Judie is a new friend of mine and has been a Certified Nurse Midwife for over 40 years. She was trained at Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn and interned at Booth Maternity Center in Philadelphia. She's been honored to have worked with thousands of women and their families through pregnancy, birth and beyond. Each one is unique and special. It was her great privilege to have all three of her grandchildren born into her hands. ~Molly
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In over 40 years practicing nurse-midwifery I've had the joy and honor to work with thousands of women through pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period.
So many labors and births; some fast and easy, some long and arduous, fraught with pain, disillusion and disappointment that things didn't evolve the way the family had hoped. What impresses me most about a woman in labor is that she draws on strengths she never knew she had, the wisdom of all the women who came before, and once that child is in her arms all is right with the world....at least for the moment.
I've learned that No matter what kind of a labor you have, it's the easiest part of parenthood. Labor is finite: it ends. Parenthood is forever.
During the last 15 years of my practice I've become increasingly aware of the prevalence of postpartum emotional complications. Women (and often their partners) struggle with sleep deficit, isolation, unrealistic expectations (The Myth of the Good Mother) and well-meaning (mostly) conflicting advice...and of course the rabbit hole of social media.
While all of parenthood is challenging, the first weeks after the birth are especially so. We spend so much time preparing for birth but so little time preparing for and talking about what happens next. It is imperative that these families are supported. Post partum preparation and doula care is a vitally important way to help these families as they start out on the wonderful, challenging road of parenthood. Thank you Molly for offering this great service!
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Life Beyond Birth provides support for expectant parents, and new babies & their families, online and in-person. Find a class or contact Molly at www.lifebeyondbirth.com.