by Angelique Chelton
MAP launched the new Midwives’ Alliance of Pennsylvania’s Assistants and Students’ Training (M.A.S.T)
Program in December 2014. The reasoning why such a program is necessary can be demonstrated in my own journey into midwifery.
In July of 2010, I realized that I was feeling a call to midwifery. Having just completed doula training in February of that year and not being part of the natural health/birth community, my first goal was to speak to some midwives about how to become a midwife. I was vaguely aware that some midwives were nurses (I wasn’t interested in nursing at all) and some weren’t. I wanted to speak to the midwives who weren’t nurses to see how they moved into their profession.
I did a Google search and came up with two names from prominent local midwifery practices. I emailed both and anticipated setting up a time to go visit with them individually, to drink tea and chat about what becoming a midwife entails.
I received no response from the first midwife and the second suggested I set up a pot-luck lunch with other aspiring midwives in the area so she could answer all our questions at once. Ummm, other aspiring midwives? I had no clue where to find these other women and didn’t get the feeling that the busy midwife would have patience to help me connect with them. Read more