Each one teach one

My preceptor/employer teaching our student midwife how to do a pap smear 

(Yes, I'm snacking on cereal. A girls gotta eat.) 

Now that I'm officially back to blogging, I took some time yesterday to re-orient myself to this blog. Boy, is it hard to read some of the things I wrote as a brand new student midwife- cringe! If reading my own writing taught me anything it is to be patient with student midwives. The passion I have for midwifery is apparent in my writing but so was my naivety. Oh, how I've grown as a person and as a midwife since starting this blog four years ago. 

Here are my five tips for new student midwives:

1. Be present. 

Make your clinical site your priority and make yourself available as much as possible. Be in the office, help the administrative staff, make useful handouts for clients, know where everything is and what everything does. Help your clinical site by being present and productive. Attending births is just a small part of what happens in a busy midwifery practice. Show up and be a part of the BIGGER picture. 

2. Set boundaries. 

Make your clinical site your priority but don't let your preceptor rule your life. Have days where you are OFF-call. Turn your phone off and don't answer emails or texts. If your preceptor treats you unfairly because you request days off call when they like you should be available 24/7, 365- find a new preceptor. Set firm boundaries early and push back. You will finish your numbers (Trust me, I completed all my managements in my last year of school.) 

3. Be involved.

Know what the laws and rules are in your state, in your country, and globally when it comes to women's healthcare choices and midwifery. Be involved with the decision making processes around the advocacy of midwifery in your community. Reach out to the public and inform them on what midwifery is and what midwives do. Be the face of midwifery to your family, friends and peers! 

4. Read.

Did you read about that new study that came out on the benefits of x? Did you hear about the new recommendation in regards to y? Did you read that powerful blog post by that seasoned midwife? Who are the big names in the birth world in your community, in your state, in your country, globally? Know who they are. Read their books and articles. Attend their workshops and conferences. Read as much as you can about what midwifery is and means. Know where you are and where you came from. 

5. Take breaks when necessary. 

I dropped out of midwifery school twice. Sometimes it sucks. People will get in your way. You'll have shitty births and difficult confrontations with hospitals. The program you are in may make things unnecessarily challenging and be unwilling to compromise. Take a step back and take breaks if necessary. Becoming a midwife is not a race, finish in your own time and on your own terms. 

Best of luck to everyone who answers the call of a lifetime.