Roxanne Anderson, Midwife

My thoughts on the International Day of the Midwife:

Being a midwife has given me everything
And cost me everything

Being a midwife gives me euphoric highs
And Valley of the Shadow of Death lows

Being a midwife gave some of my most amazing relationships
And striped away countless others

Being a midwife is both
Energizing and draining
Fulfilling and frustrating
Fast and Furious
and a Slow Dance
I jump tall buildings to get to you
I Walk a Tightrope with you
I carry you out of burning buildings
I talk you off the ledge
I win Ocsars and then hand them over to you

My kids are proud of me
And also in therapy
My friends love me
But know they can’t depend on me

My life is lived
In 10 month segments
That start with a phone call
Or a text
About a line on a stick
And end when that red line
Is a healthy human, week six
My calendar has notes like
EW 37 weeks
Which means
I’m now on a leash
Until EW wakes me up one night
At 5-1-1
And I go running
And disappear for days

My phone is never off
My gas tank is never empty
Nor is my trunk
Or my back seat

I am loved
And hated
Admired
And feared
Sought out
And avoided

But at night
(Or morning
Or at 2:00 in the afternoon)
When I finally lay down
I’m satisfied
With what I did
With who I am
With how I made a difference
And I wouldn’t want to be
Any else

Because although being a midwife has cost me everything

It has also given me

Everything ❤️

Take it seriously

You're not alone. Perinatal mental health disorders (PMHDs) are the most common complications of pregnancy and postpartum, affecting 1 in 5 women and 1 in 10 men. These disorders include depression, anxiety, postpartum OCD, PTSD, bipolar disorder, postpartum psychosis, and substance use disorders.
Symptoms can include:
-Feeling hopeless, worthless, or guilty
-Racing, disturbing, or intrusive thoughts
-Being afraid the baby is going to die, constantly checking on the baby
-Difficulty sleeping
-Panic attacks
-Feeling like the baby would be better off without you, wanting to escape
-Irritability and rage
-Paranoia, seeing and hearing things

Up to 75% of people who experience PMHDs go untreated because of lack of recognition, stigma, and difficulty finding treatment. Su***de and drug overdose are the leading causes of death postpartum.

Get help today. Resources include:
-Postpartum Support International has free support groups, local peer support, and a directory of providers who have extra training in perinatal mental health.
-Call the MOMS Hotline at 866-364-6667 for 24/7 support and referrals to local resources
-Call the Su***de Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255

Happy Resurrection Day!

When you’ve delivered both the big sister and the newborn, moments like these are extra special. ❤️

I just love creative pregnancy announcements and this one is especially exciting !

Roxanne Anderson, Midwife

Can't believe I am aleady getting calls for babies due in October and November! Limited space available, so be sure to call me as soon as you get that positive pregnancy test!

Roxanne Anderson, Midwife Home birth, water birth, midwife, natural childbirth, doula, birth center

user1475335954324 on TikTok

Sometimes when you are a midwife, less is more. ❤️

https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdht4K7G/

user1475335954324 on TikTok Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do as a midwife …. is wait.

Every two years midwives re-certify in NNR (Neonatal Resuscitation) and CPR. Today is the day for this midwife. Gotta keep those skills sharp!

Sibling involvement happens so naturally when midwifery care takes place in the home. ❤️

Birth Services

New year, new services available! Check out our early pregnancy options!

https://midwiferoxanne.com/birth-services

Birth Services With no obligation for future care, BEAM will come to you at your location, draw labs, answer your early pregnancy questions, and provide your results within 48 hours.

What a great way to start the year !

A Birth in Bethlehem

I have long wanted to write a fresh take on the birth of Jesus using a combination of Biblical, extra-Biblical, historical and cultural information, my knowledge as a midwife, and my own imagination while at the same time eliminating many of the well worn assumptions. This year I finally did it. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

http://roxanneswildworld.blogspot.com/2021/12/a-birth-in-bethlehem.html

A Birth in Bethlehem Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Mary held onto the rough trunk of the date palm as she paused in her walking to take a...

Nothing goes together like Christmas and babies! Especially when your midwife comes to you for visits so you don’t have to get out in the cold and the traffic ❤️

Pritzker signs law certifying midwives in Illinois

A win for midwives in Illinois!

Pritzker signs law certifying midwives in Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law on Tuesday that provides a pathway for midwives to be licensed and certified in Illinois.

