so close!

I am so close to being finished with my assignments! Everything is coming together. I've really had to push through even though I'm tired because the whole packet of work has to be printed out, copied, put in a binder and postmarked by the 11th of July, which is in 5 days!!! I still have 2 small assignments and 2 research papers to finish. If I can keep these babies in long enough to finish I'll be happy. No signs of labor by the way so I'm plugging along.

One of my assignments was to answer the question:
Can there ever be too many midwives in one area?
Here's what I wrote:

There can never be too many midwives in one area for a variety of reasons, such as client preference, skill level, consultation, alternative health options, midwifery training, and political aspects of midwifery.

When there are many midwives to choose from, the client can interview more than one midwife instead of being “stuck” with the only one available. Since midwives have a variety of personalities and many backgrounds (religious, political, etc.) the client can decide which midwife would support her best in
her decisions. If the client later finds that the midwife is not as
expected there are others to choose from. If the midwife decides that she is not comfortable with her client, open communication and referring to another midwife is also possible.

Skill levels will vary from one midwife to another. Some women feel more comfortable being served by a midwife with years of experience. Others find that they much prefer someone younger or with “newer” training. Most midwives continue their education long past midwifery school or apprenticeship, but many women don’t know that. And of course there are midwives that do not continue their education. Some midwives have a lot of experience in certain types of pregnancies, such as breech or multiple births. Women would have an option of transferring care to someone with more experience in these instances.

Some midwives get tired of being “on call” all the time or have small children for a while. Working as a consultant with set hours can be a solution for the midwife, an asset to other midwives, and help many women in the meantime. Areas of consultation could cover childbirth education, limited labor support, or breastfeeding assistance.

As midwives continue their studies, they may find other areas of interest and branch off from midwifery into fields that support midwifery. These areas could include herbology, nutrition, and homeopathy. Other midwives would be able to consult with them or transfer portions of care to these midwives and work in partnership to support women holistically.

In an area with many midwives with a variety of expertise, midwifery education can be more readily available. Apprentices will have many options for training, while busy midwives would have apprentices available to help with their client base. A local midwifery school could be opened with local midwives (who like to teach) covering all facets of midwifery.

Finally, some midwives are great at writing proposals,requesting grants, and getting politically involved. It takes great organization and passion to petition medical and state boards to legalize midwifery. If midwifery is legal, then to keep birthing options available to women who would want a VBAC, for example. With more midwives in one area, there will be more awareness of midwifery and birth options in that area, making it more accepted.

Too many midwives in one area? Never.