When did you feel comfortable regularly attending births on your own?

[Calliope85]

Hi all,

I have been a childbirth educator for 5 years and I'm hoping to become a midwife someday.  I was talking with a friend who has been a midwife for several years, and she still attends births as an assistant because she doesn't feel ready to attend as a solo midwife.  I'm just curious about the experience of other midwives--how soon after officially becoming a midwife did you feel comfortable attending births on your own?

Thanks :)

[HappyHappyMommy]

Hi. I'm bumping up your post for attention. Anyone want to share your experiences?
 

[phathui5]

I feel like that's something I'll be doing when I'm done my apprenticeship, with an assistant of course, but as primary midwife.

[mrshoobydoober]

I'm comfortable on my own but prefer having an assistant.  Not so much because I'm uneasy about being a solo midwife but because having two pairs of hands and eyes is very helpful.  

[knittingmidwife]

When I was licensed, I began attending births as primary. If I did not feel ready, I would not have become licensed. That's the point of your apprenticeship: to prepare you to be a primary midwife. It's not just about getting your numbers.

[lulami]

I prefer not to work alone. I think as I am looking after a mother/baby dyad that there need to be two sets of eyes and hands for when both mama and baby need attention.
 

[fruitfulmomma]

Not a midwife, but do you mean she doesn't attend as the primary or that she doesn't attend births solo? There were two midwives at all of my homebirths so that there was an extra pair of hands in case of something coming up where both of us might need attention. Sometimes the assistant was already certified and sometimes still in her apprenticeship.