A Day in the Life of a Midwife with Mother of Thousands Midwifery

Written by Nicolle Maldonado Arendt, LM

Photography by Emily Santi Birth Photography

Taste of Midwifery Magazine 2025

As I do my daily stretches and prepare for my “clinic day”, the sun is rising in the baby blue sky on a calm Thursday morning. I try to soak in a few extra minutes of snuggles and giggles with my nephew and oldest Godson before I have to leave for the day. On days like these, I am most grateful for multigenerational living and the ways it serves my family.

I mentioned my clinic day in quotations since I only offer home visits for my clients. Offering only home visits for the families I serve is so important to me because this model is a tribute to traditional community midwifery, and I am thankful for the opportunity to care for others in the way of my ancestors. My great-great grandmother was a midwife in Puerto Rico, and I am so humbly honored to carry on this tradition. 

When timing allows, I prefer to incorporate my lunch or dinner into one of the day’s home visits, which encourages us to take our time. Sharing a meal together in this way brings an element of community that embodies breaking bread as equal human beings and leaves room for connecting with one another.  Bonding over food is nourishing for the body and the soul.

On a fuller clinic day, I see 3-5 families in their homes for anywhere between 45-90 minutes. It gives us time to catch up, review education, and dive deep into physical and emotional preparation for labor or postpartum.  All visits are based on the needs of the client in that moment, so no two visits are ever exactly the same. 

  Whether it’s doing lab work or reviewing birth and postpartum plans, there is always discussion about choice and being supported through those choices no matter what you decide.  Your intuition works with your body to lead the way to meeting your baby. 

Occasionally, home visits may need to get rescheduled if someone goes into labor. I am grateful for patient clients who understand that we have little-to-no control over when babies are ready to be born.

In the birth space, it is my priority to maintain a calming environment that is rich in encouragement and respect. My patient, hands-off approach keeps families at the very front of every decision that is made; from who attends the birth, to how involved you’d like your older child(ren) to be in the entire experience, to who catches your baby and if you want to deliver your own placenta without assistance.

Taking on 1-3 clients per month allows me to stay intentional about the care I give. I want the families I serve to walk away feeling heard and respected every step of the way. Being a witness to the power of each family inspires me daily to normalize safe access to quality care and resources as needed.