They also passed a policy at their 2012 AGM to allow US based midwifery schools to apply for assessment and recognition, at the schools expense... and they stipulate that students of the program are not allowed to be the ones to apply. Based on my experience of risking my emotional well being and the loss of what once was a key relationship in the birth community, I would agree that the pressure should not be-fall any student to have to fight for and defend their school.
In my most recent contact with the authorities I was told "this isn't personal Diane, it's not about you. We're just following the law..." to which I replied, "but you are actually driving the policies that create the law." This was followed by a few words of wisdom about how we used to allow people to drive without seat belts and there didn't used to be any laws about smoking. And now we have laws about this. Compared to how we used to allow apprentice trained midwives to practice midwifery and now we don't... well we do but not without some extra "Canadian specific" training. (in case the midwife apprenticed in Mars or someplace really different than Saskatchewan... like say... Montana! Actually, we didn't used to allow it. It was A-legal for many years for anyone, regardless of degree or education or lack thereof; to practice midwifery in Canada... period. To compare anti-smoking laws to anti-US based midwifery program laws (:)) is a very apples to oranges twist. However, you can't always breath logic in when you are emotionally attached to an outcome.
I entered that conversation, olive branch waving in front of me and came away with no leaves left on it. For me and some of my peers around the country, this IS personal. The call to midwifery, the honor of attending birth and the integrity of having the legal capacity to learn under local midwives. The day that birth and the issues that surround birth becomes something that isn't personal is the day I'll stop being a birth worker.
It's really hot in my kitchen... but I'm not going to stop cooking in it. Today on the menu, ground nut soup and sun dried tomato scones. mmmm
Hope you are enjoying the heat!
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