First Gig

I've been enjoying my first week as a Licensed Midwife. It's getting easier to say, too, as I introduce myself to people. Louis helped me buy the domain names for Generations Midwifery.com, .net, and .org. My work email is set up on my computer and my phone. In the next couple days, I'll be working on developing a letterhead and business card design and updating my doula web site to get ready to transition to the new one.

My first official day of work was on Saturday. My former preceptor just opened a new office for her midwifery practice and has started what's known as group prenatals, where couples come together for one big prenatal meeting and then each couple gets one-on-one time with the midwife. Group prenatals can really create a sense of community and her clients are totally loving it. She asked me to sit in to observe, because she has a full schedule coming up and wants to hire me as a sub/back-up midwife in case she has to miss the group prenatal while she's at a birth. I thought the group prenatal was great! I'm looking forward to a time when my practice is busy enough that I'm able to do that, too.

She has also asked me to attend births as her assist. This means, she's the main midwife at the birth, and she calls me to attend once the birth is imminent. My presence as a second licensed midwife is to help in case of an emergency or complication. There are always two midwives at each birth, and the extra pair of hands is sometimes essential. I don't have to be there for the entire labor, and I'm not obligated to stay and help clean up, though I probably would. I'll also be teaching any students she brings with her. The good news about "working" with my former preceptor is that I'm already super familiar with her style, skill level, equipment, pet peeves, etc. Working as an assistant in her practice feels very safe for me. I get to do only what I'm comfortable with, and I get paid. It's not very much in comparison to the full midwifery fee, but something is better than nothing. This former student has tons of debt to re-pay as quickly as possible!

I'll be doing the same kind of assisting with T and her midwifery clients. For now, it's a pretty good deal for me. The only not-so-good part is that I will be on-call every single day until/unless I ask for a day off. Between T and my former preceptor (we'll call her R), I'll be on-call for about 14 births between now and the beginning of February. Taking my own labor support clients will be more difficult. Plus, R's new office is in Los Altos, which adds significant time to my already long commute to her, but it cuts out my bridge toll expense. For now, though, it works. I feel good about having an expected source of income and being able to attend many more home births in a non-student capacity.

Some new midwives are super anxious to jump in and start taking their own clients. I'm so dang tentative and cautious that I imagine I'll be assisting for quite some time before I start taking clients. If I'm going to be working as a midwife for potentially the next 40+ years, I'm gonna take my time and pace myself. Slow and steady. I'm too scared to just jump in. Oh, and I have no equipment. Added to my to-do list: buy an oxygen tank.