Tribe for Midwifery Students 2008!! - Page 2

[Joyce in the mts.]

Hey y'know I am glad to be reminded of the global nature of MDC in general and of this particular tribe. It is very true that other parts of the planet are in other seasons, so again... thanks for that reminder!! It was perfectly appropriate!

Hey Jen! Nice to see ya' here today. I envy you going to the MT conf, but I know we'll have a fine time in MI this summer for the MSTM conf. Can't wait!

cfiddlin... I trust you and your midwife/preceptor-to-be have set a definite time at which to meet- if not, may I suggest that you be proactive by connecting with her to do just that? Your time is as valuable as hers, isn't it? I am excited for you!

And thanks for coming to this thread, folks. I value you all.


J.

[rnchrista]

Hi. I'm Christa, I'm 37, and I live in the Detroit area too.
i've been apprenticing for about a year and a half and have attended around 30 births. I'm also an Emergency Room/Urgent Care nurse.
I work with 2 midwives now, both of whom I love, and have some busy months coming up.
things have never been very easy for me...this is the most difficult thing I've ever done and I wonder if it's worth it sometimes.
Juggling the schedule, babysitters...the constant financial stress, the negativity of some of my extended family and friends. People who don't understand that my job doesn't revolve around a schedule, and that business sometimes comes at inopportune times. I have been told that what I'm doing is selfish, rude, inconsiderate of my family, that I'm being taken advantage of (working for so little pay), that I have no priorities, that I'm doing this to escape spending time with my family....you name it, I've probably heard it.
And no, I'm not hearing this from my husband...he admits that my job makes life difficult sometimes, but is basically supportive because he knows this is what I like to do. It's coming from my Dad, my brother, a few friends...people I don't live with, and have no accountability to.
It makes me so sad. I am so tired of fighting an uphill battle.

[cristeen]

rnchrista - Most people don't understand the difference between choosing a profession and having a "calling".

I'm Cris, I'm currently waiting for my curriculum from AAMI. We've been married 3 1/2 years, and are currently TTC. I've felt the calling before, but spent years burying it. I was pushed into the "professional" world, and it took me years to finally admit to myself and everyone else that I hate the white-collar world. The experience I had in the hospital when my son was born (we had been planning a UC) really reinforced for me that this is what I need to do. Luckily my DH is very supportive of this decision. Right now I am a SAHW, but I am looking for a job, at least PT, so we can pay off some of our debt.

[AdalynsMama]

Hi to all! I lurked quite a bit on the previous thread and now I'm ready to join

I'm Christina. I'm a SAHM to two LOs- Adalyn, 2.5 and Ethan, three months. I've been married 3 years now. We live in NC. I'm a birth doula with ALACE and have recently started working with my midwife as an assistant/apprentice. As of right now it's pretty slow and I'm fine with that. I love midwifery and am thrilled to have an opportunity to learn with all of you!

[Wittyone]

Hi All!
I just de-lurked on the other thread a few days ago, but am happy to repost here.

Originally Posted by Wittyone

Hi ladies!
I found this tribe recently and figured I should introduce myself. I've been an RN in a freestanding birth center since I graduated nursing school and am in progress on my CNM. I attend the Frontier School of Midwifery (link in sig). My son was born when I was 6 months into the program, so it's been slow and steady for me. I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, as I just started clinicals and should graduate sometime next summer - yay! Anyhow, it's nice to meet you all and I look forward to reading/learning/sharing with a like minded group

[Joyce in the mts.]

Hi to the new folks in the thread

Here's a link to the old thread just in case!:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=576071

(Thought it'd be a good idea to post the above link- there is alot of great info and sharing there.)


J.

[majikfaerie]

does anyone do AAMI from a big distance? like, from another country? how does it work for you?

[MidwifeErika]

Hi everyone! Happy 2008!

I am Erika, 27 years old, mom to 3 kids ages 5, 3, and 18 months. I am an AAMI student and have been for over a year. I am just trying to get orientation finished up, but took some time away for the holidays and for a family wedding. I am apprenticing with 2 midwives and have been since April 2007. I am sure I will have to go to someplace like Casa de Nacimiento to get finished with my CPM within the time limits the state has as well. I also do birth doula and postpartum doula work. I enjoy what I do quite a bit. I am looking forward to 2008, I think it is going to be a good year!

[MamaRabbit]

Originally Posted by majikfaerie

does anyone do AAMI from a big distance? like, from another country? how does it work for you?

ME!!! Well, I haven't exactly started yet, but I called and asked just that. I was told it pretty much works the same way. Just more expensive to get books and you can't do group studies in person or get an apprenticeship as easily. Harder to attend conferences too

[majikfaerie]

cool mamarabbit. well, not perfect, but... well, I'm thinking about joining you. do ou have to physically go there to do stuff?

[CNM2B]

Hi Everyone! I'm an RN and will begin a CNM program in March. I am currently a SAHM with my soon-to-be-one year old daughter (on Saturday!) I love reading everyone's posts!

While I am here, I have a question for you all. I was reading on another thread that a woman was seeking to refuse her Group B Strep test. Is this common practice to refuse this test? Why? I was tested, found out I was positive, treated with antibiotics and STILL my baby became septic and spent 10 days in the hospital (undergoing 2 lumbar punctures and a PICC line placement). After she was released, I had to administer antibiotics to her twice a day via PICC for 2 weeks. It was a nightmare and I can't think of a good reason to risk this?? Babies die from this. Help me understand why women would refuse this test. I admit that I tend to look at things in a more "medical" view than most on this post, so I enjoy seeing "the other side" and have learned a lot from you all! Thanks in advance!

