Sophie Tuchel
Final Self Evaluation – Spring Quarter 2017
In-Program ILC SOS: Commodification Processes and Alternatives
Word Count: 974

After ten weeks in my Internship Learning Contract entitled Birth Assistance and Kauai Terroir, I can confidently say that I understand the basics of doula business and midwifery assistance and that I have a lifetime of learning ahead of me. I spent the first half of spring quarter healing myself and absorbing information through hands-on experiences, as well as through reading and lecture. Countless physical therapy sessions and appointments with my orthopedic doctor after I was hit by a car provided an understanding of my anatomy and physiology, as well as pain relief techniques. Fracturing my pelvis in February gave me a unique perspective on sensation in my body, and this awareness translates into a desire to learn the scientific explanation for the why things are the way they are. I spent many hours reading and learning about anatomy and physiology in Holistic Midwifery by birth guru Anne Frye and Heart and Hands by Elizabeth Davis. This, coupled with my personal experience with trauma in the Pelvic Palace set me up to assist with my first birth in week 9 of spring quarter. I came to understand the midwifery lifestyle and complex dynamics and situations by reading Midwife: A Calling, and, Midwife: A Journey by Peggy Vincent and Lady’s Hands, Lion’s Heart by Carol Leonard. I watched my midwifery mentor live her life on-call and had a firsthand view of what it takes to be a midwife, mother, and adventurer.

I prepared for the apprenticeship through extensive reading, research, and reflection. A large aspect of the Community Doula/Preconception Course on Kauai is processing one’s own trauma and beliefs so that they are not brought to births unintentionally. Someone else’s birth is not the time to work through one’s own birth trauma. As the course drew to a close, I felt more confident about my ability to show up and hold space for birthing people. This quarter allowed me to come back to myself after feeling so far away for many months. Stepping into my life’s work brought my mind, heart, and body back into balance. How wonderful it is that I can live what I believe as a 19 year old.

Being surrounded by immense natural beauty piqued my interest in photography. This is a skill that will prove useful as a doula if families want pictures of their birth. I put a lot of energy into photography for my terroir and doula instagram account and I began using instagram as a tool to find and connect with doulas and midwives across the country. A colleague and I created also an account that shares art made by women and nonbinary folks in response to a similar account that posted trans-exclusive and fat-phobic captions on their photos. I have found that running this account allows me to practice intersectional feminism in my daily life, especially when interacting with followers and listening to critiques to avoid heteronormativity and cis-centric posts. I am intrigued by art as it relates to birth and I am looking forward to furthering my skills in photography and filmmaking.

I came to understand Kauai through taste and flavor while filming and editing a short documentary entitled Kauai Terroir. Filming led me to diverse locations across the island and opened my eyes to the food injustices faced primarily by native Hawaiians. I had planned to create a documentary on intentional birthing, but time constraints and privacy concerns encouraged me to shift my focus to gaining hands-on skills during my brief time on Hawai’i Island. My plans for this quarter shifted from week to week; I adapted to my surrounding and took opportunities that were offered to me.

Moving forward, I will continue to take opportunities as they arise, even if they show up at what I once deemed an inopportune time. One such venture is a two year program through the National College of Midwifery. In this program I will gain an extensive understanding of midwifery as it relates to art, medicine, culture, and more. I am planning to return to Hawaii Island in September to attend births with Darby as her long-term apprentice and assistant. Darby is a registered preceptor with the National Association of Registered Midwives (NARM) so she will be able to oversee my clinical experiences working with birthing people. During this time, I will be attending Evergreen through independent and internship learning contracts, hopefully gaining upper-division science credits. I will also begin advertising my doula services on Hawai’i over the summer so that I can have a diverse set of experiences assisting births in hospital and home when I return.

This quarter I finally began to do the work that brings me alive. I logged enough hours to earn 18 credits but can only earn 16 within an internship learning contract. The incredible part is, I feel like I’ve been on vacation, not working 50-60 hour weeks, because I have been doing what I love! I don’t mind that I will not get credit for some of the work I’ve done this quarter, because the knowledge will stay with me in my heart and mind as I move further along this path. Sarah opened my eyes to what Evergreen can be when she said, “To experience your academic work becoming your professional work- this is exactly what should happen”. Since then, the two have become one, and that’s the way it will continue to be. I will continue revisiting old areas of study and tying them into my current area of interest, because true in-depth learning cannot exist in a linear timeframe. Evergreen’s learning model lends itself to a lifestyle similar to that of a midwife; it can be unpredictable, irregular and overwhelming in one moment and slow and steady the next. This is the life that I have created for myself, and the life that I desire.

Proposed Credit Equivalencies:

2 – Individual Learning Project: Kauai Terroir and Food Sovereignty
3 – Anatomy and Physiology for Midwives
3 – Introduction to Clinical Midwifery Skills
4 – Birth Justice and Advocacy: Community Doula Training
4 – Creative and Expository Writing, Media Design: WordPress ePortfolio