Mornings in Maternity

Being a senior in high school, the question of my future plans is one I am very used to answering. However, to many of those asking, my answer is not one they're used to hearing. I am going to be a midwife. Yes, deliver babies. No, I don't think it's gross. It's amazing.

This semester, as part of the Health Career Institute, I spend my mornings at a local hospital shadowing on the maternity floor. Many well-meaning people have gotten in over their heads by asking me "What happened at the hospital today?". While I go off excitedly about watching a c-section, they slowly turn a pale green and avoid eye contact, trying desperately to change the subject before puking. Okay, maybe it's not that bad, but I have chosen a career path that involves things many people would rather not think about. This is understandable, but I'd like you see the joy I find in this work.

First of all, I get to wear scrubs! Quite possibly the comfiest uniform out there - no lie. Second, I get to hold babies. This is the best de-stressing therapy out there. I see the fast days and the slow ones, the happy new families and the difficult situations, the smiles and the tears.

Some days are sad. I sit under the dimmed lights, listening to the muffled radio that streams from the overhead speakers as it is punctuated by the beeps and boops of monitors - the sound of a tiny spirit fighting for a chance at life. I will never understand why some have such a rough start.

There are also days when I see a new life come into the world. As tiny pink hands flail and the first scream shakes the air, I simultaneously want to jump for joy and burst into tears. I have now seen three Cesarian sections and three vaginal deliveries, and there is no doubt that the wonder will never fade.

These are the days when I get to watch miracles happen before my eyes. This is why I want to be a midwife.