Dear Midwife—
First impressions are extremely important, and that includes the precious moments of your birth. I believe those first interactions with the world will influence the emotional and physical development for the rest of the newborn’s life. This is at the foundation of my calling to be a midwife: I want pour my energy, compassion, and skills into each birth I have the honor to attend, doing everything I can to ensure it is an empowering right of passage for the whole family.
As a graduate student of biological anthropology at the University of Oregon, I am seeking a wise-woman teacher who is willing to support me in my journey to become a practicing midwife. I am called to a career in midwifery and plan to continue building my skills and experience while working toward a PhD. I am presently working on a research project that I hope will contribute to our collective knowledge about birth practices and empower mothers to make educated choices in labor and delivery. You may be familiar with Missy Cheney in Corvallis, both a midwife and research professional at OSU, whose career path is similar to this.
I would like an apprentice starting sometime in 2013 and am open to any length of time.
I’m a bilingual trained birth doula (DONA certified in July 2012), including lactation coursework, and have labor and delivery experience primarily with single, teenage moms (primarily Spanish speaking). I am active in the Birth Companion Network and periodically provide pro-bono services through a social worker referral network.
I have a strong background in biology, including human growth and development, evolutionary medicine, and cell biology, and thus I have a profound respect for the emotional and physical changes a woman goes through during pregnancy and labor—such an incredible thing the human body can do! I am a budding herbalist with local botanical knowledge and much respect for the trade. I plan on attending the Midwifery Today conference in April where I could gain some additional skills that, in consult with you, would be helpful before an apprenticeship begins. I am knowledgeable about client privacy ethics and protocols in both research and medical care.
In addition to assistance during your client’s laboring, as a gift for you I could offer basic web editing skills and assistance with your paperwork. I am financially independent and have complete research support from the University of Oregon, Department of Anthropology for the next several years.
If you are unable to accept apprenticeships at this time, I would still love to hear any ideas you have or about other midwives who might be interested. While I respect all paths women follow in their calling to become midwives, I am seeking someone with credentials that will qualify for NARM certification purposes.
I am a strong believer in the rise of the feminine and I believe the way the majority of modern hospitals treat laboring women is an alarming breach of basic human rights. It is a symptom of a systemic problem that despite impressive efforts from female rights advocates continues to infiltrate many aspect of our society. The universe is tugging at me to seek both scientific advancement and serve as labor support so I can be a positive energy force toward building a culture that honors birth as a natural and beautiful transformation. Being present to witness and cherish each moment of labor and delivery is an incredibly powerful experience for me, and each time has brought me to tears of joy. I am very grateful for each woman and family for giving me the honor to attend such a sacred ceremony. Through my compassion and commitment to continuous support, I hope I can inspire hospital staff, new families, and my own personal community to look at childbirth practice in a new light.
I would love to meet with you in person so we can establish first impressions and decide if we would make a good match!
Shine on,
Alese
douladandy@gmail.com
952-292-7576
douladandy.tumblr.com
