Big news! I am becoming a midwife’s birth assistant

Scholarship award from Pacific Birth Institute for their Professional Birth Assistant certification

Back to school to become an assistant midwife

I am now enrolled as a student at Pacific Birth Institute thanks to their generous scholarship award

I got a scholarship! This is a really exciting step on my learning journey.

You may remember Pacific Birth Institute (PBI) from the IG Live I did with them about circadian disruption in birth work. Even before I did the IG Live with PBI’s co-founder Jessica (catch the replay here if you are interested) I had applied for their scholarship program. I actually sent my application in a couple of years ago after the birth of my 3rd baby during the COVID-19 lockdown, which was when I made the radical decision to close my marketing agency and make this shift into full-time birth work.

It was such a pleasure and surprise to learn that this year, PBI chose my application!

Professional Birth Assisting

I’m very excited to be expanding my doula-wisdom around birth to encompass the skills and knowledge of safe routine and complication care to assist CNMs, CPMs, Birth Keepers, and Traditional Midwives in birth.

While doulas and birth assistants may sound very similar, the scope is distinct, with doulas serving birthing families in a non-medical role, and birth assistants serving as the “right hand” of the attending midwives.

Role clarity: Midwife vs Birth Assistant vs Doula

Taking this training is a clear next step for me along my journey towards eventually becoming a midwife, which has been a goal I have been slowly walking towards for the past 17 years.

My assistant midwife application essay

Here’s part of my winning essay, which tells some of my story and mission:

"When I told my family I wanted to become midwife, they encouraged me. They shared the story of how one of my Japanese-American ancestors had become the midwife for the internment camp she had been sent to to in WWII. The government had not provided adequate medical, let alone maternity care, there. It amazed and inspired me that she had been the one to step up to help.

When you know you can help, and that there is a need, and people are asking for it, it is a duty to do so.

Right now, we are living in a time where there are not enough midwives. Even though I had planned on becoming a "granny midwife," the calling is pulling me in faster! I see the legislative/educational difficulties, the COVID-era restrictions, and the financial climate. Going through the births of my own children in a rural area has shown me firsthand! We need more support for midwifery ASAP. Here in Southern Oregon, there are few midwives. Those there are, are often overbooked and overworked. One of the midwives lives so far away, she is notorious for missing births all together! I hear the call for help, and know it is my duty to answer.

Finding your Pro-BA certification was a breath of fresh air. It is exactly what I am looking for: to start assisting midwives now. Like many, I cannot swing an expensive midwifery education or long, unpaid apprenticeship. I am not unique in this situation, and so, I thank you for considering my scholarship application. I am a serious student, diligent and whole-heartearted in my approach to work and life. I see the great need to support our women, both midwives and mothers, and I am stepping up."

Nikko Kennedy, CLD, BS (2022)

I’m so honored to have been chosen for this program, and am already enjoying the expansion in my thinking that has happened since beginning the program earlier this year.

Why I chose the Professional Birth Assistant program from Pacific Birth Institute

The Pro BA certification will expand my understanding of the medical aspects of childbirth, particularly in situations where complications arise. This knowledge will give another layer of depth to my work as a Quantum Biology Practitioner certified through the Institute of Applied Quantum Biology. It will also help me provide even better informational support to the families I support as a doula and virtual doula. And ultimately, this will increase the chances of getting a good apprenticeship to become a midwife in my own right.

In case you are interested in learning more about why I applied for this scholarship, here’s the podcast episode from Margo over at Indie Birth (where I recently taught Mythic Self Care for Birth Workers) that originally introduced me to the work PBI is doing that resonated so deeply with me. It has to do with birth politics, and the. legislation and economics behind the inexcusably slow growth of midwifery in the US:

In time, I plan to complete a full apprenticeship to become a midwife in my own right, and this education from PBI is a clear step closer to that vision.

Care to help?

Pacific Birth Institute awarded me a full scholarship to the virtual curriculum and mentorship, but I am still in need of a $500 stipend to compensate a local midwife to let me shadow her as an assistant for the births necessary for certification, printing costs, and some clothing and supplies appropriate for the new role. It would also be helpful to have a fund to pull from for childcare, as my time at these first births will be unpaid while I am a student. If you feel inspired to help me through this next stage of my learning journey, here’s my Venmo or PayPal.

Thank you so much for being part of this!