Lauren is the newest member of the midwife team here at the birth center. She is a recent graduate of the school of nurse midwifery at Frontier Nursing University. In her spare time, Lauren enjoys spending time with family
and friends, being outdoors, international travel, playing piano, Latin
dancing, and being a member of St. Joseph County Right to Life.
Why midwifery?
This is often asked when I share with others what I have been pursuing the past
few years. I suppose the answer is
summed up as this: When you feel a calling deep within your soul, you cannot
always explain or understand why, but because you are known by a God who knows
your heart’s deepest dreams and desires, you respond and trust. As I reflect on my desires as a child, I never
imagined this journey of life would bring me to such a sacred place of caring
for new families and being the first to hold a precious new life in my hands.
I distinctly remember as a young girl, learning about the
immense poverty that was so prevalent in developing countries. I would read stories
about missionaries who would leave everything they had to serve the poor. I
knew from that age I wanted my life to be one of complete service to
others.
After doing a handful of medical
mission trips, I decided I would pursue nursing as a means to serve. During my nursing studies, I had the
opportunity to study in the Dominican Republic, during which I was exposed to
very different approach to medicine compared to what I learned in the
hospitals. We visited patients in their homes. I
experienced medicine as a way to build deep relationships with others,
realizing that taking the time to listen and love is often more healing than
any medical treatment. It was after this
experience I decided to pursue an advanced nursing degree, which I knew would
equip me with the proper resources to care for others in rural areas.
Toward the end of my nursing education, I learned that some
of the worst community health problems globally are within maternal and infant
health. So many countries have egregious
infant and maternal morbidity and mortality rates – mostly in part due to the
lack of qualified medical professionals and healthcare facilities. Women and newborns around the world are still
dying in childbirth from preventable causes. I had the unique opportunity to travel to
Kenya, where I saw how many women give birth, and was able to catch my first
baby. Witnessing the disparities that I
read about confirmed that I was being called to serve and care for women and
infants specifically through my nursing career.
Having worked in the profession for a short time now, the
reasons for becoming a midwife have begun to unfold, and I have a deeper
insight that I only understood theoretically prior to working in this
profession: 1) Birth is sacred - I have always known this, but attending births
in this new role, I have lived this
and it is such a gift. 2) I truly have
been called to midwifery, and am privileged to participate in witnessing and
guiding new lives into the world. Through this journey of walking alongside
women and families, I have grown deeper understanding of my own spiritual
journey. Daily I am reminded of the simple, yet profound spiritual Truths,
manifested in physical and tangible ways through pregnancy, labor, birth and
the women I serve.
As a midwife, I anticipate joining the many midwives who
have used and are continuing to use innovative means to provide access to care
for all women of every race and economic status. Most importantly, through
midwifery, I have been offered a unique invitation of self-giving service to women
on their journey through motherhood. These
women provide me the honor of walking alongside them as they grow into
beautiful and strong mothers and demonstrate simple Truths of selfless love and
perseverance. To me, this work is the hardest, yet greatest gift I have
accepted. - Lauren Cox CNM
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