It’s taken awhile for my mind to quiet enough to find some words to share to the patients I see each day during this uncertain time. Yes, I am concerned about myself and my colleagues and the rationing of PPE and the unpredictability of transmission and course of illness. Yes, I am worried about bringing it home with me and passing it on to those I love. I am humbled by the healthcare workers knowingly walking into the fire every day. But fear has never been an ally; it just causes paralysis and makes us small. I hope I can continue to focus on the wisdom of those who have suffered much and yet bring hope. And to my patients, I hope I can help point you to your power during this challenging time.
~To our beautiful birthing ones, and those mothering little (and big) ones, we see you. We see you bearing not only your own worries but those who have to yet enter into this world. We see you desperately needing more time to nurture yourself, yet now called upon to be teachers and playdates and grandparents. We see you struggling because the very nest in which you need to feel safe is shifting in its policies and procedures.
We, as your midwives, don’t have many answers for you during this confusing time. However, we can offer you a peek into what we know about birthing persons. We know that when birthers prepare to give birth, they become singular in focus. They draw from deep within their well of lived experience and from the spiritual realm of others who have gone before. There is resilience, surrender, a tiger’s roar, a quiet resolve. There are tears, there are curse words, there is fear, there is courage. If we, as your midwives, can help you remember these truths, then we can together rise above whatever the circumstances bring. And don’t get us wrong, we are not minimizing all the real feelings that are swirling around. But we are WITH you and will bear witness to your vulnerability and courage and remind you of what you know to be true.
Be brave, dear ones. May we find solidarity in those who have walked before us during dark, difficult times. May we take nothing for granted. Love, your Midwives~
