Help Rinya Become a Midwife

Hello, my name is Rinya. I’m a junior Philosophy major at Carleton College and a future midwife. I need your help to get training as a Midwife.  

I became interested in reproductive health care at the age of ten, on the day I saw my aunt give birth to her daughter (shout out to my no-longer-baby cousin, Francesca!). Transformed and inspired, I trained as a birth doula and had the privilege of assisting folks in the Chicagoland area during my high school years. I became aware about the issues surrounding the medicalization of birth in the US. Rather than thinking about reproductive health from solely a scientific/biological perspective, I started thinking of it as a social justice issue. The more I learned, the more the activist in me was inspired.

I believe that there is a desperate need for more humanistic and culturally competent doctors in the US healthcare system. I decided to set my sights on medical school in hopes of becoming an OB/GYN who follows the midwifery model of care. I wanted to impact the system from the “inside,” and have the credibility that a prestigious MD degree affords. While considering which medical schools to apply to, I kept my belief in humanistic medicine in mind. Eventually, I found a school that matched my philosophy: The University of Rochester in New York. They train future physicians with the biopsychosocial model of care. This model emphasizes that not only biological, but also psychological (thoughts, emotions, and behaviors) and social (socio-economic, socio-environmental, and cultural) factors all play an important role in a person’s health. This past summer, before having taken the MCAT, I applied to Rochester’s early assurance program and was very lucky to have been admitted. It was a dream come true!

Recently, though, I realized that deep down, medical school is not the right path for me after all. It has taken a lot of courage to come to this realization because being a doctor had been such an integral part of my identity for more than half of my life. I decided against medical school for several important reasons (bear with me):

1.) My fundamental philosophy of care conflicts with the Western medical model. Medical expertise and interventions are vital for women and babies with complications, but routine interventions on women at low risk of problems can actually lead to more problems (and often does). Training in the medical model does not typically focus on developing skills to support the natural progression of an uncomplicated birth. I know myself enough to realize that I do not want to be responsible for high-risk pregnancies. I don’t want to be responsible for detecting every possible medical catastrophe. I don’t want to navigate medical decisions about the health of a mother or baby with high chances of death, and I don’t want to perform surgeries. I want to have extensive knowledge of what is normal, and be able to detect when something is abnormal rather than have extensive knowledge of every serious but unlikely risk a mother faces when in labor. My approach will emulate the midwifery model of care: wholistic, natural, non-medicalized birth that trusts in the healthy female body’s ability to birth. As BirthSpirit Midwifery Service put it:
“The process of human childbirth is a normal physiological process perfectly designed by nature to bring babies into the world. It is an instinctive, primal experience that has it’s own rhythm and pace which should be respected and honored, and works best when interfered with as little as possible. Women should have as much control as possible in determining their care, and should be encouraged to be active participants in decision-making and self-care. When informed, supported and encouraged to follow their own instincts, women can be active givers of birth rather than passive receivers of birth technology. Childbirth, when experienced in this way, has the potential to be a transformative event; women who take responsibility for their births and give birth to their babies under their own power, emerge from the experience empowered, with a new sense of their own capabilities. This transformation benefits not only that mother and her children, but also the entire family unit, the community, the culture at large, and ultimately the world, as it encourages peaceful, loving, responsible relationships. As we birth, so we live.”

2.) The intimacy of the relationship between a midwife and a mother is not only more enjoyable for me and more suited to my strengths, but also has proven health benefits for mom and baby. As a doula, I know how important and rewarding it is to have a very close relationship with a care provider. I don’t think I’d be able to do that as a doctor.

3.) The over-reliance on increasingly advanced technology in the healthcare system is making many doctors obsolete. Malpractice insurance for OB/GYN’s is skyrocketing (especially in IL, where I will be practicing). There’s a looming fear of getting sued by patients because of our overly litigious society. Pharmaceutical companies pressure doctors to overprescribe certain medications for financial motivations. Hospital regulations prevent doctors from having very much wiggle room to practice according to their own medical philosophies.

4.) Being a doctor sounds appealing because it has a set framework for completing the training and a clear path to a secure job. It also is attached to a lot of respect and admiration for enduring such a rigorous education and for being an expert on the human body (not to mention the ever-enticing guarantee of parental approval). But the actual training and day-to-day work doesn’t seem to fit my skills and interests. I think I would suffer from burnout and not be able to be the best care provider I can be. Being a midwife seems much more suitable for me to maintain my physical, mental, and spiritual health.

5.) I am interested in a career in reproductive health only, not necessarily health in its entirety. Here’s an analogy: when I had my sights set on medical school, it felt as if I was about to eat an entire cake, when all I really wanted was the sprinkles. I was never as intrigued by disease, broken bones, joints, teeth, genetics, brains, or hearts as I am by the reproductive system. Although most things about the human body are still utterly fascinating to me, I do not want to learn extensively about them nor do I want to be responsible for treating them. Now that I have identified my passion at such a young age, I would rather focus my efforts to specialty training in that interest.
 
6.) One of my main motivations for pursuing a career in reproductive health is to make systematic changes to it. This could mean that law, policy, non-profit work, advocacy, education, or consulting would be a more efficient way to make impacts to the maternity health care system. Going through 6 years of medical school doesn’t seem like the most efficient way to make the change I want to see.

7.) I worry about work-life balance if I were to be a doctor. I want a family, and I want to have the mental energy and time to spend with my family. Doctors experience notoriously high rates of burnout and dissatisfaction in their professions. As a woman, I need to keep my ‘biological clock’ in mind, and realize that being a doctor will push back my start to the journey of motherhood.

