RE: [ozmidwifery] Obstetric Perception - Your thoughts?

[Vicki Chan]

Title: Message

Dear all...   I have been in private practice for 14 years... I find that the work melds with all else in life to become part of the whole...rather that something separate...even at the busiest times ( for a few years there, i was attending thirty births a year with the most being 45) life flowed ...full, but easy!  I have often wondered...how do women have a job when they have children??, forgetting that I too "work" but it never really felt that way. I managed to be a full time mother, worked at the school (or homeschooled them depending on the year!) always at music, sports, parties... my children have grown up surounded by the most wonderful womena and their families...they have learned about life and death, about relationships, and mostly about love.   These days, I attend only a few births to leave the space for 'the big work' (ie changing the world), writing, and ocasionally,I find the time to do a shift at Selangor. My husband is now at home...I am not away much but when I am, he is there. It costs me money to do my work these days but I am sustained by a vision of a better world!   I do dream of the old 'easy life' when I was (just) a midwife in private practice and mother extrordinaire...   With a family, two births a month would be (on the whole, cause there's always surprises!) a lovely life! I think 3-4 births/month (with 2 months off a year) should be considered full time work... perhaps one or two more for those without family commitments. Lets honour the women with every decision we make...   Vicki        -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Sally Westbury Sent: Friday, November 01, 2002 12:40 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] Obstetric Perception - Your thoughts? I have been attending women at births for many years now. I love the flexibility of my work. I am fully supported by my partner and my extended family and friends.   For me being with a woman birthing is an intense experience and I choose not to have many women each month. Two women birthing each month is enough for me so that I feel that I am able to really be with my family. I am able to do most of my antenatal and postnatal work within school hours and then it is only 2 times each month that I am with a woman birthing. So at worst 2 nights each month I am away from my family overnight.. at best none. Not too bad realy.   Financially if we look at 2000 dollars per birth. There is an income of 2000 per fortnight. This is very roughly speaking.   I would be interested to see what people see as a full time case load?   There are great benefits to being with a known women. I love my work. I grow real relationship with women. I’m still longing for and missing the women in Victoria that I have left behind even as I see mothers born and babies birthed here and know that I am growing those connections here. I still think about women in Tasmania and remember the important lessons they taught me as a new midwife and wonder how those children are as the approach their teenage years. This is amazing work and my family is only enriched by my work as we have links and are loved by many in the community.   Oh gush gush gush… sorry but honest I so much adore the women I am with and am honored by being invited to journey with them. I am sure there are so many other midwives who would be so much happier and more enriched by working with known women.   Just imagine… instead of going home from work mostly frustrated… you went home feeling mostly elated… how would your family benefit from that??   My family support me entirely because they see how happy the work makes me and that spills over to our whole family life.   Gush.. gush.. gush….   In peace and joy   Sally Westbury