But I have another passion, too.
You see, my dream job is to work exclusively with teen and/or underprivileged moms. The reason? Well, for one, I was a teen mom. I was nineteen when I got pregnant with my daughter. I was also, in turn, somewhat underprivileged, because most 19-year-olds aren't rich, and we had to rely on some social services for a bit. However, I was very lucky to have an extremely supportive family and fiance (now DOH).
For two, I love pregnancy and infancy. I don't think I quite realized how much I loved it until I was pregnant and had my daughter, but over the last few years this has become one of my huge passions. I find pregnancy fascinating, from the physical, spiritual experience, right down to the science of it all. And infants. My goodness--they are amazing little creatures. They are equally completely helpless and in total need of their parents, yet amazingly resilient, filled with all these different in-born abilities, everything from their little reflexes that protect them if they fall or wind up in water to their automatic ability to suckle.
Which leads me to the whole dream job thing. I want to be a midwife, and a midwife who works specifically with teen/underprivileged moms. What does this mean, after my five years of schooling to become a middle/secondary teacher? It means, at some point, at least two more years of school (and possibly more). It's not something I'm looking to do right now, but in a few years, perhaps after I'm done having my babies. There is a midwifery school in a town next to the one I grew up in (the very place I intend to deliver my next baby). It has an excellent reputation and provides students with a two year track to becoming a midwife. I may also just go all in and become a nurse, then go on to become a midwife.
In the mean time, while I'm teaching (possibly starting over this summer), I am going to begin the process to become a doula (a woman who helps other women through birth, pregnancy, and the post-natal period). I love the idea of being there as a support, to help a woman through her birthing process and the early days of caring for her newborn. I'm starting to really feel like it's something I'm meant to do.
I just love all things baby (about the same amount as I love teenagers). I love talking about breastfeeding, making your own baby food, cloth diapering, baby massage, all that good, hippy fun stuff that is so good for you baby and the world around your baby. And while I am absolutely not a proponent of teen pregnancy, it's something that happens and in order for those young woman and their babies to find success is for them to have a healthy, happy pregnancy and a support system, and not every teen girl has access to that. I want to provide both the health and emotional support, and I think I can do that. It's something that excites me.
And shouldn't we always do something that excites us?
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