Midwifery Today Conference 2009

I think I am finally feeling well enough to write about this wonderful opportunity that I had.
I attended one day of the 2007 conference and have looked forward to the next one ever since. Due mostly to work, and a little to my kiddos, I was able to attend just 3 days this time, but it was amazing!! There is nothing more powerful than a whole conference room full of midwives, student midwives wishing to carry on an age old tradition, and so many other worlds of women who have a passion for normal, positive birth. The affects of the birth process and experience are soooo strong and important for both women and babies. And this doesn't just mean the hours of birth itself, but the care that mom receives the 9 months before and few months after as well.

Wednesday and Thursday were pre-conference days. I opted, after great struggle, to attend the basic midwifery skills classes. Most of which were taught by Anne Frye and Liz Davis. Those of you that share my passion will know how great that really is. Anne is soooo full of wonderful wisdom. She is so to the point and ready to share her strong views. Not to mention her volumes of Holistic midwifery text is nothing short of the midwife's bible. And I don't mean that lightly. I learned and relearned new things as well as new approaches to and reasons for things I already knew. A whole new expansion on the uncertainty of ultrasound technology, and how much you can really learn about a baby by methods of age old care. The art of palpation and the use of a fetoscope.
And not of least importance by far, intuition, communication, both with mom and baby, and simple presence. Goes to remind me of one of the great things of this work, the way I want to do this work, the only way I believe is right, with continuity of care. You have to build a relationship with each woman, each baby, and grow that relationship with trust and comfort in order to expect a good outcome with your presence as a midwife in the birth space.

OK, I could go on forever, as I have and will. I have also been eyeing Elizabeth's "Hearts and Hands" midwifery guide for a few years now, and just haven't bought it. So when she had a few copies there of her latest edition, which kept coming up in their conversation, I decided to buy it right from her. And guess what? She signed if for me right there. Yes, with my name as who to and all. I felt like a teen age girl at a stupid Jonah's Brothers concert or some shit. I'm such a pathetic geek sometimes. Oh well.

Saturday. By the times Saturday came around, the flu that began earlier in the week had hit me really hard. I called in work, thought I had to stay home and sleep. i couldn't sleep so headed back up. I listened and participated intently to Ina May Gaskin and Michel Odent as they discussed twin birth. The differences in twins, when it is not safe to deliver at home, as well as how to handle the chance of difficulty at home. They do such a good job of reminding everyone that in a healthy normal twin pregnancy, there is so very little difference. A good deal of info about the negative affect that additional people in attendance really had on birth, especially twins. Michel pointed out how people, even midwives are too quick to interfere after the first baby is born, causing mom to snap back out of labor land before that next needed spike of oxytocin happens to facilitate the birth of baby two. He really had good points. Very sobering.

Ina May and Gloria had a great general session on the importance of midwives and women reclaiming the homebirth and normal birth of VBACs, Breech and Twins. We need to do something about the damaging, unnecessary surgery rate of c/s for these births. Twins and breech are variations of normal. It requires training, as well as an attentive eye, but there is no reason that that alone should be an instant section.

Gail Hart is an Oregon midwife, she covered slow labors. She is sooo great, and so entertaining. She brings such a real life approach to birth. "We don't know how long sex will take, never can tell, why should we know how long it will take to get the baby out." HA! so real, just love her. She led the birth stories evening I sat in on as well, her stories are so great to hear. As are everyone else's. Listening to the stories of birth from the attendants pov is so different. I just loved it all.