Independent Component 1

For my independent component I will be taking a series of birthing classes to fulfill the 30 hour requirement. I just began on Tuesday with my first class, its a prepared childbirth class. During the first class we discussed the anatomy an physiology of childbirth, normal pregnancy changes and common discomforts, nutrition in pregnancy, labor and delivery, signs and symptoms of early labor, and true vs false labor. We also practice different techniques that are meant to help women relax and ease their pain. We learned an exercise known as the pelvic tilt which is when you are on your hands and knees and you push your face towards your pelvis to help with back pain. We also practiced other exercises such as the double hip squeeze and  slow paced breathing. I really enjoyed attending this class because I was able to learn more about pregnancy and actually interact with women that are pregnant. I was also able to try out the exercises and got to observe the couples while they practiced their breathing exercises in each others arms. I can't lie it made me get a little emotional! Taking this class and others will be such a great and lovely experience that I will cherish in the years to come!

This is a photograph of the couples in the class practicing the pelvic tilt

Blog 8: Research and Working EQ

1. What is a midwife expected to know/ do in order to give their patient all the assistance they need before, during, and after pregnancy?

2. In order for a midwife to give their patient all the assistance they need, they need to be able to draw from past experiences, must be personable, supportive, and empathetic. They must be someone a women feels she can fully trust with her life and her baby's life.

3. An important source that has helped me come to this answer are two pieces of research. One of them is titled, "Professional Midwifery," and the other one is titled, "The Art of Midwifery." These pieces have helped me because they talk about practice administration, quality improvement, leadership skills, and professional development within a midwife.

4. My mentor is Deborah Nakielski who is a CNM at Kaiser Permanente. The work I do with Debbie relates to my working EQ because she gives me an insight on what a midwife should be doing to fully assist their patients. Working with her highly increases my knowledge of midwifery as a whole and gives me a hands on approach to learning.

Blog 7: Independent Component 1 Approval

1. For my 30 hours required for independent component I plan to attend a serious of birthing classes such as a lamaze class, a bradley class, a hypnobirth class, a prenatal yoga class, etc.

2. To show evidence of my 30 hours I will record sessions during classes, take multiple photographs, and if possible bring props from the classes.

3. Attending these different classes will help me explore my topic more in depth because often times midwives are the ones who teach those sort of classes. This will give me another look at what full scope midwives do outside of the hospital. Attending these classes will also give me a better insight at the other things midwives do besides labor and delivery, such as counseling.