Could I Cut It?

The more and more time goes by, the more and more I feel like I should have got some type of college education. But nothing really interested me enough to take a large sum of money out in student loans and go back to school. So now I am at this cross roads. I have an amazing passion for birth, birth advocacy, my ICAN chapter, and really everything that surrounds truly natural birth, but what could I do to make that a job?

Become a midwife! I have been thinking about it for sometime. Since I became a doula actually, and recently since I got more involved with the whole natural birth movement here in Connecticut, I have had a lot of doors open for me. Lots of important mentors come out of the wood works that would not just take on or help any random stranger. I have researched on the different options I have and I know wholeheartedly that I could never make it through nursing school (as does anyone who knows me), so becoming a CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife) would be out of the question. Not to mention it would cost almost triple the money and take triple the time as becoming a CPM (Certified Practicing Midwife).

Right now in Connecticut CPM's are not illegal, but they are not legal. They are just there. They attend home births, and are well within their legal rights. Many local CNM and CPM are trying to get laws and legislation passed in Connecticut to protect CNM. It just has not physically happened yet. It would basically involve a distance learning program, basically a home study where you are in contact with the teachers of the program through e-mail and postal service, and then you have to find a local CPM to apprentice with.
In the end, you have to have x amount of births, and pass the exam that would certify you through whatever midwife organization whether it is MANA or MEAC.

It is something I really want to do, and I am young enough to really do it. I would have 7 years to complete all my training. Money is the only issue. I don't have $12,000 to pull out of my ass. LOL