Who are we?

This blog is an agglomeration of the thoughts and experiences of two American girls who packed up and moved to South Africa on a whim. Caz from Fairfield, Connecticut and Mandy from Milwaukee, Wisconsin first met as roommates in 4127 on Semester at Sea in Fall of 2010.
In the interim, Caz returned to finish her Bachelor of Science with a double major in Biology (concentration in Microbiology) and Geography with a minor in Chemistry at the University of Miami in Florida, while Mandy took a hiatus to rediscover her real passion working with pregnant women, advocating for home birth and delivering babies outside of a hospital environment. We reconvened to follow both of our fields of study (read: hopes, dreams, asiprations, life goals, etc.) outside of the United States. Hello South Africa?

We are both here for at least a year and a half, though the more time we spend falling in love with South Africa, the more we'd like to think it'll be longer. We are both starting jobs in November/December: Caz working with infectious disease at a hospital clinic and Mandy beginning her training to become a certified midwife. Before then, we are both writing a book about our experiences leading up to this adventure as well as the multitude of serendipitous happenings that led us here.

As always, feel free to comment or ask questions. If you have an interest in a topic, let us know and we will surely oblige you (within reason). Enjoy!

Friday, November 22, 2013

Prenatals and Cookies

I tell Mandi continually how amazing her life is. She essentially gets paid to hangout with amazing women and their families and prepare them to welcome new life. The inbetween time is filled with caffeine, chocolate, and giant juicy paw paws parked by the water as we leaf through the endless wisdom of Ann Frye. Dates with Ann we call them. 



A typical prenatal lasts about an hour where chit chat and hands on belly action tell a story so in depth it's no wonder midwives have such amazing birth outcomes. 

The typical "musts" of a prenatal with Mandi includes blood pressure readings, pulse, urinalysis, belly measurments, fetal heart tones if the pregnancy is far along enough, and a lovely massage for mommy. These essential pieces of the prenatal foundation really only take about 15 minutes of the hour long appointment. The other 45 minutes are intensely individualized and tailored to each client and their specific needs. It's this undivided attention to detail and personal bonding that makes midwifery care so incredible. Not only is one hiring a care giver for their birth but you are basically hiring a new best friend. The most supportive, loving, knowledgable best friend you've ever known. 

I go back to Cape Town tomorrow, but only for a week! I am back in the Elandskraal woods by the next Friday-ish. I meet with my Midwife International spokeswoman and the other student on Monday, at which point we begin the planning phases of the next chapter in my midwifery saga. 

November 29 I plan on attending a meeting of homebirth midwives in Cape Town who are petitioning the South African Nursing Council to recognize the North American Registry of Midwives' rigorous training and certification requirements as legitimate credentials. With national recognition of this training the Certified Professional Midwives trained in the apprenticeship model can expand their services and help bring a new wave of compassionate, intelligent, and fiercely devoted midwives to the greater community. With rampant abuse in the provincial maternity system and an >80% cesarian rate in private hospitals, women are in desparate need of better options and more comprehensive informed consent. 

We are here to answer the call. 

On the same note I also have exciting news to announce. Mandi Busson on her beautiful organic farm is in the planning phases of building a modest one room birth house on her property with the hopes of serving the marginalized women in her community. Starting very soon we are going to start fund raising and asking for donations to make this very realistic dream come to fruition. Using materials from her property, sustainable building techniques, and unwavering determination, we will build this birth center. 


The future is bright. And we have much to look forward to.

-Mandy 


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