A long overdue update and some exciting news!

I was reminded the other day that I need to update my blog, so true! Thought I'd give you a little idea of what I'm up to and how the course is going (and I hope to keep updating more regularly over the summer...ho dee hum).

Right now I have a few things going on, mainly the fact that I *should* be studying for my exams starting next week. This year has the most exams, we have 5 but seen as 3 of them are split into two subjects it feels like studying for 8! I particularly have an issue with pharmacology as the way it is set up in Ireland is that we study with the general nurses meaning we are learning drugs used for Parkinsons and heart disease, ones you very rarely come across when treating healthy pregnant women, grr..

Second thing on my plate, I offered and was accepted to do a presentation for the Virtual International Day of the Midwife on the 5th of May. I am very excited, but it's making me rather nervous now the thought of speaking to so many people. I will be speaking about the experience of being a student midwife with particular concern on the support we do or do not receive, I'm hoping there will be lots to discuss and I won't be the only one speaking for the hour! ope you make it along to some (or all as I hope to!) of the presentations. Check out the line-up on their website, there are some fantastic looking speakers.

And perhaps the most exciting...I'm going to hear Ina May Gaskin speak tomorrow! Ina May is, let's say, one of my idols!! My mum read her 'Spiritual Midwifery' when she was pregnant with me and then gave me a copy for my 17th birthday, if you haven't read it I would really recommend you do. There are some really amazing birth stories and Ina May's information for midwives. I'm bringing my copy with me tomorrow in the hope I may be able to get it signed. She will be the keynote speaker at the Homebirth Association of Ireland conference in Dublin. It's my first time going to one of their events and I'm really looking forward to it even if it is a day out of my study (maybe I can use the excuse that it is studying...?!).

Anyone else studying for exams? Have exciting midwifery related events going on in their lives? Love to hear from you!

Right, I'd better be back to some work now...

Inspired!

Inspired. This is the feeling I have come away with after each presentation made as part of the Virtual International Day of the Midwife (May 5^th) online conference. I listened in to some of the discussions on the day and am catching up with the other now at http://www.internationaldayofthemidwife.wikispaces.com. Midwifes who I look up to and admire were talking there, it was wonderful to hear them speak so passionately about their lives work.

I was inspired to write this post today (and hopefully will be much more actively writing from now on!) after listening to Joy Johnston (http://www.aitex.com.au/joy.htm) talk about how important it is for midwives to blog. By blogging we are reaching our thoughts and words out into the world, we will never make a difference staying silent! So I hope to keep up to date on this blog now, even if some of the posts are short.

I was inspired by Lisa Barrett (http://www.homebirth.net.au/) and Mary Sidebotham and all the other participants at both presentations to speak out about midwifery, get the word out about how birth is normal and should be trusted and treated as such! One quote that someone brought up that really hit home with me was “Speak your truth-even if your voice shakes”. I personally find it difficult to voice my opinion and speak up when I have something important to say. Now I will be speaking my truth even though I know my voice will, at the least, shake!

I was inspired and reminded by Gloria Lemay (http://www.glorialemay.com/blog/index.php) to trust women’s bodies.  She spoke about recognising the signs of progression in the woman’s body in labour and the importance of observation, not interference, in labour and birth. Gloria discussed how the assumptions of midwives are always being challenged and being fooled by women’s bodies, I took from this that a midwife must always be learning from every experience and never take anything for granted.

I feel so proud to be a part of this group of wonderful women, birth activists, midwives, student midwives and you. You should feel proud too, we are a very special collection of people!

Now, I really encourage you to go listen to some (or all perhaps) of the recordings and feel inspired too. I believe that they will soon be turned into MP3 files so we can download them to our iPods, I know I will be grabbing them as soon as they are there so I will have the inspiration of many at my fingertips!