so glad to be here!!! midwives i need your help!

[bellymama]

oh man, i am so excited. i didn't know you were here!!! i am so interested in becoming a homebirth midwife. its something i have wanted to be since my sister was born in 1986 (i was 7). i live in california, where homebirth is "illegal", but my community has a strong homebirth scene. i planned on having a homebirth, but serious preeclampsia made me have to go to the hospital, where i ended in a c-section. anyway my homebirth midwives were still so amazing at my hospital birth, and my doctor is very respectful of midwives (says she is a wannabe midwife) so she let them assist my labor in the hospital with her.
anyway, that is my backstory. i have a six month old, so it will be hard for me to seriously pursue this dream right now, but can you midwifes and other birth professionals give me some ideas; what books,articles, movies can i read or see to get me slowly started on the path to midwifery? do you have recommendations on what i should do to become a midwife? how did you become a midwife? i plan on becoming a doula next year when my son is a year and a half and my mom moves up here so i will have child care. other than that, give me some insights.
so looking forward to your responses! : midwives are my heros.

[Gumby]

Hi mama!

Try this

Good for you!!

[bellymama]

Originally Posted by BrittanySmiles

Hi mama!

Try this

Good for you!!

thanks brittany! that is an amazing resource!

[madhavi]

there is a midwifery school in san diego.
here is their info. you might want to contact them and maybe even visit...
good luck.
i wanna be a midwife too! but my son is 4 months old so i have to wait too!!
heres the info

Marla Hicks, RN-BC, CPM, LM
Program Manager
Nizhoni Institute of Midwifery
619-713-2892
[e-mail]

[Midwife Kris]

Originally Posted by bellymama

i live in california, where homebirth is "illegal", but my community has a strong homebirth scene

Actually home birth is legal in California as are the midwives who attend them-- I am a licensed midwife in California. If you are interested in the educational process and plan to remain in California for the foreseeable future, you should get to know the midwifery process of education and licensing here: Medical Board of California - Licensed Midwives. You must attend a MEAC accredited educational program to qualify for licensing here. All of the schools presently accepted by the California Medical Board are found through that link. Good luck!

[bellymama]

Originally Posted by metromidwife

Actually home birth is legal in California as are the midwives who attend them-- I am a licensed midwife in California. If you are interested in the educational process and plan to remain in California for the foreseeable future, you should get to know the midwifery process of education and licensing here: Medical Board of California - Licensed Midwives. You must attend a MEAC accredited educational program to qualify for licensing here. All of the schools presently accepted by the California Medical Board are found through that link. Good luck!

really? wow. i was told the opposite! thanks for the link, i will go look right now!

[Midwife Kris]

LOL, I hope your midwives didn't tell you it was illegal! You're in the hotbed of home birth and midwifery so it's a mystery to me how that legal tidbit escaped your (and their) notice!

[snugglebug14]

hmm...totally off topic here but I saw you're from humbolt (I'm assuming county) where in humbolt are you from? My husband grew up in freshwater/eureka. It's such a nice area up there! seems like a place that would be very open to homebirth!

[bellymama]

Originally Posted by metromidwife

LOL, I hope your midwives didn't tell you it was illegal! You're in the hotbed of home birth and midwifery so it's a mystery to me how that legal tidbit escaped your (and their) notice!

my midwifes aren't certified by the state of cali, i think that is why i was confused. they and mst other midwives here became midwives by aprenticing (why can't i spell that word ?) under other midwives in the area...i don't know how many are certified or not.
one of my midwives was originally from vermont, maybe she was cerified there...the other one definitely wasn't...she had apprenticed under a woman after working as a doula in a midwife/doula team with the same midwife for several years in mendocino...she also spent time in a clinic in texas(?) near the mexico border...but no certification.
again, thanks for the link...i really appreciate everyones input!

[bellymama]

Originally Posted by snugglebug14

hmm...totally off topic here but I saw you're from humbolt (I'm assuming county) where in humbolt are you from? My husband grew up in freshwater/eureka. It's such a nice area up there! seems like a place that would be very open to homebirth!

i live in arcata.
humboldt is the best place on earth imho: i love it here!
i also hear we have the biggest chapter of that midwifery group that i cannot remember the name of (north american midwives? californian midwives?) i am really spacey today...and i have a 6 mo old climbing all over me like a monkey.

[Midwife Kris]

Originally Posted by bellymama

my midwifes aren't certified by the state of cali, i think that is why i was confused. they and mst other midwives here became midwives by aprenticing (why can't i spell that word ?) under other midwives in the area...

Aha, it's not that home birth is illegal, the midwives are if they aren't licensed since unlike Oregon, licensing is not voluntary in California Requiring a particular set of schools for MEAC (meacschools.org) education is a fairly new requirement, however there has been a mechanism in place for some years prior to receive a license in the state.

The state's midwifery group is called California Association of Midwives or "CAM".

[snugglebug14]

Originally Posted by bellymama

i live in arcata.
humboldt is the best place on earth imho: i love it here!
i also hear we have the biggest chapter of that midwifery group that i cannot remember the name of (north american midwives? californian midwives?) i am really spacey today...and i have a 6 mo old climbing all over me like a monkey.

small world...he lived in arcata for a little while!