Tribe for Midwifery Students 2008!! - Page 84

[doulanichole]

I have seen several on here from GA, can you tell me where you are? We would like to start a study group so it would be great to know where everyone is. You can PM me if you prefer.

[CanidFL]

Originally Posted by rebirth

So~ Who are you planning to apprentice with? Not necessarily specific people, but what types of people, with what types of personalities and what types of practices? How many professionals do you expect to work with?

I'm curious about what different student or aspiring midwives plan for their clinical/observation skills. Why do you want the specific type of experiences you plan to get? How do you expect to practice when you finish (number of births a month, home, birth center)?

Good Questions.

I already have my preceptor lined up. She is a homebirth midwife and takes on 4 clients a month. She is a loving, warm soul and treats all women with respect. She has prenatals at her home office and travels up to a 2 hour radius for births. She is all about educating women and I love that about her. She has great business sense and I really am looking forward to learning how to run a successful business as well as the midwifery skills. She is very laid back but not totally hands off either. She knows when intervention is needed and will go ahead with that after the mother is informed.

I also plan to do some clinical hours in a hospital setting. I would like to spend 16 weeks or so observing birth and not assisting much. Kind of shadow the nurses and get a sense for the hospitals in my area.

I only plan on apprenticing with 1 midwife. She fits the style I am geared towards. I plan on opening a homebirth practice with a goal of 1-2 clients a month for the first 5 years. Once my DS (and future child) is a little older, I would like to attend 4 births a month.

I think birth centers are great and we really need more in the area but my passion is with homebirth so that is what I will stick with.

[fairydoula]

Originally Posted by MamaRabbit

cristeen, i have seen horrible IBCLC's and great ones. Sometimes (just like doula, CBE, etc,) certification means nothing. It's difficult to get in the needed hours if not in a hospital or WIC setting also.

I decided to pursue being CLC - certified lactation counselor with CBI. It's a new program and so far it's great. Obviously it's not the level of IBCLC but I'm smart and I can read! If it's a situation I can't help solve then I can refer to an LC.

fairydoula, PP help is a great way to fund your studies w/o being on call. That's one reason i"m pursuing the CLC and then teach CBE classes. Sometimes when I get home from teaching CBE, I tell my husband, well that session just paid for a few of my books!

lol,
I do the same thing often! DH gets a little frustrated, trying to maintain the budget while I'm trying to buy as many books as possible! haha
I think the CLC is a good idea, for sure, whether you want to enhance your doula or CBE offerings, or you plan on continuing and pursuing the LC.
I will/hope to take the course offered by Linda J. Smith... I've talked with her several times, both on Lactnet, email and over the phone. She is like, a total GURU of breastfeeding and I love her no-nonsense approach. The course she offers is a 7 day intensive that prepares you for the LC exam, but also puts you solidly on the path of learning what you need, and accumulating hours to get ready to take the LC. She recommended to me to become a LLL leader to start accumulating hours. It's a good idea, if you can't get a job with WIC or a hospital where you're working with BF women.
- Jen

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by fairydoula

She recommended to me to become a LLL leader to start accumulating hours. It's a good idea, if you can't get a job with WIC or a hospital where you're working with BF women.

That's actually the first thing I looked into because it is by far the "easiest" way to get your 1000 hours for the IBCLC. However in order to even begin the process to become a LLL Leader, one of the requirements is that you have to have BF your own child.

[triscuitsmom]

*waves* to everyone! I wanted to pop in with an update. I had my second ultrasound last Friday and my placenta has moved up. No more previa and I'm back on for my homebirth

I've been getting a ton of reading done lately. I just finished Birth as an American Rite of Passage. Now I'm reading Prescription for Nutritional Healing. What is on everyone elses reading list right now?

I need to get caught up on the thread again... I hope everyone is well.

[DreamsInDigital]

Originally Posted by triscuitsmom

*waves* to everyone! I wanted to pop in with an update. I had my second ultrasound last Friday and my placenta has moved up. No more previa and I'm back on for my homebirth

Lucky you! My ultrasound today showed the opposite. My previa has not resolved and we're basically cancelling my homebirth plans and planning a c-section.

