Bellies and Yoga

Day 2:
Today we got into some hearty midwifery skills, from blood pressure and pulse rate to cervical checks and fundal height. So many interesting nuances to each of these skills that I wish more people had access to! It made me think of how many of my students know the positions of their babies late in pregnancy and how many report a hands-on approach to determining this placement. I feel incredibly fortunate to have learned the tip of this positioning iceberg. 

The Farm Midwives use a belly model to teach this to students before they start handling real live pregnant women, but I'm grateful to the actual pregnant ladies who also shared a few minutes of their time (and their bellies) with me.

Again, the food was great. As in, tremendous. I'll take a picture tomorrow, but it won't do it justice. Jerusalem artichokes in the salad, amazing blue corn tamales for dinner, and fun conversations, too. So many of these women are embarking on a change in their lives... some into midwifery and some into the birth world in general. It is exciting to network and hear their stories... they truly are my people.

Bea and I got to do a little bit of yoga on the porch tonight (with some mosquito friends) before it rained. The rain sounds beautiful here, through bazillions of leaves with no city sounds, no sirens, and very, very little "beeping" (did I mention there is almost no cell reception here? It's a blessing, I promise).

As I think about what it is I enjoy most about the training here, it is the rich history and intimate stories shared by the instructors. Whether they are talking about service work they have done abroad or deliveries they attended here on The Farm only days ago, the truth is captivating.

Midwives are storytellers. Teachers. They are these things not because they know so much of what is said, but because they observe the unspoken, and weave it into tradition. History. It is with deep gratitude that I am here.

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