8.) Finally, and perhaps most importantly, being pre-med has been emotionally destructive to me for years, and will continue to do so if I decide to push even farther into the medical track. I constantly felt that I did not measure up to my peers, or I was not intelligent enough to make it through the required coursework. I never allowed myself to enjoy time spent away from work out of guilt that I wasn’t working hard enough and fear that I wouldn’t get into medical school. It loomed over me like dark a cloud for years. I was nervous, afraid, insecure, pessimistic, self-critical, and constantly exhausted. I used to work so hard that I became physically ill. Ever since I decided that medical school wasn’t right for me, my life has transformed. The pressure has finally lifted, after over a decade of carrying the weight on my shoulders. It was very liberating. I’m still on cloud nine months after.

For these reasons (and several others), I am deciding not to go to medical school. After eleven years of believing that I would take the classic medical school track, I am exploring more creative and fitting career tracks. I believe that approaching reproductive justice from a different angle would better suit my skills, interests, and goals. I could end up doing research, advocacy, education, policy work. Who knows? I am open to exploration. My path will unfold as I go, and I have no doubt that if I hold onto my curiosity, self-awareness, work ethic, and passion, I will have quite an impactful and rewarding career.

There is one thing I *am* sure of, though. My 21-year-old self still wants to deliver babies just as much as my 10-year-old self did on the day I witnessed birth for the first time. I am going to train as a midwife at some point in my career -- I know this to be true. This brings me to why I am asking for support from you to train as a midwife assistant. I would like to shadow some local homebirth midwives during my college years -- to get a sense of the work, the community, the lifestyle of midwives. And to see more births -- my favorite thing in the universe! I can’t quite describe the euphoria of witnessing new life come into this world, and the transformation of a woman to a mother when she locks eyes with her baby for the first time. It’s quite an honor.

In order to attend births with midwives, I would like to have some training on how I can be of assistance so that I can be part of the birth team rather than simply observe. One way to do this is to train as a midwife assistant. There is a Midwife’s Assistant workshop in Tennessee on a Farm Midwifery Center ,founded by Ina May Gaskin -- also known as “the mother of authentic midwifery.” Her work has been hugely significant in the world of maternity care, causing a nationwide movement toward better birth. To say the least, she’s a major source of inspiration for me. The workshop will happen during my spring break (March 13-19, 2016) if I can raise enough funds. This is what it includes:

-Birth kit supplies, setup and use, and what is expected of a midwife assistant
-Basic sterile technique; packing and sterilizing birthing instruments, and keeping the birth environment clean
-Anatomy and physiology of female reproduction, pregnancy, labor and delivery – hormones and the female body
-A closer look at ultrasound use: problems and solutions
-Introduction to pelvimetry and anatomy of the pelvis; dilation checks with model
-Introduction to charting, record keeping and medical terminology
-Introduction to midwifery assistant skills, including taking blood pressure, vital signs, fetal heart tones and fundal measurements – hands-on with a live model
-Monitoring baby’s fetal heart tone
-The midwife assistant’s role during labor, delivery and immediate postpartum care
-Immediate postpartum care of mother and baby
-Introduction to care and assessment of the newborn
-Helping the breastfeeding mother
-Testing of hematocrit and urine
-Cultural competency in childbirth and care of women
-History of the Farm Midwifery Center
-Bloodborn Pathogens/Disease Prevention: HBV, HIV/AIDS and the midwife
-Oxygen setup and use
-Neonatal Resuscitation

I’ve set up this GoFundMe page as a way for all those who have graciously offered their support to me along my journey, to help out financially. The money raised by this fundraising will be used for the Midwifery Assistant workshop. Any extra will go toward tuition and housing for my (at least) 3-year midwifery education upon graduating from Carleton in June 2017. I need all the help I can get! 

To my wonderful family, dear friends, fantastic mentors: you all have been amazing -- thank you for encouraging me to be the best “me” that I could be. Last but certainly not least, I want to express my gratitude for Carleton College for inspiring me to direct my career toward making the world a better place and trusting myself enough to do so. Carleton has truly been my sanctuary, and I owe so much of my personal development to it and all the folks who work so hard to make it the precious place that it is.

If you can help please do, knowing that every day I breathe, I will be grateful. If you can't help, that's understandable. These are hard times for everyone and I thank you for reading this lengthy story nestled amongst many other stories. I do ask that you share this in case someone else, anyone else, can help. Facebook, email, word of mouth -- anything helps. I promise, I’m a pay it forward kinda gal and will never, ever forget your gift.

Thank you! 

Enjoy some pictures of families I supported as a birth doula (all posted with consent of the parents):


 My first family I supported as a birth doula! I love these folks : ) 

My first baby! (sort of...)

In Peru! 

Sweet baby girl in my college town of Northfield, MN! 

Chicago mama and baby staring contest of love. 

Another locking gaze of love. 

The baby girl in Peru whom I helped name after my sister, Oriana! 

Oriana's mother caring for her new baby girl.


This cutie pie. 

A fellow Carleton-grad and happy momma! 

Mother of twins in the Peru clinic. 

Sweet baby girl in Chicago.

Curiosity at its finest! 

Precious, vibrant baby girl. 

Me and Ina May Gaskin, my inspiration. She has been described as "the mother of authentic midwifery." Her work has been hugely significant in the world of maternity care, causing a nationwide movement toward better birth. It was an honor to meet this wise soul! 


Thank you everybody!
: )