Renata Hillman is a Traditional Midwife, serving Mothers along the gulf coast, as midwife and educator. She is mother to three and midwife to her first granddaughter. She is the Chairman of the Board for Midwives Alliance of Mississippi (MAM). She dreams of the day when midwifery is once again a respected calling in American society and mothers have many from which to choose.
This article discusses what she views as the essentials for a successful apprenticeship.
Photo by Yousef Espanioly
I began my journey to and through midwifery in 1980. Little did I know as a Bradley® childbirth educator that homebirthing is what lay ahead. If I had known, I don’t know that I would have continued!
It is unheard of in the medical management of “normal” labor. It is outside of all the medical parameters of acceptable patterns. Even within some midwifery practices, it stretches the patience of attendants past their tolerance point. But is it really bad? Is there anything truly abnormal about Failure to Progress? Probably not!
