so far so good...

This week I had an appointment to speak with a local midwife about the possibility of joining her practice in the near or distant future. An exchange of information, a mutually beneficial meeting of the minds to test out if she is someone I would want to work with or if I am someone she would see worthwhile to teach. I was very excited about this meeting and prepared with printing out my 13 page questionnaire which includes a brief history of my work experience, highlighting my managerial and marketing skills, while sharing personal birth stories and philosophies regarding birth and where I see myself fitting in this year. I was there on time, waited patiently for 45 minutes and then left, unfulfilled. As luck would have it, the midwife in question had attended 4 births in 3 days and was catching up on prenatals and it slipped her mind about our meeting. Understandable. I was thankful she is so busy and glad she forgot because her practice is calling her. She has 3 students already. I was able to touch base with her later and she agreed to touch base with me next week for a reschedule. I am taking this as a sign that she is overwhelmed and despite her 3 students, probably has room for another that can help take up some of the slack to leave her and her more seasoned students to take care of the patients' needs. I am still hopeful that we may see the value in each other and even if I don't end up apprenticing with her, I may find a way to be useful and absorb some knowledge through osmosis.

I also received in the mail today, a formal letter from the first midwife I interviewed with (5 weeks ago) that she was not willing to add me to her practice since I had no formal education and she does not work with people until they are finished with their academics.

I have decided to wait to enroll in any course work until after the conference in March so that I can get a better feel for what type of learning I want to undergo.

I was hoping to find a birth center to give my time to while doing the academics portion, even if I am not attending births, to do educational work with clients, make herbal tinctures, clean up the premises, help with marketing and book keeping and basically be more of a personal assistant, administrator type. If my work in that capacity allows for more time for more clients, than eventually, after other existing students complete their apprenticeship, I have created a space for myself and the relationship with the midwife to move forward with confidence.

I have an appointment next Tuesday in Eugene to introduce myself. I have heard positive things about the ladies working there and it is a very busy birth center. I am not sure they *need* me as much as I would like to be needed, but it will be a good experience anyway, even if I don't fit in yet. Tuesday night is the Corvallis Doula Network meeting I will be attending as well, so it will be a busy day. (oh great, just realized I have science class that night during that time... ugh, need to make a decision about that now...)

Balancing this is going to be fun...