Why I became a Midwife

The following is the essay I wrote to go with my admissions application to Commonsense Childbirth School of Midwifery:

“Why I want to be a Licensed Midwife”
by Kristin Schuchmann

Childbirth is one of the most important events in a woman’s life.  Her experience giving birth has the potential to give her great empowerment and confidence as a woman, or to dash her self-esteem and possibly leave lifelong wounds.  I have personally experienced both ends of the spectrum in my own four births and have had the sweet privilege of serving hundreds of birthing women over the past couple of decades who have taught me just how very important it is for a woman to receive care that will put her in a position to have the most healthy, safe, fulfilling birth experience possible.

My role as a childbirth educator and doula, although a tremendous blessing to my clients, is not completely meeting the need in my community.  There are currently, to my knowledge, no licensed midwives living in North Port, FL, and families who choose a birth center must drive 40 minutes or more to give birth.  Women ask me on a regular basis when I am going to begin midwifery school because they desire more options in our city.

Up until now, the timing has not been right for me to pursue midwifery.  Entering motherhood at age 17, marrying the man of my dreams in my twenties, having three more babies, working for ten years toward licensure of CPMs in Virginia, and lacking funds to pay for school have all been factors in delaying my midwifery education.  Now, however, it seems that everything has fallen into place and the timing is perfect.  My life has been simplified greatly since our move to Florida in 2007, my children are older now and can all take good care of themselves and each other, and we have discovered that my husband’s 401K is available to pay for my education.  The last piece of the puzzle fell into place recently when we discovered that Commonsense Childbirth was opening a midwifery school.  My husband and I both feel great peace in our hearts about my attending CCSM.

What we love most about Commonsense Childbirth is Jennie Joseph’s commitment to excellence and heart for community outreach.  That is so near and dear to my own heart.  I am currently fulfilling a dream to improve maternity care in the United States and around the world as the founder and executive director of Charis Childbirth, an international school of midwifery with emphasis on Christian missions and humanitarian work that also offers training and certification for childbirth educators and doulas.  It will greatly benefit Charis Childbirth for me to be a licensed midwife and CPM and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to learn from Jennie Joseph and others at Commonsense Childbirth who have the same passion for reaching out and effectively helping underserved mothers and babies have healthier pregnancies and births.

I have seriously counted the cost of midwifery for the last 20 years.  I am entering my calling with soberness as I know what life is like on-call, I have grieved with parents dealing with unexpected outcomes, I have been at births that last for days, and I have on many occasions missed several nights of sleep in a row.  But I also know that there is no place on earth more fulfilling than the center of God’s will.  My family and I answer the calling to midwifery with humility and gratitude.  Thank you for this opportunity.  Women and babies here in southwest Florida, across the United States, and around the world will be touched and blessed as a result.