The last BEAM baby of 2021 was born this weekend! Mr. Cole was considerate enough to make his appearance in the daytime - much to the delight of his parents and his midwife. What a great way to finish up a year of amazing births !

I’m always so proud to witness my strong birthing lovelies having big babies vaginally. ❤️ Welcome to the world Josiah ! You have amazing parents!

The Virgin Mary Giving Birth, 'THE CREATION OF MAN' Birth Undisturbed Episode 4 (Contains Birth FX)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xGozquR2QY

Let's consider the birth of Jesus in a more realistic light. Here is the story of how this photo - YES PHOTO - was created.

The Virgin Mary Giving Birth, 'THE CREATION OF MAN' Birth Undisturbed Episode 4 (Contains Birth FX) In this fourth chapter of Birth Undisturbed we witness the making of a raw portrayal of the Nativity. Every year we celebrate a natural birth, a story that t...

Before Mother Teresa took this saying and made it "softer" - Dr Kent M Keith stated it a little more strongly and it was called the Paradoxical Commandments:

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

This week I had the pleasure of participating in the Grand Opening and ribbon cutting at Abide Woman’s Heath Services. Abide had a soft opening over a year ago and has been faithfully and quietly serving the community with material goods help, resource referral and prenatal care. It’s been an honor to participate. And now - its full grown! Abide has chosen to be accredited through Jennie Joseph’s program, and she was able to join us this week.

Celebrate National Midwifery Week by sharing a special memory from your midwife attended birth (or prenatal or postpartum care) !

Kicking off National Midwifery Week with some special highlights from my September!

Whether it’s prenatal, birth, or postpartum … midwifery care makes it special and personal ❤️

Introducing…
Eden Virginia Jean
.
.
.
#birthfilm #birthvideography #homebirth #whynothome #birthathome #waterbirth #homewaterbirth #fortworthbirthvideo #dfwmidwife #midwifery #fortworthbirthphotographer

It was a great weekend! ❤️

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUVAYpRgVqb/?utm_medium=copy_link

Introducing… Eden Virginia Jean . . . #birthfilm #birthvideography #homebirth #whynothome #birthathome #waterbirth #homewaterbirth #fortworthbirthvideo #dfwmidwife #midwifery #fortworthbirthphotographer

Happy Monday!

I guarantee this is the cutest thing you will see on the Internet today. Siblings are paying attention at their parents’ prenatal visits ! Love these special moments that happen spontaneously at home prenatal appointments.

Sometimes midwifery care includes collaboration with a doctor and a planned c-section. Many thanks to Dr Singer and huge kudos to this family that graciously navigated all the unexpected things that came up during their pregnancy. Hearing this couple say they were so happy with both how they were treated and the outcome means everything worked exactly the way it was supposed to.

Now their midwife gets to cover their postpartum care at home ❤️

It’s World Breastfeeding Week.

And I have thoughts.

I look forward to the day where women’s bodies are seen as the pure temples of life that they are,
not as sexual objects for possessing, or for the pleasure of the observer. I look forward to a time when women are treated with honor and reverence for their power to give life and nourishment, and not judged for their choices of clothing, in any given setting.

I long for the day that the value of a woman has nothing to do with a fleeting and moving target of what weight, complexion, hair style, or age is considered beautiful at that place and time, but simply in being exactly who she is.

One week, three babies, all girls.

Sweet peaceful baby, two hours old, enjoying a gentle transition to outside life in a relaxing herb bath with her mother.

So excited about this recent addition to my “midwife-life” ! (My kids got me these beautiful flowers to celebrate).

“After a long application and interview process the ATM (Association of Texas Midwives) Board of Directors is very excited to publicly announce that Roxanne Anderson has accepted the position of Administrative Director of the ATM Training Program. Roxanne has the experience, leadership qualities and vision that we were looking for in the person that would drive our program forward. Roxanne has worked with student development for many years and has gained the trust and respect of her sister midwives and colleagues. We look forward to working together with Roxanne to advance midwifery education in our state through our Midwifery Training Program.”

When your home birth client has a sense of humor and gives the birth team awesome gifts like this notebook and herb infused olive oil.

I thought this was a good word today - especially for all the pregnant mamas, all the postpartum mamas, all the parents with houses full of rowdy kids, all the tired birth workers … yeah I guess actually everybody. ❤️

Slow down and breathe today.

Let the goodness and mercy that follows you every. single. day. of. your. life. — no. matter. what. — why not slow down and see how the goodness catches up to you?

*God longs to travel with you today* —
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life..." Psalm 23:6