Corrine Rupp

My path to midwifery was more like a meandering stream than a straight road. As a kid growing up in Portland and Bend I was obsessed with Oregon Trail history and read every young adult novel on living on the Trail/in the woods/on the plains I could get my hands on. I had assumed that, like covered wagons, midwives were a thing of the past until I was 19 and working as a receptionist at a holistic health center. There was a tiny midwifery school housed in the basement of the clinic. I loved interacting with the ladies coming in and out of that space as it really spoke to my belief in the natural process of things and of women’s rights to choose what happens in their bodies.

From there I solidly frittered away my early 20’s until I became pregnant in 2002. There was no question that I was going to have my baby at home, which was exactly what happened on July 19 2003. After almost five days of labor my sweet daughter Satie was born posterior on the stairs in my apartment. My amazing midwives took such great care of me, letting me labor in the positions I preferred, keeping me from becoming discouraged during my long process of birth and giving me confidence to become the mother I wanted to be.

After my daughter was born at home the mother of a friend of mine randomly gave me the series of textbooks written by Anne Frye, which I read with fascination and awe at how amazing women’s bodies and women’s wisdom are. I still reference back to these same books years later for both insight and inspiration.

During the care I received before the birth of my second daughter two years later I commented that midwifery sounded like an amazing job. My midwife said she thought I would be good at it and there it lay until Odile was four months old and my midwife called to see if I was still interested in attending births. I was honored to have been approached, and my heart felt truly called to this vocation, but with two small children I felt like it must be impossible. The universe felt differently, however, and doors kept opening for me on my path of self-study. I first apprenticed with my former midwife, and began acting in the roll of a labor doula for friends having babies. I became a postpartum doula at Alma, and eventually the doula coordinator and then the Alma “housewife”. This transitioned over time into an apprenticeship, and finally a position as a Junior Midwife.

I continue to gain such amazing knowledge working with all the women of Alma, clients and midwives alike. Every birth I attend teaches me something new, and I hope to never lose that sense of wonder at the amazing, transformative power of birth.

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photo on this page: Pasha.