I Be Like...

Being a birthworker is such a rewarding profession. The ups, the downs, the in-betweens - all equate to one thing = my job is an adventure.

That said, there are ups and downs. This is my unprofessional view of birthwork through a birthworkers eyes.

What I feel like I look like at consultations

What I really look like at consultations

What I look like when I nail the consultation

What I feel like when someone tries to pop a pregnant mama's 

bubble of peace

How I feel when a mama I'm working with switches out of the care of her 

unsupportive provider and into the care of one I have worked with, 

trust, and supports her choices

How I feel when a mama I'm working with says, "I really want a natural

birth" but is unwilling to do anything I recommend to prepare for it or chooses to 

birth at a hospital notorious for cesareans 

How I react when a provider asks a mom if he can strip her

membranes at 36 weeks, 'just to see what happens.' ... 

and she consents

What I look like when a new report, study, or review comes out

regarding pregnancy, birth, or parenting options 

What I feel like when a provider ignores all of those same research, studies,

reports, and reviews for their 'own policies'

How I look while getting ready to head out to a birth

When the on-call steps in the room and says they 'don't do VBACs'

even though mom is ready to push

The face I make when a mom calls me to tell me she ignored

my advice to rest while she could in early labor, instead she

went for a walk, and now she is exhausted, wants to nap, and

labor just kicked into high gear

What it feels like when nurse and I work great like a team and rock it out

with our superstar skills 

The look I give a nurse in triage when

mom is making 9-10cm noises and she says, 'let me just go

get your chart' and leaves the room

What I do when an OB, who has made their first appearance in 

the room for the whole labor, says, "better start preparing for the

possibility of a cesarean. You aren't progressing and I don't see this ending vaginally."

What I do when, 2 hours later, mom is pushing so "well" that the

same OB barely makes it in time 

What I feel like when a mom has been been 'stuck' at 7cm for a millennium

and her baby is floating high in the pelvis and there's rumors circulating
in the room about "plan C"

What I feel like when, 30 minutes after the Parrish Maneuver, fear releasing,

and Walcher's Technique, mom is crowning

My face when I hear a midwife say, "a doula isn't helpful

or necessary at a birth outside the hospital."

What I do when a provider meets me at the door to a laboring

woman's room and says, "I don't like doulas, they are irrelevant

and I have had very bad experiences with them in the past."

What I think of other doulas and midwives who are unethical
(talking trash about other birth workers) and territorial with potential clients

What I do when a mom calls me to tell me she thinks her water

broke, she thinks she's having contractions, or she thinks 

she 'did something to her back' because it's aching

What my face must look like when a provider says they 'can't let mom',

'don't do ___', or tell her she "can't ___'

How daddy and I look when nurse goes to bat for mom's choices

and mom get's the birth she wants

The look I give an OB when they transform into a

midwife before my eyes...

What I probably look like when a provider or nurse takes 

the time and opportunities to teach me something

new and 'above my pay grade' 

What dad and I look like when a mom finds her voice during

labor, becomes empowered, and stands up for what she knows 

she and baby deserve

What I know I look like when a nurse or doctor says that babies

can't be born in any position but on a woman's back

What I do when an OB says for mom to pick whatever position

feels most right for her to birth in

What I do when someone gives advice that is neither medically sound

nor evidence-based on an online forum

What I do when a nurse says, "epidurals are completely safe

and have no real risks."

What I do when a midwife, mom herself, or partner ask if I will help mom

to do nipple stimulation

What I feel like for every. single. VBAC mama

What I feel for every single mama after she birth

What I look like when I get off a 32 hour shift and stumble into my home

And why I would do it all again after just a few hours rest