First off, I'm in Ga. If your are in the birth world you already know what that means. Like a few other states, midwifery is in an allegal status. This means that being a midwife is neither legal or illegal, we live in this gray area. As a student, this mean many of the midwives in my state are not promoting themselves for service or as preceptors. This is has made the environment here very tense but also very rich in the traditions of birth culture.
After many years of seeking a culturally focused midwifery practice to apprentice with, I have found a wonderful team. Not only am I able to witness the wisdom of a grand midwife, but also a primary midwife with a wealth of knowledge and intuition about birth and women's wellness. I also appreciate the other attendings who I get the opportunity to bounce thoughts off of case by case. We hold each other accountable.
What I learn on the day-to-day basis I keep in a journal. Every time we meet their out gems, and recipes that I can add to what I have learned over the years, as I age in my practice. I went into this learning experience as just that, I don't have to do everything the way that I learn over these year, but I get observe what has worked for other midwives practices and keep them safe in practice.
This is a long term commitment. I plan to continue in practice with this group as I finish out the NARM process (longer letter later on that). I am attending births as an assistant, doula, and/or add on services.