Babies of the North

March is finally here, it's nice to see the sun shinning on the blanket of white snow covering Rankin Inlet. I love being a midwife, it is rewarding, fun and always keeps you on your toes. We went to a couple beautiful births this week. It is so nice when the woman in labour knows and trusts those giving her support and care. A first time mom was so nerveous before labour, all the midwives were a bit worried how she would manage. She came in for several extra hours to learn about labour and birth and newborns while still pregnant. This helped her relax and trust her body. But really it was in labour she went so fast, and while the pushing was slow, she did a great job in listening to her family and both midwives. The team was seamless, we let her know she was going to do this and we were all there for her. At one point she said "I want this to stop" and the response from the midwife was, "that's like asking the sun not to rise or the tide not to come in. Your baby is going to be born." It was a beautiful birth of a 9 pound baby, and he surpried us with two teeth! That's right he was born with two bottom teeth just about poking through the gums. Anyhoo, it is always special to be at a birth and I hope I can still say that in 4 decades. Peace.

Adventures in the North

Hello lovely people!

I've had the most inspiring weekend. Friday I was honored to do my first official "catch" as a midwife. A beautiful Inuit baby boy was born in water in our birthing pool. Most women labour very quickly here and the woman only pushed about three times. Okay, I'll only give more details to those who ask. The afternoon was a Inuit Heritage trip to the "elders cabin" about 15 KM outside of Rankin. All the interested staff from the health centre enjoyed a BBQ, dice games and prizes. The Tundra is beautiful with greens, reds and golden grasses and mosses mingling over the hills. There was a flock of snow geese resting by one of the lakes. Wide open space refreshes the mind and awakens the spirit. There are a few pics of the Tundra..

Yesterday I went out on the Hudson Bay to see Marble Island about 40 Km from Rankin. The Island is an anomaly, white stone decorated with black and green lichen. The legend of the Island is an old woman had stayed there after refusing to leave with the rest of the family in pursuit of more caribou. She wanted the ice to turn into an Island, and when people returned after the thaw the woman was gone, but a snow white Island was there in her place. Now when one visits the Island they must crawl the first few steps to honour the woman's lingering spirit and avoid bad luck. I've included a few photos from my trip. In the last few moments before our departure we spotted a Beluga whale with her baby. It was so exciting and luckily for the whales there where no hunters around.

I'm getting use to the subtleties of the Inuit people. When you ask people questions with yes or no answers you have to pay attention to their face, most will not answer verbally. Raising your eyebrows means yes and scrunching your nose means no. So if you notice me doing that when I'm back, that's why. I'm enjoying my time here and would consider coming back again. It's getting cold quickly, even a few flurries have come from the sky. I'll let you know when the snow falls and stays. The Hudson Bay is expected to be solid ice in a month.

occupational hazard

Last friday I was priviledged to deliver a baby boy. It was amazing, the head began emerging quickly as I rushed to put my gloves on. The light of the setting sun was making the room glow a warm orange. As the bright firey red sun set, a son was born. Three older sister's gained a brother this lovely day. An hour later as the newborn assesment took place the mother inquired if his penis was normal. The Urethra (aka the pee hole) was visible as the foreskin is a bit drawn back naturally (normal variation by the way). As I was looking closley, yes the obvious happened, I got his first pee right in my face! If you want to be a midwife, think of what your reaction would be to this, I myself laughed, as did everyone else in the room. All in a day's work...

metamorphopsia

Everyone stops subscribing to everyday life and enters the unknown when they reach the Black Rock Desert. Arriving early I saw the city build until the streets where defined and the citizens where fully frolicking in the dusty flats in Northern Nevada. Faced with the extremes throughout the week, the blazing sun melting your scant costumes off, the transition to night always is to short, and then it is dark and cool with blinking neon lights all around you. Euphoria comes right after you let go of trying to conrol your surroundings. A lesson in accepting, youself and others alike. The affection for life and other humans is contagious, all your standard rules you live your life by fly up into a dust cloud never to be seen again. Please join Burning Man next year, I feel the growth in myself, I see it all around me, I am ready to take flight and use my new wings. Peace be with you.