If you are a subscriber to my blog, you may have noticed I haven't published any new posts in over a month and wondered why. Well, I had a medical emergency and needed all my energy and attention for that. This blog post is about what happened.

I had a sudden onset of low abdominal pain. It was pretty strong pain, but I was hoping it would resolve if I gave it some time. I had prenatals scheduled for that day and decided I would finish them. The pain kept gradually increasing and after I finished my last appointment, my husband took me to the Emergency Room. Once I was seen in the ER, they did a few tests and diagnosed a perforated colon. The hospital I went to could not take care of me so they sent me to Stormont-Vail in Topeka.

When I got to Topeka, the doctors there decided the best course of action was to monitor me and hope things calmed down so I could have a planned surgery instead of having an emergency surgery. About 18 hours after I arrived, my heart decided it was time to make it clear I needed emergency surgery. I do not know how long I was in surgery, but when I came around after the emergency surgery, the surgeon told me I was the second worst case he's seen. He had found a 4 inch hole in my colon. The surgeon had to remove my entire Sigmoid colon and he gave me a colostomy.  

I spent 5 days in the ICU because I had become severely septic. My heart continued to have issues ranging from a dangerously high heart rate to a dangerously slow heart rate. My labs showed really high white blood cell counts and I kept running fevers. After 5 days I went to the post surgical wing in the hospital.  This was where I started walking again using a walker, and could finally eat what few food options were available for me. Just walking down the hall and back to my room would make me so tired I had to take a nap. When I came home after 10 days in the hospital, all I did for the first 3 weeks was sleep up to 16 hours a day.  I was anemic so I started Floradix to get my hemoglobin into a good place, I went for walks with the hubby who encouraged me to walk a little farther every day, and I worked on increasing flexibility and mobility. 

It's been a few weeks and each day I notice improvement. I'm able to move easier, and I'm walking faster.  Some days I still need a nap, and other days I just need to take a break and rest in the afternoon. As part of my health journey, I will have surgery in a few months to reverse the colostomy. 

I'm so thankful for the midwives who were willing to step in and take care of my clients, and for my client's understanding of my situation. I'm thankful for my family who has been incredibly supportive and helpful as I work on recovering. I'm thankful for the medical care I received. Most of all, I am thankful that I am here to enjoy my family, my work, and my life.   
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Midwifery is so much more than catching babies.

Midwifery is....

Midwifery is dashing out the door to attend a birth at a moment's notice.
Midwifery is gambling that there won't be a birth when you have a medical appointment for yourself scheduled.
Midwifery is constantly learning, whether it's to keep up with the very latest recommendations, or researching something a client is experiencing.
Midwifery is telling clients hard things, sharing findings that may be serious.
Midwifery is providing options and letting clients decide what option is best for them.
Midwifery is recognizing your own personal anxieties and making sure you don't project them into a situation a client is experiencing.
Midwifery is acknowledging the grief of a birth not going how it was initially planned.
Midwifery is holding space for clients to express fear, pain, frustration.
Midwifery is holding back your own tears so clients can fully express their emotions.
​Midwifery is handing a client tissues as they cry.
Midwifery is crying with clients when things are hard.
Midwifery is answering questions.
Midwifery is educating clients about what is happening with their bodies.
Midwifery is loosing yourself as you look into baby's eyes in the first moments after birth.
Midwifery is celebrating the amazing joy that birth brings.
Midwifery is learning to listen to and trust your intuition.
Midwifery is an adrenaline rush.

Midwifery is all of this and so much more.

Here's my Christmas wish list for the clients I serve and myself.
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• See through bellies so there's no need for ultrasound to determine baby's position if palpation doesn't make it clear
• Self cleaning homes, both for clients and myself
• paid parental leave with no exceptions
• more lactation consultants
• better collaboration between midwives and OBs
• easy, efficient births for clients
• lots of support for clients in the postpartum period. This could be doing laundry, bringing meals, watching baby while Mom takes a shower etc.
• A chef to make healthy, tasty meals on the days I'm recovering from attending a birth, or very busy with appointments.
• massaging seats in cars
• self driving cars so I can take a nap if I'm coming home after a long birth (this may be a viable reality soon).

​One day I hope some of the things on my wish list are reality like paid parental leave with no exceptions and massaging seats in cars.  

​Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

It's December which means the year is coming to a close. This year has been a journey, just like the years before. I like to sit back and reflect on what the year has brought and what changes have come as a result. I decided this year I want to share the changes in my practice I've implemented as I continue to learn and grow as a midwife..

I created two new informed consents, one for ultraound, and one for hospital transfers. After hearing about a birth experience a midwife who practices in a different region had, I decided I needed an ultrasound informed consent to explain the risks and benefits of ultrasound. Having clearly spelled out information about what to expect in a transfer, what I do, and what my assistant does, makes transfers smoother and less stressful when they do happen.

I purchased ultrasound equipment and completed a course to gain a basic understanding of how to do ultrasound. I wanted to be able to do a quick check to confirm if baby is head down when I was unsure from palpating. I am not a sonographer, so I am not doing any other evaluations or assessments with ultrasound. If we need or want more information, I refer clients to a sonographer.

I have totally revamped how I chart. I feel more comfortable with my new charting. It gives a clearer picture of what was covered and discussed during prenatals, and it helps with being consistent with the care I offer clients during prenatals.

I now have multiple blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes, and pulse-ox sensors so I don't have to remember to shift them from bag to bag, or use them in my office.  It's nice to know my bags are always ready and I will always have access to equipment I need wherever I'm at while doing midwifery work.

I am doing more initial prenatal labs. I now check thyroid levels, Hemoglobin A1c and Vitamin D levels.  Thyroid function can impact pregnancy if it is outside of normal ranges. Hemoglobin A1c gives a picture of what blood sugar levels have been in the past 90 days. This is helpful for evaluating if we want to do gestational diabetes testing or blood sugar tracking. Vitamin D is essential for both baby and Mom during pregnancy. I was surprised when I began checking Vitamin D levels that over 90% of clients were deficient.  

I have made all these changes and additions to how I provide care to help clients have the healthiest, most amazing pregnancy possible. These changes help me in providing better and more consistent care as well as making life a little smoother for me as a midwife.  
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We like getting to know people, learning where they are from, what things they like, what hobbies they have and so on. I often see social media posts with lists of things you can select from to let friends know more about you such as if you have ever had a broken bone, or traveled overseas. In the spirit of those social media posts,  I'm sharing a few facts about myself to let you get to know me better.

• I ride motorcycles. My current ride is a BMW F650 GS.  
• I love to bake and am actually quite good at it.
• The only time in my life I did not have a cat was during college. I couldn't have one in the dorm, or my first apartment.
• I grew up in Kansas.
• I am the oldest, I have two younger sisters.
• I do not like onions, to the point of picking them out of my food no matter how small they are cut.
• My house is decorated with raccoons. Several came with my hubby and we have added to the collection through the years.
• I did not learn to read until I was in 2nd grade. I am so thankful for the teacher who made me stay in during recess until I finally learned. 
• I enjoy curling up with a good book, a cat on my lap, and a nice cup of tea.
• And finally, I get to serve the most amazing clients and families as a midwife!