I love my clients, and their little ones.

This happy visitor loves coming to my house for prenatals, his mom says he sometimes asks to go to Bri's. Probably because I feed him and have trains and noisemakers.

I LOVE doing prenatals for N, she has a brood of eager assistants.

We all sit around to find out where the baby's bum is and to hear the heart beat.

Of course, they want to hear their babies' hearts as well.

Sometimes it's confusing that there are baby hearts in bellies and regular hearts elsewhere.

Precipitous

I met this lovely family in dire straits. Close to her due date and with her first labor lasting only a few hours, G and I didn't have much time to get to know each other, but our trust was built quickly. She called one night just after midnight with something like gas pains and I rushed right over, luckily I live close by.

Just over an hour after she called me, her baby was born in the bathtub without water (a shower had been running previously) and this little boy woke to his new baby brother.

Welcome Mitchell Scott

More Clients

This past month I was hired by a first-time mom and her husband who live in Utah County.

It's going to be my first trade (partial trade at least) and I'm so excited. I love the thought of a connected community springing from midwifery. If we could work for stuff or future favors instead of money, we'd all save a bunch on taxes and tons of time.

My First REAL Client

Thursday morning I met with a woman looking for a midwife. She came to my house with her two beautiful, intelligent little boys who drew happily on my new ikea easel and drove toy cars on my walls.

We talked and connected on many levels, I really liked her parenting approach and that she was the perfect candidate for homebirth, already having had two before. I sent her on her way with loads of paperwork, information and well wishes as she interviewed other midwives.

Our appointment was between two very long nights for me (supporting a first time mom in labor) so I didn't have a chance to think too much about the interview until today; when she called to hire me! I was so honored that she would chose me over the many other competent women she had met with.

I think this vocation of mine might actually work out. I was thinking of signing up for a job at ikea (since I spend enough time there on my own) or selling my valuable eggs. Thankfully, that won't be necessary.

I am so blessed. I feel so grateful.

Little by little, one by one

Today I worked as a substitute at the Montessori, this is to pay the bills. I love the kids, but I hate the job (I spent 1.2 hours slicing apples, slathering mini bagels with cream cheese and cutting them into equal fourths so 90 kids could have a snack).

Today, however, I found myself in a rather engaging conversation with the grounds maintenance man. He and his wife are very interested in having a midwife/homebirth but are afraid of stepping on their own mothers' toes. I encouraged him to have confidence in their beliefs and we talked extensively about the details of having a baby at home. It was so detailed in fact, it was like an interview; wonderful, except...they're not pregnant.

I find myself without clients of my very own but with plenty of non-pregnant folks who would gladly hire me were they only in the market. I also know plenty of pregnant folks who are willing to call me and ask questions that only a care provider could or should answer, but they are not interested in leaving their own OB/CNM/random midwife they found online, whom they do not feel comfortable calling.

I am going on faith at this point, that the powers that be will eventually see fit to deliver returns on these investments. For now, I will just talk to each of them one by one.