Well, it’s been a while since I wrote my last blog. Because my last entry had to do with my health, several people have asked me how I am doing. So, I’ll begin by letting everyone know that my health is doing really well. Larry and I have continued our walking program and I’m staying off the caffeine and junk food. Well, maybe I’ve cheated on the junk food a few times, but I have stayed off the caffeine. I’ve even dropped a few pounds (though not as many as I would like). But what’s most important is that my blood pressure and my cholesterol are down, and I am no longer experiencing arrhythmia or heart palpitations.

What I really wanted to blog about today is what is new in my midwifery practice. About a month or so ago, I started receiving calls from women in the Rio Grande Valley area who were looking for a midwife. The Upper Rio Grande Valley is about a two hour drive south of Corpus Christi. “Holy Family Birth Center” in Weslaco had to close their doors for a short while due to a shortage of midwives. So “Holy Family” referred women seeking a home birth with a midwife to me.

My first inclination was to take on these women as my clients, but the logistics had to be worked out first. So after discussing this with my husband, daughter and apprentice, I decided to go for it. It worked out that I could serve these Valley clients without taking anything away from the care given to local clients. Jessica, who is also a midwife and assists me in my practice, agreed to cover for me here in Corpus whenever I need to go to births in the Valley. Mercy, my apprentice, will go with me when I travel to the Valley. We’ve already delivered one baby in the Valley and we have five other Valley clients due over the next few months.  

Mercy and Jessica and I have taken to referring to these new clients as our “Valley Girls.” So far our plan to care for them seems to be working out quite well. All of the “Valley Girls” have agreed to come to Corpus for their prenatal care as it is needed. But as it has turned out, we’ve actually been able to do quite a few of their prenatals in the Valley. When I have a home visit in the Valley, whether it is a 36 week home visit or a postpartum home visit, I just call the rest of my Valley clients and arrange to see them in their homes on the day we come down. So far this arrangement has been quite nice for everyone involved.

Mercy and I get to enjoy the time to talk on the way down and we really enjoy getting to see our clients in their homes. Our clients love it because they don’t have to drive to Corpus for every appointment with us. “Holy Family” may have a new midwife joining their practice in November, so I don’t know whether or not I will continue to serve women in the Valley long term. But it all seems to be working well for now.