After 2 vaginal hospital births and 2 homebirths, this is quite an odd thing to experience.

Thankfully my midwife has said she will doula for us and it seems as though the hospital is good about respecting parents' wishes.

I guess it will make me a well-rounded midwife to have experienced basically every type of birth there is huh?

[MamaRabbit]

^^^ You'll be well rounded. When I was stressing during my twin pregnancy, my DH reminded me that A) I was now two years ahead of schedule to get the 4 children we wanted, B) personal experience with pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding of twins. Helped to put it in perspective.

Alison, I'm reading through Birth and Birth and Breastfeeding by Odent. I've got so many books it's hard to know where to begin when I finish the next one.

[majikfaerie]

Gee Mamarabbit; having to choose from all those books must really suck for you

[CanidFL]

Originally Posted by cristeen

That's actually the first thing I looked into because it is by far the "easiest" way to get your 1000 hours for the IBCLC. However in order to even begin the process to become a LLL Leader, one of the requirements is that you have to have BF your own child.

That and the LLL leaders in my area told me that I don't qualify because I work full time : I was a little annoyed at that.

Originally Posted by triscuitsmom

*waves* to everyone! I wanted to pop in with an update. I had my second ultrasound last Friday and my placenta has moved up. No more previa and I'm back on for my homebirth

That is great!

Originally Posted by DreamsInDigital

Lucky you! My ultrasound today showed the opposite. My previa has not resolved and we're basically cancelling my homebirth plans and planning a c-section.

After 2 vaginal hospital births and 2 homebirths, this is quite an odd thing to experience.

Thankfully my midwife has said she will doula for us and it seems as though the hospital is good about respecting parents' wishes.

I guess it will make me a well-rounded midwife to have experienced basically every type of birth there is huh?

so sorry your plans didn't turn out the way you wanted. You are right...it will make you well-rounded. You will know what it's like to have a c-section and recover from it.

Well ladies I posted another thread about CBI and was wondering if any of you are pursuing some courses through them? I am looking at doing the CBE and Breastfeeding Counselor. Any thoughts on their program and if it's worth it? It seems very in depth.

I'm not reading any good books right now. Finals are coming up so I'm studying for that. So far I've been doing great in the courses even after falling behind a couple times. I registered for Biology for the spring semester.

[CanidFL]

If Onlyboys is still around can you check your inbox? I sent you a PM a few weeks ago about the school in Lakeland. Thanks so much

[wombjuice]

I've put my educational books on hold for a while, and am reading more for pleasure. Of course, I love birth so much that my "for pleasure" reading is still about birth.

Right now I'm reading "Monique and the Mango Rains", and it's fantastic! I also just finished "The Birth House", and though I wished it talked more in detail about midwifery, it was still a satisfying and enjoyable read.

***************

In school related news, I have decided to finish up my bachelor's while I attend midwifery school. Of course, midwifery school is going to be so intense that I will only be taking one course per semester towards my bachelor's while in midwifery school because I don't want to be overwhelmed. Anyway, I will be majoring in sociology and minoring in Women's Studies. I eventually would like to continue on to grad school and become a therapist (long after I become a midwife and a mother...this is years in the future) and do prenatal and postpartum counseling for my birth clients.

But in more direct midwifery school-related news, I need to find someone else to fill out one of my FSTM's letter of reference. We need three of them to be sent directly to the school. Well, I chose one of the supervisors at my job (we'll call him Fred) to be one of my three. I let him know that I was leaving my job in August to attend school, but that I had not yet told my boss. Now, I trusted Fred with this information. I was not yet ready to tell my boss because I've still got like eight months here, ya know? Anyway to make a long story short, I found out yesterday that Fred went behind my back and told my boss. I am heartbroken. And now I need to find a new reference, but I don't really know of anybody. This sucks. :

[Synchro246]

Originally Posted by DreamsInDigital

I guess it will make me a well-rounded midwife to have experienced basically every type of birth there is huh?

Oh, DID, I'm sorry. I have to say that processing my first birth I focused on how much I got out of the experience. I called it three births in one (natural labor at home for a day, labor with pit for half a day, labor with an epidural for a day, pushing, vacuume). My second taught me about quick pushing.

