the practice, the two midwifery teams, informed choice, and the overall competency of midwives in Ontario.

Taking a step backwards in this week, I recently started reading through the Ontario College of Midwives Registrant's Binder, and realized that the president of the CMO is actually a midwife at the Welland practice. At this weeks orientation, we learned that she would be one of the midwives on the team taking care of New Resident! How exciting! I'm sure she' s a really busy lady.

Things are picking up around this home, and we have two new residents coming in next Monday. One has a baby of about a week, the other is due in December. I said to the two residents in midwifery care,

"Do you know what your mission is?"

They promptly replied,

"To switch her over to midwifery care".

Bring it on!! I'm having so much fun talking to these girls about midwifery care, pregnancy, labor and birth, breastfeeding, and I'm learning a ton from going to the midwifery appointments. I am incredibly blessed!

The girls have lately been talking about homebirth, and how that's a fairly hard thing to work out , since we all live in a maternity home, but after talking to the Director, realized maybe it isn't so far fetched. Director said they've never inquired about it, and said she would call the woman who licenses us from Public Health to see about it. I have a feeling it'll be a big NO, but at least we'll know :)

.......to circumcise or not

For some reason or another, infant circumcision has been a hot topic in life these days. We discussed it recently at a staff meeting, the residents talk about it often, I had a talk about it with a male friend, and I often see midwife-friends of mine posting articles about it on facebook.

I'm of the persuasion that believes routine circumcision for medical reasons is archaic, and most people who have actually done their research know that it doesn't significantly decrease the risks of urinary problems, in infancy or in later life. I've heard people with horror stories of their uncircumcised boys who later had to get it done, and I've heard ones from the other side of the spectrum who got it done and have had endless problems with it.

However, all medical beliefs aside, I'd have to say that the argument that MOST bothers me is when people (Non-Jews, or Gentiles, at least), pull out the bible excuse: "God told us to do it. Isn't that reason enough? Don't you think if God told them to do it, it was probably for health and safety reasons??"

And YES, I'm a strong-believing Christian myself, but obviously a Gentile. When people bring up this argument, I can't help but point out there's this really cool New Testament covenant that supersedes this ritual: that by faith we are saved.

Today I was reading through Acts, as I'm making my way through the NT, and I came to the part when the Christians within the Church are stuck on this very issue (Acts 14-15).

"The apostles and elders met to consider this question. After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

I don't think this leaves much room for interpretation. So I feel I rest my case; I feel justified that God is pretty OK if I chose not to circumcise my sons.

.....I may have changed the course of history

Last Friday I went, as promised, to my sister's grade 11 Parenting class to discuss midwifery, pregnancy and delivery. One word...AMAZING!!! It went SO well! The girls (and the one boy) loved it, and asked some really good questions. It really helped that the teacher had a midwife and a homebirth with her last baby, so she asked some stellar questions and gave her opinion on some things. And at one point, I may or may not have mentioned I'd eat my placenta.

Anyways, the girls seemed to have actually learned something, and I could see the wheels turning in a couple girls' heads as I said, "Only sick people go to hospitals". I even heard one girl say "I never thought about it that way before". I think that was what hit her the most about the discussion.

My sister was really proud of me, and it made me proud to make her proud. Does that make sense?

The teacher asked for copies of my overheads and invited me back for subsequent classes. She even went so far as to say it was the best presentation she'd had, although I can't imagine that a lot of presentations go on in parenting...

A couple days later, my sister was texting me and told me the class was still talking about it, and one girl had even gone to change her grade 12 course load to steer towards a career in midwifery. Isn't that SOOOO cool??? I love that I was able to translate my passion into words, and actually express it in such a way that she wanted to take part in it.

So now that I've been so humble, I admit that what excites me most is that I am so INCREDIBLY blessed by my God to have a career in something I can get so excited about and have the privilege of passing on.

"Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot." ~ Ecc 5:18