Any day now, I (Naomi) will start into the long-awaited labour. However, this labour experience will be a bit different than what I experienced with Ellie. With Ellie, the room was filled with nurses and the obstetrician. This time, I will be attended by two midwives.

When we tell people that I will give birth with the help of midwives instead of a doctor, I usually get some strange looks and interesting questions, which tell me that people don’t really understand much about the job of the modern midwife. I think that most people envision a lady pushing through the woods with her blankets, boiled water and herbs, ready to deliver quadruplets in the kitchen at an old farmstead.

I must admit that when the idea was first presented to me, I was skeptical. To be honest, there really wasn’t really any other option at the time – there was only one obstetrician available for a population of about 40,000. Needless to say, it was hard to get in to see him. So it was strongly encouraged that I go with a midwife instead. When I went for my first appointment, I was half-expecting a hippie-looking woman to meet me with a mug of bark tea and try to talk me into a home birth without any medication or interventions. Instead, I met with women who were very professional and knowledgeable in their expertise – pregnancy, childbirth, and initial infant care. I have appreciated the fact that I rarely have to wait more than 5 minutes for an appointment and then I have between 45 min. – 1 hour to discuss things with them if I feel the need. Even during the many uncertain months of this difficult pregnancy, I never doubted their competency or felt they were too relaxed in their care of me. They are very thorough and have been quick to order tests, medications, and consultations with the obstetrician as they’ve seen the need. In fact, I would say they’ve been much more thorough and careful in overseeing my care than I ever had in my pregnancy with Ellie. And I have yet to be offered bark tea.

So, any day now, I will head to the hospital, where my midwife, whom I’ve gotten to know fairly well these last 7 months, as well as another midwife, will meet me. I will have almost any medication and intervention available to me, plus the knowledge that these women know me quite well and will be very capable of helping me through those long hours. After the baby comes, they will look after me and the baby’s care for 6 weeks, including house calls if necessary. Up to this point, I’m so thankful that I overcame my initial trepidation and chose this route. We can’t wait for the day we can let you know how it went!

Naomi