The Night the Midwife Came to Call

Book excerpt: THE NIGHT THE MIDWIFE CAME TO CALL is the recollections of a modern Midwife. It is mostly autobiographical, although there are times when two situations of different births fit one birth with more excitement. All birth stories are essentially true, the names may have been altered for privacy of the client or the Midwife. The stories begin in 1974 and go through 2003. It would be impossible to recall all the births as there were sometimes 3 or 4 births a week, even 3 in one day at one point. I have selected details from the most exciting births to keep your interest and for me to recall some of the most wonderful times of my life. I retired in 2003 as I was diagnosed with severe panic attacks. But the memories linger in my mind and heart, and I want to put them on paper in some fashion of organization to recall in my later years. Also the parents I lived with and delivered for will enjoy reading their story and sharing it with the baby born. I have lent my memories out to several friends for their opinions and they all said I didnt write enough, they wanted more to read. I hope those reading this book will feel the same way, find a Midwife who also delivered babies at home and pick their brains for stories unique to them. Every midwife has her own stories that will delight and intrigue you, ones no other Midwife has experienced. In the enclosed chapters I explain my desire of wanting to deliver babies at a time when hospital births were the norm, and my process of education to realize the dream. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I have enjoyed writing it down for you and for me. Love and affection to all my babies and their parents and extended families I was able to meet at such a precious time in their lives.