Hello! For those of you who are reading this, you probably already know who I am, but in case you do not, my name is Laura and I am currently in Australia studying midwifery with an organization called Youth With A Mission.  I will be in Australia for 3 months of in-depth lecture covering such topics as; Midwifery in developing nations, normal labor and delivery, the hormonal and menstrual cycle, diameters of fetal head and pelvis, medical terminology, nutrition in pregnancy, the spiritual dynamics to birth, breastfeeding, normal postpartum and newborn care, infant resuscitation, world health, HIV, malaria, empowering locals, women in crisis, evangelism, and much more! Needless to say, it will be a busy 12 weeks! Immediately following lectures, I will be moving with my school to a developing nation (still currently unknown) to complete an additional 12 weeks of applied lecture and learning.  After this I will be equipped to go into the nations and deliver babies!! The school will take us to another location to put our practice into work for the remainder of time (an additional 5 months)

Wow, what a journey it has been for me to get here! I really feel like I am finally getting the opportunity to live out my dream! And can I just say- if there is something you are passionate about or something you dream of doing- I encourage you to really go for it, because when you get there (no matter how long it may take you to arrive) its something to really celebrate!!

I am writing this blog because I wanted the opportunity to share my thoughts and experiences with you. I also want to bring awareness to some important issues and ask for your support as I embark on this adventure!

Pregnancy is supposed to be something to celebrate. However, in most developing and third world countries it is a time of great fear and danger.  This year alone 600,000 women will die during childbirth. One million infants will be left motherless, and an additional 6 million babies will be stillborn or die within their first week of life. AND 80% of these deaths will be preventable. This is an injustice. It is not fair that such tragedy results solely due to the fact that there are limited resources and education. We can change that!

One of the most exciting things about this organization is that in addition to providing women with the opportunity to have a skilled birth attendant, it also works to establish birth centers, clinics, and orphanages for children abandoned by their parents. It also trains women in maternal and child health to avoid future problems for themselves and in their community. After hearing all of this I was moved to join and to make a difference for the women and children that the world has forgotten. That is why I am here. I believe that every human being on earth should have adequate and safe health care. I also believe this is something that anyone, from any religion, race, or culture, should be able to agree upon.

So this is my invitation to follow me on my journey… Thank you for taking time to read this. Thank you for being involved.