A Midwife In The Making...

Many of you know I have begun the clinicals phase of my nurse-midwifery master's degree. A climactic part of my training is a required, week-long trip to eastern Kentucky where students gather and practice hands-on skills for this next portion of school. It was a very hard week in many respects.

Leaving Naomi for 8 days was surely a painful milestone. :( But I left Grant well-prepared, with a bag for each day including an outfit, jammies, diapers, & socks!

 This was my little home for the week. God was watching out for me, as I really hoped to get my own room, which happened. I ended up being very sick the entire week and with the high-stress environment, it was nice to have my own space to retreat to at night.

 So what do a bunch of midwifery students do together for that long? You guessed it. We sat around with fake vaginas.

 We perused tables of birth control, fertility beads, and female condoms.

 We gave each other pelvic and breast exams. No. I'm not kidding.

 We watched the snow fall outside...

 Then we watched seasoned midwives explain the cardinal movements of birth.

 Everyone lined up to practice fundal height measurement on the only pregnant person there - me.

 We practiced sewing up perineums on a block of foam.

 Then graduated to practicing on beef tongue. Now if that doesn't make you rethink the slogan, I don't know what would. Beef. It's what's for dinner. Hmmm. Maybe not.

 We practiced assessments on newborns.

 And we gathered up in circles to share about what we would take on as our personal responsibility as primary care providers.

 The midwives presented us with hand-knit newborn hats to present to our first "catch."

 And we took lots of pictures.

 To send us off to our real-world season of practice, we got to ring the bell on campus, a school tradition. We rang it when we started the program, rang it during this week, and will ring it a final time after graduation.

I have truly enjoyed my first couple of weeks at the grindstone, but it sure is giving me a run for my money as well. I've attended three of the forty required births for the program and whittled down 40-some hours of the required 675. Lots still ahead, but it's a start. Grateful to have a light at the end of the tunnel and honored to have this be what the Lord has called me to do...