Happy Christmahanakwanzakah!

Hello Dear Readers!

Well, we are running down the last several days of a very eventful 2011, and I am hoping for an interesting 2012. Barring a miracle of funding, Vanocouver is a no-go in 2012, so I’ve been interviewing a little to see what’s out there, and I start 2012 with a slew of interviews, so I’m really excited to open up the next chapter. Who knows, maybe the best situation is right here. To be honest, the coming interview that I am most excited about is with Medecins Sans Frontieres. It’s unlikely that will yield anything immediate, but I’m still pretty stoked. It’s work I’d really like to do.  I have to admit that this surprises me. When I went to midwifery school, I was terrified of the prospect of going to work in the developing world like so many people seemed really interested in doing. The idea of facing maternal and infant death on a  fairly regular basis because of lack of access to surgical delivery or anti-hemorragic drugs made me want to run screaming and bury my head in the sand. I suppose after a few years of living how good prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care can influence outcomes, I want to be part of helping bring that to people who don’t have it.

Yes, I can do that right here in NYC. I have thought of that. But there is something about the fearful way obstetrical care is handled here, and the way providers of that care are treated, that just makes me also want to run screaming. And it’s not fear of bad outcomes. It’s fear of being SUED for bad outcomes, and that’s the sad state of our medical system.

I am looking forward to finding the right fit and the right place to be a midwife and to think about being a mother. In 2012, I will turn 38 which means the clock is ticking, so serious thinking has been going on, and I think this may be the year to start trying. I just need to get settled first, but my heart feels ready, and my bank account is about as ready as it will ever be.

So, 2011 was a difficult, eventful year. Here’s hoping to a wonderfully eventful 2012. I am not a resolution maker, but this year, I plan on making my blog a regular thing, so stay tuned to this space for wonders and delights of midwifery, music, and life.