Momma Earth

Cup of coffee near by, sights of 5 hours of trail-running today amongst a myriad of other little chores, seeds sprouting, and soon to be off-call so I can go to a workshop this weekend with a dear friend in Colorado.  The things I think of when I wake up and when I run for long times, how I can change our disabled maternity care system and then I remember I am just a little woman running and walking on this earth and somehow that is supposed to matter?  Today, we all "celebrate" our momma earth getting a day where we "take care" of her and the environment that is her own womb...Us...The people and her land and animals and natural resources.  In college, the thought "earth day is every day" was whittled into my head.  So a day like today, not to be snarky, sometimes just irks me and irritates me as much as Hallmark putting a date on the calendar to show how much we HEART one another.  But we do and I play along with these days, for instance making heart chocolate chip cookies with a best friend who was visiting to support me after my father's passing.  Our day was cheesy as all get out, but it helped.  SO...today we celebrate one day towards the health care of our momma earth and skies and seas and mountains and rivers and people and animals and fields and it helps...

My thoughts with how we celebrate these events go towards our relationship with these objects, people, places and things.  Our inter-connection, our hearts-worth, the creativity it inspires, the ability to reflect.  One aspect of my work is simple and just begins the discussion of current "relationships" within the United States maternity system.  I wanted to expand on this effort after I graduated, but there were some other things in life that kept me from focusing on "the greening of birth."  And for now, I might just do this every so often...put little bits and pieces from my work here and see what other articles come in.  So here, is a little excerpt from my writing back a year ago...

As a midwifery student, I set out to gain more understanding for myself and see if there was a contribution I could make to the Greening of Birth.  Then I discovered I would have to define the greening of birth, since there was no true definition to begin with.  This proved to be difficult.  Since this is a new concept, I know it will take help of other midwives and providers to have a firm definition of what I mean by the Greening of Birth. My basic definition and goal of the Greening of Birth is to improve the current maternity care environment, socially and environmentally, in the United States.  This definition embraces the following concepts:

1)     Collaborative maternity care

2)    Improved relationships between maternity care providers

3)    Midwifery as a leader in the greening of birth

4)    Promotion of sustainable practices and solutions in maternity care

This research is an expression of my own personal work in sustainability and as a midwife, as it presents my role in preserving and increasing access to a profession that brings me joy and is my livelihood.

The Greening of Birth represents a needed change in the existing environment between nurse-midwives, certified professional midwives, licensed midwives, lay midwives and obstetricians and other maternity professionals.  Currently we stand divided instead of united and the United States is one of the few developed countries where the maternity care system suffers from such disorder.  Robbie Davis-Floyd discusses the dichotomy of relationships between nurse-midwives, licensed (and unlicensed) midwives, and obstetricians.  She explains the existing dichotomy as a significant contribution to the lack of relationship within the maternity care system.  Davis-Floyd contemplates whether there is room in the United States maternity system for each of these groups collaborate while maintaining their own professional autonomy.  Davis-Floyd explains the benefits of autonomy, that each of these groups have fought for it over time, and that it might be challenging to create a unifying model of care that is suitable for each profession.²⁴  Midwives have an important role to play in the development of collaborative relationships.  As a profession, midwives will find our way, but we will have to rise above internal conflicts to find a common voice.

              Relationships are considered one of the fundamental attributes in the art of midwifery and Midwifery Model of Care, specifically the importance of relationship between the mother and midwife.  However, I am addressing the internal relationships of maternity care providers.  Ideally, our culture is kind, loving, and supportive and yet there is a competitive and suspicious spirit that exists between midwives.  In order to contribute to the Greening of Birth, midwives will have to evaluate the current sisterhood of midwives within each United States community.  Each midwife and each birth center provides care to different women and these women have the choice of where they give birth.  It is important that the effort of midwives in each community supports one another’s growth and does not create division in business and midwifery.  Midwives must find a way to support the sustainability tenet of establishing and maintaining interconnection, rather than separation, in our professional relations.  

Improving relationships will make room for midwives and obstetricians to learn from one another.  These two groups could together explore the normal, physiologic events of birth and ways for less intervention during labor and delivery.  I believe it would create deeper awareness of midwifery practice for physicians if medical school students were required to attend at least one out-of hospital birth.  Midwifery encourages parents to explore their health and their connection to pregnancy, their growing baby and anything else that affects their pregnancy.  Midwifery can teach obstetrics that there is nothing “wrong” with pregnancy, and that when pregnancy does have complications it is important to explore all routes (mental, physical, emotional, stress, environmental) of the complication instead of targeting just the problem.  I acknowledge there may be difficulties and differences through the initial steps of the Greening of Birth, because both models of care are different yet effective for the clients that choose our care.  I believe, however, that combining the models would set the maternity system up for great success and allow for more comprehensive care for the women of the United States. 

In community and peer review, it is important to discuss actions of midwives that might harm the whole midwifery community.  It is important that the midwifery community does not ostracize midwives who make decisions that deviate from the standard model of care, but rather engage in responsible, constructive conversations on ways to bring more unity between midwives.  It is also important to consider and discuss a bad outcome with the midwife who experiences it, rather than spread untrue stories that may become convoluted.  If collaboration between obstetricians and midwives existed in the United States, peer reviews outside of the autonomous professions will benefit and improve maternal and infant outcomes.  There are many ways the maternity professions can learn from one another. A goal of effective communication asks participants to go to the source of a situation to find the truth.  If there is to be a midwife for every mother in the Greening of Birth and a conscious maternity care system in the United States, then we must begin to truly support one another free of judgment and full of concern for the health of maternity care, mothers and babies. 

It's youthful in it's knowledge and awareness, but this to me continues to speak the truth of what is going on in the field of maternity care.  I know that in my town, there is mostly animosity and the ability to sit together is like a mad game of dodge ball...and yes, we're hucking wrenches.  

Enjoy the earth and may she enjoy a bit of you too.