On today’s show I am talking to Rhonda Stephens, a registered midwife at the Old City Midwives Collective in Nanaimo, BC. Rhonda went from banker to midwife in the middle of her life and joins us to discuss the challenges of making that transition, as well as how she juggles her busy work and home life.

Rhonda didn’t make the decision to become a midwife through her own childbirth experience. Instead, her husband had heard an interview with a practicing midwife and related it to her. She knew it was what she wanted to do. With zero experience, Rhonda applied to UBC to study midwifery. In total, Rhonda applied 4 times before being accepted. She persisted, went back to school, gained work experience, and volunteered. It’s never too late to make the change you want in life.

With her busy job, Rhonda’s personal life wasn’t balanced very well. Together, she and her husband agreed that he would take early retirement and she would take on a few more clients a year to make it work.

With COVID-19 came changes. For a long time, Rhonda had lost focus on her personal health. The lockdown allowed her the time and space to take better care of herself. For her clients, there have been negatives and positives. Lockdown has had a detrimental effect on pregnant womens’ mental health in general, but new mothers have been finding it easier to breastfeed without all the visitors.

Later, Rhonda discusses what you should consider if you are looking for a midwife, how to recognize the symptoms of postpartum depression, and how to find help.

Connect with Rhonda:

Website: http://oldcitymidwives.ca/