My Mom, the Midwife-In-Training

Laurel in labor with Violet 6/6/06 with Gretchen attending.

For those who don't know, my mom is pursuing certification as a direct-entry midwife. She is apprenticing with a midwife who serves the local Amish community in her area. The Amish go for home births with minimal medical interventions, though sometimes they do end up in the hospital if there are complications. She was called to her first birth just a few hours after she interviewed with her mentor, so she's off to a quick start! For some interesting information on birth in America, check out a new documentary called The Business of Being Born or a book called Pushed. You may be quite surprised at the statistics for our current medical model of birth.