Lisa Glazik has been working for HealthNet for over 6 years.  She started out working in different centers during the week but now she is stationed at the hospital downton.  And, from one quick phone call she made me happy to boast about HealthNet’s Midwives!

Willie: Lisa, why did you become a Nurse Midwife?

Lisa: I was always interested in women’s health.  When I had the chance to start shadowing other nurses in OB programs while at Illinois, I noticed that they were missing out on a BIG piece of a woman’s pregnancy, THE BIRTH! To spend almost an entire pregnancy with a patient and to not be in the room for that special moment made me feel as if I’d be missing on some closure in the process.

Willie: What is the most satisfying part of your job?

Lisa: Being a part of that special moment.  Seeing the culmination of teaching a mother about pregnancy, what to expect and healthy lifestyle choices is very rewarding.

Willie: What is the biggest challenge you face when dealing with a patient?

Lisa: When someone comes to us uneducated about healthy lifestyle choices, it makes it really hard to get them to make new ones.  Change is hard for EVERYONE, but learning about the changes that need to be made can be even harder.  It is a challenge to get the new information to sink in when a patient already has set habits.  But it is awesome to see them succeed!

Willie: What do you all do to celebrate National Midwifery Week?

Lisa: The fall brings a slower period, so we usually plan a retreat day for ALL of us to get together, relax, but also learn from what has been happening all year.  This year, however, we couldn’t plan it until November. 

I like Midwifery Week, though, because I get a lot of questions directed my way about what exactly a midwife does.  I enjoy educating others, even some IN health care, and dispelling some of the old stereotypes that some may have about midwives.

Willie: If you could sum up your goal, in one sentence, to make sure a pregnancy is a success, what would it be?

Lisa: I would tell the mother-to-be, “Your birth experience is YOURS, I am here to give you THAT experience in the best way possible with a healthy mom and a healthy child as an end result.”

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