(Repaving and) Memory Lane

Reflecting on 13 years of teaching birth ed, from home to rental spaces, to hospital and rental spaces to home again due to COVID-19.

Proud VBAC Mom Gives the Author the Honor of Holding her New Little Love (Author Can't Stop Smiling Widely). (Shared with Permission of the Family)

Today, I turned on the A/C unit for the first time of the year. Not for cooling, but for filtering, as they surprised us with repaving our road and my house stank of chemicals. Using the A/C unit made me remember how I'd turn it on and the ceiling fans in my front room to keep the pregnant folks I was teaching cooler in the summer months. SO many years ago when I used to teach at home!

Occasionally, very early on, one of my own children would need to nurse while I taught or, as they grew up a bit, rarely, but sometimes, one would evade their dad on parent duty and come down the stairs to say hi or ask a random question or see if they left a toy downstairs by accident. The students, mostly first time parents looking forward to having a little human in their own homes, would look on with amused curiosity. I was embarrassed at first, but I too, grew to recognize the honor of having a kiddo come to visit. It made it real for my students. It was all sweet and very homey.

While training with GentleBirth, we were instructed very clearly that we could teach anywhere *except* our homes. So I started teaching at Midwives' Offices, Chiropractor's Offices, Bean Tree Baby's Community Room, and other places. And I got a job teaching birth ed for Yale New Haven Hospital. I loved being able to set up and clean up as time to myself to reflect and mentally prepare to teach awesome classes instead of scanning and rescanning the front room for rogue Lego and Groovy Girl accessories and such as the appointed time loomed near. I loved teaching at home because at the end of a class, I'd wrap up and realize this space, my own home, had become someplace really special to someone else for a while. I loved teaching out because I left work at work. Both have ups and downs.

It's been interesting to reflect that, as a result of the pandemic, I've been teaching in my home again, and, frankly, it has absolutely been the best of both worlds in every way, with the notable exception that even my hug-appreciative clients and students no longer get hugs at the end of our meetings, and sometimes I have to slow down the pace to demonstrate and assist with learning a solid Double Hip Squeeze or other hands-on support tools.

Overall, it has been nothing but positive though. I had some virtual doula support experience prior to all this, and now it's blossomed to something really special to be able to support at a distance and yet have a shared experience with video support in the birthing room. Teaching classes online is nothing new to me, as I've been doing it for many years, having picked up these skills as a college professor who took part in ALL the continuing education I could. The "Teaching Online Classes" workshops through the IDTRC at CCSU were amazing, and I even got accepted to attend a summer institute on the topic and related topics. The instructors were awesome, the group was fun and I learned a TON. And while I'd taught a few friends in other states full childbirth ed programs before and after that time, most of my online birth classes were hybrid, part online and part in person. It's so nice to share a potluck meal with others!

And also, I'm so thrilled all-online has worked out so well for my clients. And me. And while if I find a rogue Lego around now it was probably *me* who dropped it (I LOVE minifigs, they're so fun!), and my nurslings are now middle and high school aged, teaching out of my home again kind of brings it all full circle.

And I hadn't put this together until this morning. This loud and smelly morning, when the trucks woke us up toooo early and the street that I didn't think was so bad off got a shiny new layer and it smelled SO bad that I thought I had better turn on the A/C unit so the family wasn't breathing in so many toxic chemicals. And now here I am, recounting my students over 13 summers of classes and workshops and programs. I was newly pregnant with my second kiddo just as I started teaching my first course. All those babies are middle school ages now, some of them sporting mustaches, several, such as my own, seem destined to tower over their parents any moment now. My first doula clients' babies are in or approaching High School! Soon they'll be thinking about careers and college and it in another two blinks of an eye, my clients' and students' babies will be contemplating families of their own.

So, this morning, I'm sending fond thoughts and virtual hugs and thinking of ALL the families who have touched my life by hiring me to teach them or doula for them. YOU all have taught me so much about life, about family, about love. I thank you all for the honor of serving you.

Funny how having the road resurfaced brought me down memory lane.