I just returned home from a graduation. I teach at the NorthEast Campus of the Seattle Midwifery School, and we just graduated the first class from this campus. (The Seattle campus is now 25 years old). The guest speaker was Ina May Gaskin, pioneering midwife and author. I first met Ina May in 1986, and she and I run into each other usually once or twice a year at conferences and so on. It was a pleasure to see her again. She was telling me that her newest book, Ina May's Guide to Natural Childbirth, is being released Tuesday. I have pre-ordered my copy and am eagerly awaiting its arrival.
Ina May and I always have these interesting conversations whenever we meet. Today we talked about the present and future of midwifery, the endangered status of normal childbirth, and the environmental pollution caused by the wide spread use of oral contraceptive medication and hormone replacement therapy. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon. It was also delightful to see the young women I helped to teach graduate and get ready to start their new lives and callings.
