My name is Charlotte, sometimes known as Ms Lottie, occasionally as The Slightly Mad Quilt Lady. This is my blog, where you'll find me writing a lot about my quilting and textile arts and a little about my family's life in a small seaside town in New Zealand. Haere mai!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Get back to work!

I guess I need to alter my 'about me'.  I took the plunge and have headed back to work.  Not on any grand scale, mind you, just one eight-hour shift at the local maternity unit per week. 


For those of you who don't know (because it's been a year and a half since I worked for money), I'm a midwife.  Sounds glorious - getting to participate in the miracle of life.  But truly, it's mostly participating in the down sides of childbirth.  Like lots of paperwork; cleaning up blood, puke and poop; trying to calm hysterical people (usually men); and helping exhausted women with ripped up nipples in the middle of the night.  The women with fantastic experiences and straightforward babies usually don't stay long in hospital, and if they do, they don't need much help.

But I tell you what - it's one job where if you do a good job you are REALLY appreciated.  I mean, nobody hugs their plumber and thanks them with tears in their eyes, do they?!

8 comments:

  1. Gosh, way to make it sound like you might actually WANT to go back to work!

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  2. Yep I'm one of those in the top 5% that just breeze in and have their baby and go home. I am disgustingly text book. My cycle is 28 days and 1 hr...I could set calenders and clocks! A classic breeder. BUT, you are truly appreciated and it takes a special person. Cleaning up the poop etc. makes you no less nurturing. I find mid-wives so calming and grounded (I guess you have to be) and empathetic. So will you spend your wages on another extension or more animals??? I can see a growth spurt on the farm. Maybe a small decline in the quilt making dept though.

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  3. Ahh, the glamour of midwifery (and general nursing too, for that matter). Those little gems of appreciation make all the cr*ppy bits worthwhile :)

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  4. how exciting! Do you have to go to "that place about 20 minutes away with a wooden hospital"? I like it :)xx

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  5. The midwife who attended our stillbirth, and the others we met during that time too, are THE most wonderful people.

    And yeah, I'm one of those long-stay mum's, I don't usually do things simply, it seems. Usually.

    Love that hand knitted jumper!

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  6. Welcome back to the fold. I still look at it as a privilege to be part of this amazing time in peoples lives despite the downsides. Still love it after 30yrs.

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  7. Crack up post!! Love it!
    Good for you, a gal's gotta do what a gal's gotta do!

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  8. Good for you!Hope you find it rewarding.
    I had a wonderful midwife for my last pregnancy, but unfortunately baby was stillborn. It must have been upsetting for the midwife as well, tough job at times I guess.
    Best wishes
    Bridget

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