[636Jen]

Originally Posted by CNM2B

It was a nightmare and I can't think of a good reason to risk this?? Babies die from this. Help me understand why women would refuse this test.

This would probably be a good question to post on the Birth Professional forum. I have read about many women who opt for no testing whatsoever.

[maxmama]

Originally Posted by CNM2B

Hi Everyone! I'm an RN and will begin a CNM program in March. I am currently a SAHM with my soon-to-be-one year old daughter (on Saturday!) I love reading everyone's posts!

While I am here, I have a question for you all. I was reading on another thread that a woman was seeking to refuse her Group B Strep test. Is this common practice to refuse this test? Why? I was tested, found out I was positive, treated with antibiotics and STILL my baby became septic and spent 10 days in the hospital (undergoing 2 lumbar punctures and a PICC line placement). After she was released, I had to administer antibiotics to her twice a day via PICC for 2 weeks. It was a nightmare and I can't think of a good reason to risk this?? Babies die from this. Help me understand why women would refuse this test. I admit that I tend to look at things in a more "medical" view than most on this post, so I enjoy seeing "the other side" and have learned a lot from you all! Thanks in advance!

Agree that you should probably post in Birth Professionals, but my thought is that they've never seen a baby go septic from GBS. It's quite visceral when you see how a baby can go from essentially "normal" to septic in six hours.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by CNM2B

While I am here, I have a question for you all. I was reading on another thread that a woman was seeking to refuse her Group B Strep test. Is this common practice to refuse this test? Why? I was tested, found out I was positive, treated with antibiotics and STILL my baby became septic and spent 10 days in the hospital (undergoing 2 lumbar punctures and a PICC line placement).

From what I have read... GBS is present in 10-30% of all women, yet the infection rate of infants is 2-3%. A positive test and treatment does not prevent infection (as you know), and a negative test also does not prevent infection. Oftentimes the infection is in fact iatrogenic in nature, introduced during VEs at the time of labor/birth. Add in the risks of antibiotics, AND antibiotics during pregnancy, and some people are going to start questioning the reasoning behind testing at all.

Sure, you're coming from the other side of the equation, someone who it has happened to... look at all the women even just here on MDC who have suffered ruptures and are vehemently against VBAC. Statistically speaking, the risk of rupture with VBAC is tiny, but if you're the one it happens to, statistics don't mean jack. Same can be said for any number of other things. I'm opposed to routine ultrasounds. Yet after having lost my first child to a fluke congenital defect that can only be detected via ultrasound, you can bet I'll be having one (at 20 weeks) with every subsequent pregnancy. Statistically speaking, the risk of it happening again are miniscule, but the risk of the first one was tiny as well, so I choose to have that one test.

Hopefully that made sense.

[Reha]

In 2 years of apprenticing, we have only had TWO clients choose to test for GBS. We simply give them an informed choice agreement, full of information and statistics and pros and cons of testing, and our clients tell us what they want to do. For our clients, I think that the main reason so many don't screen is that they aren't willing to birth in the hospital to have IV antibiotics if positive (something we can't do at home in Oregon). So, if we have a client who is thinking about testing, we talk about what route she will want to take if she is positive, including garlic and probiotics and chlorhexidine (sp?), and many of them simply decide to do those tings preventatively (well, the garlic and probiotics and other supplements).

[cmoma]

Subbing and feeling jealous of all you wonderful women persuing midwifery. I am not yet at a point in my life were I could make it work, but, since the birth of my first in 2003 I have been dreaming of what route to take to be involved with pregnancy and birth. I think I'll seek out my Doula Cert. in the next couple a years and see where that takes me.

For now though I will just have to be on the sidelines of your amazing journeys!

Much

Chrstina

[636Jen]

I'm doing homework for the next 3 hours. If anyone wants to distract me with a post, feel free......lol

[Joyce in the mts.]

Nope, not going to distract you Jen... I am doing homework also!


J.

[pumpkin&bean]

Name: Allison
Age: 32
Children: 3--5 years, 3.5 years and 15 months. Homeschooled
Location: Washington
Birth Work: Birth Doula, Childbirth & Lactation Educator, Midwifery Student/Apprentice
Midwifery: I starting AAMI 06/07 and started apprenticing 8/07. I love it!
Other: I haven't posted too often in the past but I will try to be more involved! Life has just been a little busy!

[touka]

Saying hi...

Name: touka (sorry, I don't like to use real names on public boards)
Age: 31
Sprogs: No kids, just cats
Location: Brooklyn

How I got here: Always had an interest. Friends became pregnant and my latent interest came out in full force. I joined a distance course only to discover that it will not meet my state's requirements for licensure so I'm currently studying unofficially on my own.

My plans are to continue reading/researching on my own until I am able to take all of the prereqs required to apply for enrollement at SUNY Downstate in their CM program. It is going to be a VERY VERY long journey for me but I am completely committed to it.

I am excited that a good friend of mine has tentatively asked me to support her at her 2nd birth later this year. I will be thrilled to be there but have also told her that I completely understand and will take no offense if she kicks me the heck out.

I hope you all don't mind if I tag along hear even though I'm not really a student right now.