These past two days, we traveled north to attend the semi-annual conference for our state midwifery organization. Life has been busy for both of us this year, so we really had to psych ourselves up for the drive to Loveland (which is a beautiful town, by the way). Coffee was imperative.

The effort to attend events like this at the end of a heavy work week can be almost too much, but the reward is huge. Midwifery in a home birth setting is a profession that can sometimes be isolating (this is one of many reasons that we decided to form a partnership). This work requires long hours, and many times involves a lot of stress on body and mind.

Gatherings of midwives, student midwives, doulas, educators, and other members of the birth work community, can remind us that we are all working towards the same goals – to improve birth for the families in our circle of influence, and to fight for better options and outcomes for pregnant people and babies everywhere.

This weekend, we renewed the feeling of connection as we sat alongside our colleagues in the Colorado midwife community, and benefited from hearing the perspectives of the presenters on various topics. We brushed up on a few skills, and tackled some communication barriers. We worked on our knitting and embroidery, and listened.

Above all, we laughed, we ate, we talked, we hugged a whole bunch of women, and we remembered that we are all on the team of helping mothers, babies and families. Thank you to our friends, colleagues and sisters, the few but mighty birth warriors, for being there to remind us, again and again, of what this is all for – and how much we can accomplish when we work together.