Mary the Midwife’s Philosophy of Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting
Birth is a normal life process that changes you forever. The way a woman is treated during her pregnancy, birth and postpartum is critical.

All women deserve to have the best possible birth experience with compassionate, competent clinical care in the privacy of their own home surrounded by love and the support from their husband/partner, family and friends. If you and your baby are healthy, homebirth is safe and wonderful.

Empower: Women are at their most vulnerable point in life during pregnancy especially in the final stages; during the birth their vulnerability is at its highest point and stays at that high level of vulnerability immediately after birth and slowly decreases in the early weeks postpartum.

 

I see this time as a great opportunity to empower women. Validating their feelings and perceptions, giving them the information they need to make informed decisions and at the same time listening and hearing her every word with respect; as she manages herself and guides me in my care as her attendant.

Women themselves have all the answers. Sometimes it just takes someone to help them realize how powerful they are.

Expert: Women are the experts! No one knows their body better or their babies better! Studying the human body, going to medical/midwifery school and attending hundreds of births does not make me or anyone else the expert regarding an individual’s body. You are the expert when it comes to you.

Encourage: en.cour.age: 1. to inspire with courage, spirit or confidence; 2. to stimulate by guidance; 3. to promote.

Encouragement defines much of my role as a midwife. I will try with the best of my ability to inspire every woman with courage, spirit and confidence every step of their pregnancy, birth and early parenting by listening to her concerns, educating her on every aspect of the clinical/physical/emotional/psychological side of her concern, and promoting her expertise and instincts to stimulate and guide me on the best management option.

Explore: Pregnancy is an amazing time of self-discovery. All mothers, be it first timers or the mother of many, know each pregnancy begins a new adventure. Each child is so unique as is their time in the womb. Yes, similarities but yet still so different always teaching us new lessons about ourselves. Babies prepare and guide us on our adventure and together mom & baby labor and birth sharing life, gifts of love to each other.

As your midwife I want to be a part of your exploration of new life with all of its joy, peace, anticipation, excitement plus its many concerns and fears. If any bumps, rocky roads and storms erupt, as your midwife I want to be present, completely present for you and your baby to help smooth those bumps, help you plow through the rocky roads and help calm the water and wind of that storm by listening, nurturing and reminding you that you have all the answers.

 

Expectations: Trust! Trust is my strongest expectation. I need you to trust me and I need to trust you. We hear or read “Trust Birth” yes, we need to trust our bodies, our babies and our birth but at the same time “Birth Trusts Us”. Birth trusts me to be your midwife. Birth trusts me to be honest with you every step of the way even if it is difficult. Birth teaches me to trust my instincts. Birth teaches you to trust your instincts and take care of yourself. If we trust each other (baby too) and share all issues and concerns birth will trust us.

Excitement: To even consider me as possibly becoming your midwife is special but to be hired officially to attend you during this precious time bestows much honor. I try to bring reverence to the sacred time of birth with deep respect for you, your baby, your partner and your family with the best clinical management possible. It is just so exciting in every aspect.