The Making of Mothers & Midwives

Well I've returned to the workforce as a midwifery educator/ midwife RN. Ive been enjoying the experience of working with new mums, and as well as working with new students.  Its been an interesting time of observation too. Its funny how motherhood and midwifery reflect similar growth patterns. I find myself comparing these roles often; as a midwifery educator and also as a mum. Observing students as they step into a new identity of a midwife, emanating all the knowledge and skills that makes them able to work 'with women' is captivating. The glimpses of knowledge and personal insight they gain early in their course grows just like a pregnant woman grows, little by little into something that is living and breathing within them. Sometimes this growth is internally driven by morals and ways of being, sometimes externally molded and sculpted through other midwives, doctors or  educators or simply by circumstance.

With every interaction with a woman, the student learns. Given building blocks of knowledge and information  at opportune moments in their clinical practice, the students are able assemble all the facts and figures into a solid foundation to underpin their growing skills and mindsets. Sometimes, the students can find and place some blocks themselves - self directed learning at its best. This aspect makes every midwife unique. The basic fundamentals of midwifery knowledge and skill are the same world wide and shared with each student, but the unique bent that each midwifery student or midwife brings to her own formation, the  array of knowledge and how they intermingle their own learning with the fundamentals, makes the foundations unique. Something to be treasured, as unique as every infant born through their care.

Observing a woman as she experiences all the aspects of pregnancy,  of labour, of birthing an infant and of learning how to care for and love that infant/s is also an amazing priviledge. As a midwife works 'with woman'  she is re-introduced to all the aspects of  womanhood, not personally but now professionally. Including :- hormones, menstrual cycles and pregnancy terms to emotions, roles, self image and self confidence, to spiritual awareness and holistic needs. As well as this, the experience of motherhood,  breastfeeding, nurturing, handling an infant, meeting its needs and her own.  There is also the social approval within the community, the psychological celebration of pregnant women, and the increased sensitivity to other peoples sudden interest in a woman's health and well being when pregnant.  Eyes are  alerted to the sudden awareness of every other pregnant woman at the same time..

As women walk through the various stages of pregnancy, so too, do midwifery students walk through stages of growth and development.  Stages of beginner nervousness, of the honeymoon phase of learning- falling in love with the idea of midwifery, of the early experiences which confirm or challenge preconcieved ideas of what a midwife is,  and of seeing everywhere, pregnancy, birth and mothers. When students hit the harder middle months of growth and experiences, of practicing and watching and participating in all things birthwise and motherwise, the prevalence of a world of mothers can be fulfilling or very daunting.

Caring for women in all the stages utilising the growing knowledge that they have gained  fosters a new self confidence in the student. Where students may become over confident initially, time and reality quickly reminds them of their student status.  Eventual realisation of the enormous amounts of knowledge and constant research and changes in the body of knowledge  surrounding midwifery, causes students to reconsider their  own depth of knowing and a tentative new found respect for colleagues is born. As students begin to develop their own perspectives and ways of doing, a baby midwife is being born and fed. Experience after experience is food to their bones. Every hand that helps a woman birth, is strengthened. Every watching eye on a  labouring woman, or every palpation of a pregnant abdomen,  every comforting  word to the hormonal day three mum,  every experience moves a student further towards her calling to be 'with woman'. And this is why I love the making of mothers and midwives.