Is that door open?

Last week one of my passions in life was rekindled.   Something that I thought was a closed door.   I had let go…  And then last week happens?  What is God telling me?  Is there a way that this door can be taken off its hinges and my dreams realised?

If you have followed my blog, you will know that last year I had decided to pursue my master’s in nursing – to become a family nurse practitioner specialising in midwifery.  I had a classmate who was going to start with me; I had a university picked out; I had all my plans charted.  And slam.  The door shut.  I couldn’t see a way forward, so I began to think God had other pursuits in mind for me.

Until last week.  

A beautiful young friend of mine made a mistake and got pregnant last year.  She has just started her Grade 12 year, and is determined to finish it despite the new addition to her life of nappies, bottles, middle of the night feedings, etc.  She had asked me to be her birth partner – to coach her through labour.  I was thrilled to be asked!

Sunday night I got a call around 11pm – labour had started.  But contractions were still more than 45 minutes apart.  So the real action only started the next afternoon.  The goal was to labour at home for as long as possible and then head to the local government hospital.

So around 2:45pm, we headed to the hospital.  As I started to walk down the hall to the labour ward, the nurse put up her arm to stop me.  The hospital staff would not let me accompany her.  Rules of this hospital is that a pregnant woman has to labour ALONE!  I am still in shock over this.  My young friend was terrified and in the last stage of labour.  I wasn’t sure what to do, so I texted a few of my friends to pray.  And within minutes, we heard someone screaming.  It was my young friend. I couldn’t stay put.  I jumped up from the bench where I had been patiently waiting, and was about to push past the security guard to get to my friend’s side….

Luckily I didn’t have to use my Arnold Schwarzenegger intimidation act because the phone rang just then, and it was the nurse midwife asking me to come in.  She needed my support.  And so for the next 45 minutes, I was allowed to stay in and help this beautiful new baby enter our world.  It was a magical experience…  This young new mom was incredibly brave and God spared her by giving her a short, uncomplicated labour.  That beautiful baby girl was born after only about 5 pushes and the first words that came out of her young mom’s mouth were, “are we done yet?” as the babe was placed on her exhausted chest.  Done, yet only beginning.

Her circumstances are far from perfect, but her gorgeous baby girl is absolutely perfect!  So blessed to have been able to be a part of such a beautiful birth!  This young mom needs lots of prayers and I will continue to be a support to her as she braves the ups and downs of mommy-hood and tries to finish her high school career.

And then, only two short days later I receive a phone call from Seed of Hope health team – a woman had given birth on the side of the road because the ambulance had never arrived.  The placenta wasn’t coming and she was bleeding.  I wasn’t at work that day, but rushed over from home.

(I use the term “rush” rather loosely as I am still on crutches and can hardly “rush” anywhere.)

Thankfully, the health team had already gotten her in the car to go to the hospital.  All I did was a quick assessment of the mom and the baby, (all was well – even though placenta had not yet been delivered)  and sent them on to the clinic where she could be monitored properly.

Twice in one week, I was privy to one of the most amazing experiences in life.  I felt so alive and so happy….  Truly like I was meant to be birthing babies!!!!  So somehow it feels like God is letting me get my hopes up again.  That somehow, someway He is going to make a way for me to practice midwifery.