My dear friends and families,
I wanted to take this moment to share the adventures of my last few years becoming a midwife. Birth itself is a journey. Likewise my path with birth has been a journey. There were many moments when midwifery called me. Also, many times I've tried to run from midwifery, since it can be a sleepless and intense job at times.
Three moments pointed me towards birth. When I was seventeen my mom bought a book about careers that change lives. We were flipping through it. Mothers always know, she said with a kind voice "maybe you want to be a midwife?" I shrugged unaware my mother had been the first to name my future.
In college my roommate was obsessed with birth. This is when I started watching birth videos and also became obsessed with birth. One summer in college I ran into Emme Corbeil, a homebirth midwife who is a dear family friend. We got into the longest and coolest conversation about breastfeeding. My interest in the childbearing years grew.
Finally, one moment in particular that solidified my path towards midwifery. It occurred when I lived at Yasodhara Ashram. I was twenty-two years old attending a Yoga teacher training. As I sat in the stunning Kootenay mountains reflecting on who I was, who I was becoming and how I wanted to contribute to the world. A voice deep inside said, "become a midwife." I could never not hear that voice again. Soon enough I was working with midwives. I spent two months literally being Emme's shadow. I lived in her house and did everything she did including attend my first birth! Since then the years were filled with beautiful doula births and special relationships with families in Minnesota, Kauai and Texas.
In 2021 I enrolled in National College of Midwifery and officially began the process of becoming a certified professional midwife. During the pandemic, I did year long apprenticeship with Leah Hatcher, of Morning Glory Midwifery on the island of Kauai. Being invited into the beautiful worlds of Kauai home birth families filled my heart more than words can describe. The loneliness of the pandemic, living alone, and family far across the ocean, melted away in the presence of Leah's incredible home birth families. The intimacy of the relationships formed in home birth practice are like no other. Each family I have the pleasure of working with expands my heart a little more. I can only imagine how big my heart will be after years of supporting birthing families!
I spent the summer of 2022 in El Paso, attending births as a midwifery student at Maternidad La Luz. My Spanish vocabulary quickly expanded to cover many topics in maternal and infant health. Sometimes now I forget how to explain an aspect of midwifery care in English! Many of the clients I worked with live in Juarez and cross the border to give birth in the United states. I am touched by the humility and steadfastness of the birthing women at Maternidad La Luz.
With excitement I plan to head to Maternidad La Luz in El Paso Texas and Salud Primal, a birth center in Playa Del Carmen in January and February of 2023. I love learning about birth and I'm passionate about the well being of families.
Wishing you joy and adventure this new year!
Sofia
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