26/07/2023
What is a midwife
A midwife is a chameleon, a leopard with ever changing spots.
A reflection of all those we have cared for
Of who we’re with in the moment
We dress ourselves to match the room, to match you in whatever ways we need
We’re patched together in a quilt of mismatched remnants and wonky threads
A quilt we’re forever picking at, loose threads tied, unpicked, re patched, ironed, scrunched
Some bits destined for the bin, other bits tucked in corners folded just so.
A life long project that is never really finished
I’ve remade myself again and again and I will again
Midwives are a work of art, a work of heart
A strange mix of science, biology.
A vast amount of abstract knowledge that we don’t know we know, yet somehow we do.
We exist in the moment before that first breath
We look you in the eyes, for a moment it’s just us two.
‘Just one more,’ part of me in awe as you pull it from the depths
Then we’re suspended in that brief all consuming hitch of your breath, that seems to last forever
Before we all breathe again when cries ring out like church bells on wedding days.
Towels fall around you like celebratory confetti, wiping away the old as we welcome the new.
And when silence stretches fourth, we will wrap you up tight, stop the world as you prepare to say goodbye.
Drape you in kindness, smallest touch, our words feeling hollow.
A Lilly white blanket that should have seen you home
Nothing feels like it can ever be enough
We’re the hand in your photos, the touch you’ve forgotten
We’re the photographers, the faceless voice, that face you can’t quite place
That person in Tescos that looks familiar, but you’re not sure from where
We’re your advocates, your voice, the rudder in the storm
We’re the rushing feet, the jangling keys
We’re the laughers, the cryers, the jokers.
The back rub that hits just right
The chirpy cheerleader in the middle of the night
Seeing you at your best and worst
Eventually becoming a blue blurry smudge on the periphery of your memories as time passes
But just so you know, just so you’re aware
A midwife is made up of all of you
Copyright: Midwifosaurus
Photo credit: ‘yes, you did it.’ Kate Kennedy Birth Photgraphy (See comments)
