After completing a concurrent B.Sc. in Biological Sciences and B.A. in Economics at the University of Calgary, it only took me a few short months of working in the oil and gas industry to know that I was not on the right career path for myself. As I reflected on where I belonged and what I should be doing, I remembered how much enjoyment and wonder I felt while studying anatomy and physiology of the human body. I also realized I missed the fulfilling interpersonal interactions that I had enjoyed as an undergraduate student working with visitors at Telus Spark. I had also given birth to two wonderful children during my studies, and had learned firsthand how important the experiences of the childbearing year are. And while mulling all this over to figure out what it was supposed to mean for me, I was lucky enough to find midwifery.
From the moment I began learning about it, I felt as though I had found my home. Everything about the philosophy underpinning midwifery further confirmed that it was exactly where I was meant to be. I loved how it acknowledged the significance of the experience of pregnancy, labour, birth, and the postpartum period. I loved the focus on people being supported in making informed decisions about their lives, their bodies, and their care. I loved the recognition of the importance of not only the expertise of care providers, but the expertise that those receiving care have in their own lives, bodies, values, and priorities. I graduated with a Bachelor of Midwifery from Mount Royal University in the spring of 2019, and every single day since has cemented the certainty that being a midwife is my calling.
After starting my career as midwife in the greater Edmonton area, I am incredibly excited to be returning home to Calgary to serve families with Briar Hill Midwives.