Last day with the Storks :(

What a lovely finish to my time with the Storks.

I arrived at Chris' early to help with admin stuff, which was really useful to see how they work with the NHS and how they keep track of everything! Chris explained Sharyn is the organisation of the group and has made A4 admin sheets for each woman, with information like if they've borrowed books (which they do frequently), has consent been given for the NHS and their GP to be informed of the change in care etc etc. Ironically, this time really helped me understand a lot of what had been talked about the team meetings and even with the women. 

After this, we went to a postnatal visit of the woman who invited me to her birth. She's doing great and her little baby is flourishing, already surpassed birth weight! Quite the little chunk. We chatted mostly about family life, how she adapting and feeling, sleeping and the usual, and was good to catch up with her partner there for this visit too. The visit was over an hour, and I could feel a pang of sadness as I left, although this is the part where I jump off, it's no where near the end of her journey and transition into parenthood and to be involved for such a short period of time was really a privilege. I think I mostly felt sad as the Storks will continue seeing her so for me, it's not a natural end like an episode of care but more like i'm jumping ship in the middle of it! 

Afterwards was back to Chris', the drive both there and back was filled with the usual. Discussion of midwifery, of politics, of their way of working etc, we talked a lot about the best start in Scotland and my feelings towards midwifery which was sort of like a nice debrief for me. Then when back at Chris' she went over her article she's written on twin birth and she showed me all the evidence she'd collated for this which was really interesting. She also mentioned a study about the ethics of CTG/electronic fetal monitoring which I need to dig out, she said it was a good read. 

I feel like my time with the Storks has been restorative, of midwifery, of my passion, and just generally gave me that fire in my belly that had been slowly extinguished over the last 2 years. A real belief that now when discussing things with mentors and other midwives and with women, I can have a tangible experience to relate back to and tactful ways of discussing the evidence, or lack there of. Chris gave me a big hug goodbye and wished me luck with the rest of my training, I warned her she might end up with a panicked email from me next year when I qualify. 

And like all good this, this came to an end.

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