Munoz Midwife

Long time, no post! WOW! I’m not the least surprised that I haven’t written in such a long time as I tend to start lots of projects and not complete them.  I am trying to do better at keeping up certain things, this blog being one of them.   I’ve never been a great journal keeper, so this will be a test for me personally.  I plan to use this blog as a way to share things that inspire me, try me, make me cry, make me smile, and remind me of why I’ve chosen to change my path.  

I’m switching up the focus a bit here.  When I first started this, I thought I would make this a place to write about birth options in Atlanta, GA but things have changed a bit….the location for example. I’m attending midwifery school in Nashville now so the whole Atlanta focus doesn’t fit any more.  However, I’m sure I’ll post some about ATL, since my mentor/amazing friend still practices there.  The biggest change is that I really do want to document my journey through midwifery school.  I want to be that journal keeper I never was.

The hubs and I moved to TN about a month ago and we are still settling in.  We have a slew of visitors coming through in the next few weeks and I’m busy taking care of school requirements.  I can honestly say I love living here.  The farmer’s markets, the new friends, and the popsicles from Las Paletas are my 3 favorite things.  Nashville seems to be a good fit so far, so please come along for the ride.  Who knows, maybe I can inspire you to think about birth in a new way.  Or maybe you’ll teach me something awesome.  Life is grand!

“Trust yourself…you know more than you think you do.” ~ Dr. Benjamin Spock

I think it is outrageous that so many women with whom I speak do not trust their doctor…yet they continue to see the OB for prenatal care.  Your OB or Midwife will be an active part of a very important day in your life.  If you have a gut feeling that your provider does not care as much about your birth as you do PLEASE seek an alternative.

Trust your mama instincts.  You deserve the best care…and so does your baby!

Rachel Stewart Hart is a Certified Professional Midwife.  From Las Vegas to Tennessee to Georgia, Rachel has served as midwife to many different  ”types” of homebirthing moms.  Currently serving the Atlanta metro area (and beyond), she is truly one of the most amazing midwives I know. Rachel works in partnership with Beth Miller and together they are Birthingway Midwifery.  Thinking of birthing at home?  Check them out at www.birthingway.com.  

You can read Rachel’s birth story below.

***

When I became pregnant with my first child in 2001, I knew I wanted to give birth naturally at home. My sister-in-law had home births with three of her four children, and after hearing her describe her hospital experience versus her home birth experience, I didn’t know why anyone would CHOOSE to have their baby in a place where people go if their sick. I was involved in an abusive marriage that finally ended a few months after the baby came. I was finished playing the victim, and my child certainly deserved better. That birth transformed me from girl to mother. Understanding that my body was perfectly designed and capable of giving birth without pain medication opened my eyes to the realization that I could achieve most things I was willing to work hard and sacrifice for. “If I can do that, I can do anything”, was my mantra.

Two years later, my current husband and I discovered we were expecting a baby. Because my first birth was such a positive experience, I obviously chose another home birth. This birth seemed harder to deal with than the first for a reason I didn’t understand. I wasn’t in the mood to sit around and let labor happen. I wanted to do something. But at 3cm, what could I do? My body still had work to do to let the baby out. My midwife suggested I bear down slightly with contractions, imagining I was “pushing the pain away”. I was afraid to push before I was 10 cm, because I would always see doctors on TV warning against that. My cervix might swell, or even worse, tear!! But she assured me that would not happen, because my body would never let me push so hard I hurt myself. I tried what she suggested and was so surprised. She was right. My cervix didn’t swell or tear and I actually got some pain relief that allowed me to endure the rest of my labor. I gave birth to a healthy baby boy not long after.

For my third birth, I asked my midwife for an intervention. I wanted her to strip my membranes. I wasn’t due for four more days, but I felt like this is what needed to happen. This is something typically frowned upon, and I would agree that this is not usually the right thing to do, but we did it anyway. I went into labor that night, employed the ”powerbirth” technique, dilated from 6cm to 10 cm and had a baby in less than an hour. He was born with his cord around his neck, chest, and feet. Babies are born with cord around the neck all the time, and while it isn’t usually a problem, I couldn’t help wondering if that was why I had such a strong urge to strip my membranes. In any case, I am glad my midwife listened to what I wanted.

In 2005, I attended my first home birth as an apprentice. I knew then that this was what I was meant to do. Every midwife has a personal motivation for deciding to do this work. Mine was the desire to help women realize, through birth, how powerful and beautiful and capable we are. I apprenticed for two years and then began taking my own clients. I passed the NARM exam and became a Certified Professional Midwife in2010. I will, however, never be finished learning. I do not believe tests give me the permission to stop always trying to learn more and be better at what I do, nor do I believe a test is necessary to be called ”Midwife”. A midwife’s intuitive powers and abilities to truly connect with the women she cares for is AS important as the education she receives from her textbooks. Likewise, it is simply unwise and does not serve women to lack the necessary experience and skills needed to keep mothers and their babies safe and healthy during her birth experience. Truly, one without the other will not do.

My fourth baby was born at home, unattended, with only my husband, sister, and children present. It was uneventful, as perfect as it could be- the kind of birth we midwives really like!! My birth experiences naturally represent the way I view birth and the way I approach midwifery. I strive to help women create an empowering birth experience. Sometimes, women ask for help and I help them. And that’s okay. Most of the time, birth happens just like our textbooks tell us it will. Occasionally, we know better than the textbooks. And that’s okay, too.