Being a midwife can be challenging, and it requires many skills. One of the skills I have had to hone as a midwife is juggling....
Being a midwife means being an expert in calendar juggling. Scheduled commitments and activities may get canceled at the very last minute, or rearranged a few times depending on when babies decide to come. Being a midwife means being dependable for clients, occasionally at the expense of your friends and family. Sometimes you have to put the needs and desires of your family second. Yay for flexible families and friends who understand this and support the midwife wholeheartedly!
Sometimes being a midwife means juggling vehicles. In my life, we have an older car which is fun to drive but isn't the car you want to drive for longer distances. If the hubby needs to travel, we have a discussion about where my clients are located to decide which car he's taking. Sometimes he may come and switch out cars while I'm at a birth.
Being a midwife means you may juggle your own needs so you can support a client in labor. I've been at many births where my needs for sleep, eating or drinking were shifted or delayed so I could be available to support a client in labor.
Being a midwife means trying to juggle the expectations you have of yourself, the expectations your clients have, and expectations others who are invited into the birth may have. Trying to juggle expectations means I am forever second guessing myself. I always wonder if I have missed something, if I am understanding what I can see, feel and observe correctly. I am not perfect and know I will make mistakes, but I keep chasing after perfection.
Don't misunderstand me, I am not complaining. I chose to be a midwife. I have impressed myself at times with the juggling that is part of midwifery. Maybe one day I'll even learn to juggle balls or fruit!
Being a midwife means being an expert in calendar juggling. Scheduled commitments and activities may get canceled at the very last minute, or rearranged a few times depending on when babies decide to come. Being a midwife means being dependable for clients, occasionally at the expense of your friends and family. Sometimes you have to put the needs and desires of your family second. Yay for flexible families and friends who understand this and support the midwife wholeheartedly!
Sometimes being a midwife means juggling vehicles. In my life, we have an older car which is fun to drive but isn't the car you want to drive for longer distances. If the hubby needs to travel, we have a discussion about where my clients are located to decide which car he's taking. Sometimes he may come and switch out cars while I'm at a birth.
Being a midwife means you may juggle your own needs so you can support a client in labor. I've been at many births where my needs for sleep, eating or drinking were shifted or delayed so I could be available to support a client in labor.
Being a midwife means trying to juggle the expectations you have of yourself, the expectations your clients have, and expectations others who are invited into the birth may have. Trying to juggle expectations means I am forever second guessing myself. I always wonder if I have missed something, if I am understanding what I can see, feel and observe correctly. I am not perfect and know I will make mistakes, but I keep chasing after perfection.
Don't misunderstand me, I am not complaining. I chose to be a midwife. I have impressed myself at times with the juggling that is part of midwifery. Maybe one day I'll even learn to juggle balls or fruit!
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