Inspiration, too

Posted by Tatiana

I didn't realize I was short in inspiration until I got a little extra and found it to be like a quenching of a thirst I didn't even realize I've had.

I've been talking with naturopathic midwives this week, interviewing to follow up on the promised "next part" of my original post about that subset of midwifery.  They've been beautiful to talk with, and I have another interview scheduled so the follow up piece (or pieces) will still be forthcoming. Those I've spoken with have been thought provoking and moving.  Especially the woman in New Zealand who sat in the morning light, spilling forth sweet stories of home and hospital births. It was night for me, and I took her stories to bed and dreamed about that spirit of midwifery all night. It's rejuvenating sleep, that way.

The other source of inspiration for me has been beginning Mamma Primitiva's Traditional Midwifery Education program online this week.  There are women from all over the world enrolled, literally - Haiti, Bulgaria, Greece, Argentina, Australia. It's easy to get sucked into the technocratic approach when we're getting our Western educations. Even though I've been in self study mode I've still been steeped in that modern thought train. I want to have the most up-to-date research and evidence based information... but even though I fancy myself connected with the heart of womanhood and the old wisdom, it gets hazy in the shuffle of all that... This program (and community, really) is really giving me a dose of that good old wisdom. It's a bummer for me that it's coming at a time when I'm in school full time, since I'm so limited already, but the small bit of extra stress is very much worth keeping the spirit of the old wisdoms at the forefront as I process the rest of the information.

It will be fun to share with you what I've learned from the NDs, they gave me some great advice I want to pass along as well as some really interesting information about the profession.

And if you want a little piece of that traditional wisdom, too, it's not too late to join Mamma Primitiva.

Also, don't forget about the Midwifery & Racism blog carnival, tomorrow.