THE plan (part 2)-

Wayyyyy back on June 1, 2009 I posted about my plan for becoming a midwife. Since then the plan has remained essentially the same, however Kent and I have fine tuned some of the details and the Lord has opened up a few doors for me along the way. Thought I would share:

1. I have found a simple online AFFORDABLE midwifery course that can help to keep me organized as well as fulfill my educational requirements for Washington state licensure. Yay- I am officially enrolled in the Midwife-To-Be course for home birth midwives. I am so thrilled that I will be able to report to people how far along I am in my coursework when they ask! Midwife-To-Be has thirty modules that are self-paced. I intend to complete one module per month, resulting in my completion in 2 and a half to 3 years.

2. I have a study partner! Another doula and friend is doing the Midwife-To-Be course with me, and we will meet weekly to review and track our progress. This is very good for me, as I really lack self-motivation and can really use the accountability. We also intend to put together some skills workshops and study sessions with a larger local group of midwifery students. This will also help to promote unity and professionalism within the local midwife community. Generally, the current local midwives do not respect one another, nor act professionally towards one another. Instead they seem to be largely territorial. We can change this all-around attitude and further promote more safe and healthy birth options in our community by establishing a new generation of midwives- supportive and respectful of one another as different, yet valuble health care providers. Go us!

3. I have officially ordered my Portfolio Evaluation Process (PEP) packet from NARM (the North American Registry of Midwives) and can start to dig through the paperwork and get my skills signed off on, one by one. This will allow me to get my Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) certification and then license in the state of Idaho in early Spring of 2011, even though my coursework and apprenticeship I will continue for likely two years beyond that. This will allow me to attend births in Idaho and financially support the rest of my education and set up for my solo homebirth practice.