Embracing motherhood: Beacon midwife shares personal, enriching journey to becoming a mom
Certified nurse midwife Audrey Katz has supported and cared for many expectant moms during pregnancy, labor and the birth of their babies at Beacon. While she has always been passionate about her role, Audrey describes in this special essay below for National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, how motherhood has profoundly changed her.
Becoming a mother is a profound and life-altering experience that has the power to shape one’s perspective on so many aspects of life. For me, the journey into motherhood not only brought immense joy and unique challenges, but it also instilled a newfound depth of empathy, understanding, and compassion in my role as a Certified Nurse Midwife. My personal experience as a patient has influenced and enriched my practice, enabling me to become a better midwife.
Before my son, Archie, was born, I had been a midwife for a little over a year and a half. I am always working to learn and improve my practice, but I had no idea how much Archie was going to teach me throughout this transition.
The transition to motherhood inherently involves a multitude of emotions and uncertainties. The vulnerability and sensitivity I felt during this time allowed me to better empathize with the patients I support as a midwife. I began to appreciate the exhaustion, anxiety, and unpredictability of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum phases in a more profound way. This heightened empathy enabled me to approach each prenatal appointment and birth with a deeper understanding of the physical and emotional challenges that mothers face, allowing me to provide more effective and supportive care.
Becoming a mother opened my eyes even more to the realities of childbirth, breastfeeding, and new parenting. Prior to motherhood, much of my understanding of these topics was rooted in textbooks and what I was taught in clinical rotations. However, experiencing childbirth firsthand shed light on the unpredictability and individuality of each experience. I think Archie knew he wanted to make my pregnancy and birth a learning experience for his midwife mother. I labored naturally to 10 centimeters, eventually got an epidural, and then ended up with an unplanned c-section when his heart rate was showing signs of distress. Although it was not the birth story I predicted, I am thankful to speak from experience when discussing options with my patients.
Postpartum care took on a whole new meaning after I became a mother. Personally navigating the challenges of postpartum recovery, sleep deprivation, and the emotional rollercoaster underscored the necessity of solid postpartum support. As a midwife, I now prioritize not only the physical health of the mother but also her emotional well-being, providing guidance and resources to help her navigate this critical phase of motherhood. Sharing my own experiences and struggles with anxiety as a new mother has helped bridge gaps and establish a more genuine rapport with the women under my care, creating an environment where they feel comfortable sharing their concerns, fears, and hopes.
Through this transformative journey, I’ve come to understand that the roles of mother and midwife are not mutually exclusive, but rather, they beautifully intertwine to create a unique synergy that benefits both my personal life and my professional practice. My experiences as a new mother have made me a better midwife, allowing me to provide more compassionate, informed, and holistic care to the women and families I have the privilege to serve through Beacon.
(Cover photo credit: Bee Ann Photography)
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Breastfeeding services at Beacon
Memorial Hospital and Elkhart General are Baby-Friendly designated birth facilities. This gold standard of care promotes the value and importance of breastfeeding. We help all moms make an educated decision about their feeding choice and then support them in their decisions, and we offer to help all mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
Visit our website for much more information about our services, support groups and breastfeeding clinics. Here is our calendar of classes at Elkhart General Hospital and Memorial Hospital of South Bend.
