Some things are worth the work!
It has been three-and-a-half years since Sisters Midwifery was born, and in that time, somethings have remained constant, while others have changed. For example, when I first started my practice, we had a scattering of clients, as do most new clinicians. Now Sisters Midwifery has two midwives and a full practice.
We are fortunate to serve so many wonderful families and witness their journeys in becoming new parents. The addition of gifted midwife Christy Tashjian to the practice has been a wonderful expansion of our services. Christy and I attended an inspiring primigravida (first time mom) twin birth in August. That experience, along with a few years of assisting each other at births, helped us to see our compatibility as partners. Developing the practice to accommodate a new partner has been a lot of work for both of us, and it has created new challenges. I’ve never collaborated in care as closely as I do now. This endeavor is proving to be worth the work in many ways, especially in terms of the expanding services that we can offer, individually and collaboratively.
While big changes have been taking place, some of our best working practices have remained constant. Individualized care, holistic expertise, active listening, childbirth education and client social support activities are among those. The success of the client activities, in particular, has had delightful outcomes over these years. Several of my clients have developed lasting friendships, and playdates, moms-day-out and other sweet social networks have spiraled out of the clients walks, childbirth classes, yoga classes and cooking classes. These support activities have necessitated additional time outside of normal business hours for planning and attending these events, but the work has been joyful and productive in giving moms opportunities to make connections to others who are building and raising families.
When a mom smiles with confidence after learning a successful breastfeeding technique or an expectant dad expresses his vulnerabilities around taking on the role of father, I feel like I’m doing a good job at giving my clients opportunities to grow. Each endeavor we take as human beings, whether we are starting a family or a midwifery practice, is a chance to grow and learn. I find that the more work I put into supporting my clients and my new midwifery partner, the richer the experience is for all. That’s what life is about anyway-growing and loving and witnessing these things. Midwifery is hard work, but it’s results are worth it!
