You’ve heard us mention the difficulties involved in living life on call on more than one occasion, but it is such an important consideration for anyone thinking about doing birth work that it merits its own podcast. Even in last week’s interview with Monet, we had to stress again the reality that being on call 24/7 is not something that everyone can overcome despite their love of attending births. But being an on-call midwife adds other layers to the on-call lifestyle–it simply is not the same as being on-call in other professions. It is, even with sustainable measures in place, a very challenging–though highly rewarding–way of life.

We dig into a number of topics during our half hour together:

• Living life on call as a student vs. a practicing midwife
• Advice for new students
• Managing your phone and devices
• Car and transportation considerations
• Practicing living on call as a doula
• Planning for and scheduling time off
• What do you do when you’re sick–i.e., the inconvenience of being human
• Missing important events
• Client expectations
• Feeling like you’re disappointing family and friends
• Drinking, smoking, modesty, and lifestyle modifications
• Day-to-day interruptions and planning realities

We hope that new and aspiring midwives will find this podcast helpful as they learn to navigate this–possibly THE MOST–challenging aspect of midwifery. We hope you’ll listen today!