Oh my goodness, the wildness continues! This last week was even wilder than the week I spent in Michigan, and was one filled with incredible pressure, deadlines, and an insatiable demand for time!
First of all, I intended to use this week’s post to explain that “Midwife Life, Part Ten” is officially on hold. Wes, my amazing agent, is working hard to find a publisher for my book. In turn, I’ve been assigned a project designed to “help him help me” that promises to take a crazy amount of time, yet, which must be completed in reasonable amount of time. I trust that you, my readers, my cheerleaders, and, increasingly, my friends, will see this suspension of story telling as a hopeful sign you really will one day soon hold a copy of my book in your hands!
So, I wrote and wrote and wrote with fervor all day Thursday. I meant to spend the weekend writing as well…
And then a client went into labor! The woman’s labor began at 2:00 Friday morning. Sarah and I went to her about eight hours later, and proceeded to spend the next three days and two nights laboring with her and her husband until they were ready to shift to the hospital at 4:19 Sunday evening. At the hospital, a most glorious baby girl came bursting from the valiant woman’s depths, right into the hands of her profoundly steadfast husband and amidst a crescendo of joy and triumph and gratitude at 1:06 Monday morning. I left three hours later, exhausted from the intensities and the joys of one of the most challenging births I’ve ever attended, and promptly fell asleep. I was with my clients for sixty-five hours! Officially the longest work-day of my entire life, but I knew every last second of those 3,900 minutes were worth it when mama told me Monday night with cheeks aglow and a sparkle of tears in her eyes that she just loves her baby’s birth story. Gosh, I love my job!
In the meantime, your response to my post about my upcoming trip to Haiti has been astounding! I came home from my weekend away to find a tower of boxes waiting for me by the door! So far I’ve received a giant bottle of Hibiclense, two boxes of printer toner and cartridges, and five reusable pads to take with me to the midwives of MamaBaby – with messages that much more is to come! Friends, I’m moved to tears by your generosity and honored by your trust. Indeed, you are going with me to Haiti. I promise I’ll tell you all about it upon my return.
Oh! But the packages arrived without any sort of receipts, so please write and tell me who sent what, as I’d like to acknowledge and thank you!
This is all I have to say for now. I plan to post some mama stories and a midwife highlight over the next few weeks, plus I’ll keep you up to date about my trip to Haiti and the wonderful influx of supplies. And, of course, you’ll be the first to know when I’ve any news about my book!
Okay! Off to write and write and write and write and write!
by Kim Woodard Osterholzer, Colorado Springs Homebirth Midwife
Photograph by istock photo
Thank you so much for the gift of your time!
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And be sure to poke around here a bit, as there are lots more stories awaiting you.
Kim Woodard Osterholzer, Colorado Springs Homebirth Midwife and Author
Books by Kim:
Homebirth: Commonly Asked Questions
A Midwife in Amish Country: Celebrating God’s Gift of Life
Nourish + Thrive: Happy, Healthy Childbearing
One Little Life at a Time: Recommendations + Record Keeping for Aspiring Homebirth Midwives