I hope you are able to plan a decent cesarean and I hope your bonding process goes smoothly

[cristeen]

The only thing I've been reading lately is Neonatal Resuscitation. But after today I get to put it down... I have class with Karen Strange in an hour!!

I'm so excited.

And I'm hoping that I get to make some contacts within the local birthing community today, and if I'm really lucky find some people to work with. I very much feel that getting laid off this week was the universe telling me that I need to concentrate my energies on this class and what I can take from it in all aspects of my life.

[wombjuice]

Originally Posted by cristeen

The only thing I've been reading lately is Neonatal Resuscitation. But after today I get to put it down... I have class with Karen Strange in an hour!!

I'm so excited.

And I'm hoping that I get to make some contacts within the local birthing community today, and if I'm really lucky find some people to work with. I very much feel that getting laid off this week was the universe telling me that I need to concentrate my energies on this class and what I can take from it in all aspects of my life.

Good luck, cristeen! Have fun at your class! :

[rebirth]

I'm reading a book on pregnancy and birth of multiples. next I'll start reading about infant massage.

[636Jen]

Originally Posted by cristeen

The only thing I've been reading lately is Neonatal Resuscitation. But after today I get to put it down... I have class with Karen Strange in an hour!!

I'm so jealous!! I need to find out where she'll be next. I really want to be certified by her! I hear she's the best.

[Peppamint]

Originally Posted by 636Jen

I'm so jealous!! I need to find out where she'll be next. I really want to be certified by her! I hear she's the best.

Me three! I have been trying to schedule one of her workshops but she's a busy lady. If nothing else, I will just suck it up and drive to Chicago in '09 or '10 to take it there. I am already NRP certified but I would like to take her class- and it will meet one of my requirements with AAMI as well.

[cristeen]

Oh, ladies... it was amazing!!

To be in this room full of midwives and doulas, most of them re-certing, there were only a couple of us first-timers.

But the energy. The discussions.

I am totally on a birth high right now!

Sign up on Karen's website to be notified... I believe it's by state, that's how I found out she was coming to town. I know one of the ladies there wasn't due for re-cert but she says she takes the class every time Karen comes to town.

I met some great ladies in the local community, found a birth center I didn't even know existed 2 miles from my house, and found a local midwife who teaches classes at the student midwife level every few months.

And something else only you ladies would understand... I held my first baby since the death of my son almost 19 months ago. And I did okay.

[MamaRabbit]

Originally Posted by majikfaerie

Gee Mamarabbit; having to choose from all those books must really suck for you

Originally Posted by CanidFL

Well ladies I posted another thread about CBI and was wondering if any of you are pursuing some courses through them? I am looking at doing the CBE and Breastfeeding Counselor. Any thoughts on their program and if it's worth it? It seems very in depth.

I have done their doula and CBE programs. They were wonderful! And as soon as they opened up their CLC program I immediately enrolled because I knew just how good it would be. AND it has far exceeded my expectations! It is in depth and totally doable by distance. I believe it's worth the money by far.

Originally Posted by cristeen

The only thing I've been reading lately is Neonatal Resuscitation. But after today I get to put it down... I have class with Karen Strange in an hour!!

Too bad she can't come to Asia

Originally Posted by cristeen

And something else only you ladies would understand... I held my first baby since the death of my son almost 19 months ago. And I did okay.

That must have been so hard.

When my twins were 2 months old my oldest DD brought her friend and friend's parents over to see them. The mother picked up one baby and just started sobbing. She went on to explain that it was the first baby she'd held since she'd lost a baby to SIDS 4 months prior. Put the baby down and picked up the other one. She said holding a baby was something she had to do and knew once she got it over with she'd feel much better about other babies. It has been a long healing process for her, especially because she feels it's her fault. I've been able to counsel her and hold her. And she loves on my babies now.

[636Jen]

Originally Posted by cristeen

And something else only you ladies would understand... I held my first baby since the death of my son almost 19 months ago. And I did okay.

I'm glad you had such a great time at the certification class. I sounds like it was very healing.