My Mom the Midwife

Happy Mother's Day!

I asked my daughter Nicole to write a few words this month about what it was like growing up with her mom being a midwife. Like all mothers I'm sure there are days you wonder if the path you chose was a good choice for your family...as mothers we we all strive to do the best thing for our children. We want to be there for them when they need us and influence their lives in a positive way. It was my own mother who helped me realize my dream of becoming a midwife. She was there through midwifery school and my apprenticeship always picking up the slack when I couldn't, taking care of my children and encouraging me to follow my dream. Thanks mom, I love you. And thank you Nicole, for taking care of things at home when I had to leave for a birth, I couldn't have done it without you!

My Mom the Midwife

“I’ve got to go to a birth!” was always like a siren going off in our house. Mom would put on her scrubs and grab her birth kit and out the door she’d go. I learned quickly to ask how dilated they were and if it was their first baby or not! That would be the easiest way to tell when she would be back. It’s funny the things you learn by living with a midwife. For me, it was always fun! I loved babies and all things medical growing up so was always very curious to learn about what my mom really did. I would help mix herbs or organize the homeopathic remedies on the shelves. Always asking “What’s this for?” or “Why do you need that?" As I grew I learned about the anatomy of it all and what certain terms meant. I got to meet tons of beautiful babies and families as they came and went and came back again for their next pregnancy. I think what was one of the coolest things was that it wasn’t like growing up in a doctor’s office. It was more like my mom just had a lot of friends who had a lot of babies! Many of them even became family friends that I babysat for as a teenager and became friends with myself. As an adult now I look forward to being able to have my own home birth because of all the amazing and perfect birth stories I’ve heard about! Yes, my mom would get called away at a moment’s notice and miss a few holidays here and there but she was always doing what she loved and I grew up loving to see her do it!