Meeting the Midwife

I've decided after some thinking (and a bit of chocolate support) that I will keep my blog posts for everything here. It's simply a matter of time. I don't think I will be able to keep posting regularly enough on more than one blog to do either of them justice. Of course, I may just cheat and copy and paste what I write here into a pagan pregnancy blog but I still think this blog that I have been working at for several years should stay my main one.

So...

Last Thursday we met the Midwife! (Cue dramatic music). Let's just say that I was a little nervous. One, I'm disabled so I have weight issues and I kinda expected the same lecture I seem to get whenever I meet a new medical professional. They see 30-something and overweight. It isn't until I get 'shirty' with them they shut up about it.

And two, Im Pagan. Now in today's world that shouldn't be a problem but having been discriminated against in the past I tend to be a little wary about such things.

And I couldn't have been more wrong!

My midwife is a larger lady herself and strictly forbade any thoughts of losing weight (sensible woman). She also said I wasn't to worry about losing any after having baby either. It would happen when I was ready and not before! You really could have knocked me over with a feather.

We went through all the usual questions: Do I smoke? Do I drink? etc etc. At which point I'm actually feeling pretty boring cos I don't do a lot that is 'bad' for me. Then we went through family background and I'm still feeling pretty boring. Then it came. What is your religion? I jumped in with both feet and said Pagan. And waited. The Midwife blinked a bit and actually seemed to brighten up. She asked how it might affect being pregnant and giving birth and I said that it would influence the decisions we made and that it meant we were wanting as natural a birth as possible. Then Mrs Marvellous Midwife said that made sense cos Paganism was all about nature!!! I'm just glad I was sitting down! It was amazing to meet a health professional who actually understood Paganism. The rest of the appointment went swimmingly, funnily enough.

I really like my Midwife. She wasnt pushy or judgemental at all. Having met some midwives through my sisters I was expecting a cross between Supernanny and Attila the Hun. It was great to have been proved so wrong.

It made me think. I tried not to be guarded about telling the midwife I am Pagan and I think that also helped. I've noticed sometimes my Pagan friends can be pretty defensive (as I can) about being Pagan. We throw up a barrier to stop us feeling attacked and end up actually making it worse as the other person has to understand Paganism and get through our scepticism.

Im just pleased I was proved wrong. Now how often does anyone expect to hear themselves say that? :)