Day 1

Woke up bright and early to head to the conference. I got a huge folder of things when I checked in, and then I headed over to the conference room for my first full day of speakers. Today, the topics were geared towards aspiring midwives... that is, those people who were thinking of becoming midwives but hadn't yet taken the necessary steps for a variety of reasons.

It was a fantastic introduction to the field. I came away completely stuffed with knowledge, exhausted beyond reason -- but at the same time, I was more energized and enthusiastic about my future career than ever. I found a few new "midwifery idols" as well, who I of course plan to stalk over the next few days. (And by "stalk," I mean attend many of their classes, not something more nefarious... haha.)

I was especially intrigued by the physiological changes of the second stage, and super thrilled to learn more about the tools midwives use. I now have an ongoing birthday/Christmas/etc wish list for things like fetoscopes and Pinard horns... hehe.

Lunch was a frustrating affair. The area of Eugene that I'm in has many healthy eating and sit-down type restaurants, but there is literally no fast food of any kind. Thus, I'm going to have to spend a lot more money than I had originally intended to spend. I'm hoping that I get a chance to wander to other parts of the city; I know University of Oregon is somewhere nearby, and I would bet that they have a ton of starving-college-student-friendly food.

I went to the Christian midwives meeting tonight. I was expecting around 10-15 people to show up... apparently that's what the organizers were expecting as well. Not so. We filled up the entire room... every single chair was full. It was REALLY inspiring to see so many midwives who were Christian.

In talking with them, it also became incredibly apparent to me that with this career, it is incredibly difficult to be a midwife and a Christian. The two are not separate. Your work and your life will be fractured if you view it this way -- that you're a midwife and a Christian as well.

Instead, you really have to aspire to be a Christian midwife. The two blend together and affect both parts of your life together. You depend on God to do what you do, especially if there is an emergency need.

And midwifery, in turn, affects your faith greatly. In your career, you are "with woman" and led by God. In your faith, you are led by God and with your brothers and sisters in Christ. You are given opportunities to bless the families you serve through your career and again through your silent testimony of faith.

I want to learn from a Christian midwife.