Kaitlyn

Student Midwife – Full-Spectrum Doula – Certified Childbirth Educator

Roswell, New Mexico

Honestly, if you would have told my younger self that I would be a birth worker one day, I would have looked at you funny and confused. I never wanted to work in the medical field or anything remotely similar. While my friends were passionately picking out their dream colleges and future careers, I kind of sat back quietly. Aside from being an artist, I never had a passion for anything career-wise. Nothing felt worth the effort. I knew that some people just didn’t have official “callings”. And I was alright with being one of those people.

I had my first child at the age of nineteen. That birth was packed with trauma. For my second pregnancy I chose to have a home birth with a midwife. I loved the experience, I loved having a monitrice at my birth. It was like I walked into a whole new world view and I was desperately intrigued. Despite the fact that there was a fire inside of me to help and support people during childbirth, I never pieced it all together. I still didn’t know I wanted to be a birth worker.  I opened up a coffee stand in Oregon and while talking to customers I realized I was spending more time answering birth related questions than coffee related questions. I was reading books about childbirth regularly. I couldn’t get enough.

Sometime after, the universe kicked my husband and I in the butt. We lost everything and had to move back to my husband’s hometown. Then I found out I was pregnant, again.  The world came crashing down around me. 

I needed a change. I decided to go back to school to possibly become a labor and delivery nurse.

During this time I began looking for a Midwife who could assist me for the homebirth of my third child. I found Liz. We spent visits talking about midwifery. I mentioned that I considered it as a career path long term, but it felt like an unattainable goal.

Our community in Southeastern New Mexico is severely lacking when it comes to birth support. It seems like we are ten years behind the rest of the state. Liz is the beating heart of birth workers here. She travels nearly three hours one way for prenatal appointments and births. She has set up doula training for those who are interested, like me, to have more support for the births nearby. This training was needed, and I was grateful to be a part of it.

The first prenatal appointment I attended as her midwifery student solidified everything I have ever felt about this career path. I consider Liz now to be my mentor and it is a blessing that we crossed paths. I have gotten to be witness to some incredible births under her guidance. The last birth I went to touched my soul.  The energy in the home was so tender and soft. There was no electronics for distraction. No TV, internet, or smartphones. Something about it transported me to a simpler time. It felt peaceful and calm. The soft glow of candle light and serenades played in between contractions. The embrace that helped relaxation during contractions. The love in the room was beautiful. This baby was made in love, born in love and will live in love.

I’ve sat holding tears back because for the first time in my life I have felt so sure of everything. This is it. This is what it feels like to have a calling.

Do you love birth? Heck yeah you do!

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