Changes

So a lot has changed in the last couple months. We moved back to the Bay Area and are now living in Berkeley. I went from driving everywhere to riding my bike everywhere. We went from fostering kittens to adopting one. =) And as of Tuesday I'm going from being a home birth practice apprentice to a midwifery birth center apprentice.

All of these changes are good and challenging. I love being back in the bay area, close to my family and old friends, but I do miss the friends we made in LA. Driving was fast and convenient, but now biking is fun and gets me in shape. I'm very grateful that Berkeley is mostly flat. Being a new parent to a kitten is so much fun. Cody is ridiculously funny and keeps us constantly entertained. =) But trying to decide if he should be allowed to go outside or not is causing turmoil.

On Tuesday I start my new apprenticeship. I had contacted about 10 local midwives to see if they were looking for an apprentice, and they all either had one already or weren't looking. By chance I decided to contact Sage Femme Midwifery in SF. I had hoped to continue working with a midwife who does homebirths, but at this point I was willing to work anywhere I could gain experience and learn.

When I met with the CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife) who is the founder of the birth center, she explained what an apprenticeship is like there and how they structure it. Basically they schedule appointments on tues, wed and thurs. They have 3 students and each is assigned to just one day to avoid burnout and to accommodate anyone who has a second job and/or childcare issues. Each client is always scheduled on the same day for their appointments, so which ever student is working on their day will be assigned to attend their birth, whenever it may happen.

I am the new Tuesday student. A few things that will be very different from my previous apprenticeship, aside from the obvious location will be:
The center accepts Medicare, meaning their clientele ranges from upper middle-class down to the occasional homeless:
I am glad for the opportunity to work with a wider range of clients. A bit apprehensive, because I'm not sure what challenges it will present, but I'm hoping to learn as I go.

I will only be going in once a week, as opposed to spending each weekday driving from home to home for appointments:
Going in just once a week at first felt like it would be a waste, that I should be busier and use the time I have available now. But the more I think about it, I will have more time to study and complete the academic part of my program, which is very time consuming and laborious.

I will have the opportunity to observe certain tests being preformed in a hospital setting:
For example if the parents decide to do genetic testing I could go with them to the hospital for support and observe clinically how the test is given. This would help me understand it to better explain and prepare future parents if they are considering it. Because the center has connections with hospitals in SF they offer genetic testing. To function as a free standing birth center they have to have these connections. They also have to perform certain tests and adhere to stricter guidelines than a private midwife would. I'm curious to see what the differences are in practice.

So that's it for now. As time goes by I hope to be able to revisit some of the births I wasn't able to write about yet. I attended 14 births in total down in LA. 3 of the 14 required transport, 2 of them for cesareans, and one for a vacuum assist. All ended with healthy happy babies and families. I plan to write about my experiences at the birth center, but I want to be considerate to the mothers and families, so I might not give as much detail as before. It is their birth story after all. =)