Homebirth in San Diego...Homework

I recently had the challenge of finding an available homebirth midwife for a mommy due next month, in December. Many midwifes are booked full or on holiday: Brooke Ray, Jamin Sylvada, La Shel Montgomery and Gerri Ryan and Michelle Freund . By the way all of these website links are worth reading thoroughly! But fortunately Andrea Meyers and Sara Davis are available to meet with mom. After finding out that some of my old lists have wrong numbers and some midwives have moved and there are some awesome new midwifes in town I decided I need to revise my "Midwives With Home Birth Practices in San Diego County" list. I'll be working on this along with how many places are there to rent birth tubs and how much does it cost? It has been so many years since I planned my own home birth it was even before I met Barbara Harper, Waterbirth International! So I didn't even know about water birth back then - 24 years ago!

You might be wondering why, me being a doula and all, I do not have all the most current information at hand. To be completely honest (always), I believe that it is the pregnant family's responsibility to select their care provider. I happen to know and love a few special midwifes. I have taken midwifery apprentice workshops. I have watched midwifes be born, hatched from Doula to Licensed Midwife (CD, LM) with great joy and admiration. I will recommend a midwife if asked. But most of the time when a family is meeting with me to consider my doula services they already have a care provider. I respect the family's decision. It's when mom is unhappy with her care, finds out the provider's saying one thing and doing another, mom has had a change of heart (and all of us women have every right to change our minds ;)...that I will encourage mom to sit with her true feelings, bravely seek out her deepest desire, investigate the options. ...That brings me to my homework...

It does take some WORK and planning to prepare for your home birth, buying supplies, eating right, praying and meditating...isn't that what we do everyday anyway? Hmmmm well that's about it! Then there is the WORK of Labour and the intimate, hungry, up and down days of postpartum recovery - WORK. The WORK of parenting of course and most importantly the WORK of partnering with the other half of the adults in the family : ) and loving them completely, utterly, totally. (Okay, that part is sounding too fun!!! But isn't that what got the baby in there?) Like my grandma said, BUSY hands make a happy heart :) and speaking for myself an old crone, with an empty nest, the WORK is so worth it! The satisfaction is great; the fulfillment that comes from the WORK of mothering, and partnering is undeniably earth shaking stuff! It is heartening, enriching, exciting, scary...Be brave young women, young mothers; the drama is over all too soon. The tide of your life will have ebbs and flows. From time to time take a step back from the middle of the swirling waters and watch it from afar. It is a beautiful life. Artistic. Mysterious. A Masterpiece.

Keep a look out for my completed cheat sheet of 'Homebirthin in San Diego' coming soon...

P.S. Do you know how hard it is for a midwife to say "I'm going on vacation" or "I can't take anymore clients"? Really hard. They are so dedicated to their WORK, to families, mommies and the babies!T hank you baby catchers for taking your much needed family time, breaks, and retreats!

My cup runneth over, Rosie