Jobs I have had
Like most people that I know, I have had a variety of jobs over the years. Quite a variety. Listing them in one place makes me realize that I have done a lot of things, in a lot of places with a lot of different people.
The mess of home birth
“Home birth? I wouldn’t have a home birth because of the mess. Yuck!” For years, decades really, I have heard similar comments. In the early 1980’s, when I first heard statements like this, I was confused: I had seen of lot of planned home births and they weren’t particularly messy. (But, toddlers eating spaghetti? Now that is messy!) Then I saw my first hospital birth. And ...
Baby Sebastian James
Baby Sebastian James, you are one lucky kid. With this crew on the job, you’ll always be snuggled, well fed, entertained and most importantly, loved. Heck, your mom has to fight them off just to hold you! Welcome, Baby Sebastian. Welcome! Michelle May all babies be born into loving hands
Touch
Touch, it is our earliest and our most communal sense. Whether we are a floating embryo, a tumbling toddler or a middle aged midwife, we all sense touch. Even if we are blind, or deaf, or deprived of the sense of smell or taste, we still know touch. From Bali to Bahrain, touch is both sanctioned and regulated by religion and culture. Human greetings are made ...
Coconut Rich Cake
These days so many things are free-gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free... Well, not this cake. It is rich! Rich with sugar, gluten, and most importantly, coconut! I made it dairy-free but it would be easy to substitute butter for coconut oil and 'regular' sweetened condensed milk for the coconut one that I use. This cake is really good. I mean, it is really, really good. Moist, flavorful, delicate ...
The Improvisational Dance of Baby Catching
Over forty years ago, when I was a kid in Missouri, I would walk from Hixson Middle School, over to Webster Groves High School to attend modern dance classes. Some of the dances where tightly choreographed, some were looser, improvisational. In dance class and after school practice sessions, I studied movement, memorized steps, and sequences. More importantly, I learned to pay careful attention to the moment, ...
Baby Fisher Lucas
Baby Fisher, we are so glad to have you here. Thanks for your efficient arrival. And thanks too for making Carter a big brother -he is very excited! Welcome, Baby Fisher Lucas. Welcome! Michelle May all babies be born into loving hands
LCM Stats 2017
In 2017, Local Care Midwifery (LCM) attended 31 births. Of these, 29 babies were born vaginally and two were born by Cesarean Section. The Vaginal Delivery Rate for LCM clients in 2017 was 94%, and the C/S Rate was 6%. (That's 6% compared to a US C/S rate of 32% and a NYS C/S rate of 34%.)We had 26 clients that entered labor planning to birth at home* and except ...
What would you say to your younger self
If you could magically go back in time and tell your former-self something, what would it be? And how would you say it so that the message would be truly heard? There are two separate issues: what to say and how to say it, and one is important as the other. Working as a midwife, I often hear women say “I wish I’d know…” “No one ...
Crowd Sourcing
Have you ever been a first time parent? Have you ever lived with a newborn human? If so, I am curious how you dealt with visits from family and friends in those first weeks after your baby’s arrival. Also, I wonder how you balanced your needs for privacy, getting help, being independent and staying sane. Here are the questions: What was helpful? What decidedly not helpful? ...