That moment when.

That moment when.I looked up and the nurse had one hand charting, the other hand holding the monitor, and the woman's hand was on her forearm. And I told her it was an incredible moment to witness the power of nursing.That moment when.Baby had only been out a second, on her chest less than that, and dad was already kissing her right on the lips. And the midwife student and I looked right at each other, grinning, and were thankful to have been there.That moment when.Two fellow midwives who could have been busy catching up on their personal lives, or feeling overwhelmed by their own work, or challenging me to handle it all on my own, instead took care of triage. I don't even know how many people came through who would have been mine to care for, and for that I am grateful.That moment when.Another midwife made me laugh so hard, I felt my whole body and mind start over, and could keep going through the thick of it.That moment when.I reported my concerns about a labor to the Chief Resident, and she told me to keep going, that they just needed more time. And she said it with a trust in the process that I had started to lose by 3pm and many hours of complete dilation and one trial of pushing.That moment when.A nurse asked me to change the time of the medicine. And another asked me to change the dose for another. And another asked me to remember to order another, again, and then again, and then again. And they asked with kindness and patience and love for the day we were all going through.That moment when.The next Chief Resident asked my fellow midwife to make a change. And the midwife responded professionally, no, and the Resident heard her and respected that response and gave more time. And I commended the midwife and I thanked the Resident, knowing that I wasn't sure I could have had the kindness or bravery either of them had at that moment.That moment when.The next midwife came on, when I was depleted and she was strong, and she caught one baby in the first few minutes, and then gave everything she had in the first 45 minutes of her shift for the second baby. And I saw midwifery, not just in me and not just in her but in both of us and between us and around us. All I could do was high-five with her.That moment when.My midwife student felt depleted. And then I saw her face shine with the beauty of birth. And then I saw her strength in confidence. And then I saw her incredulity at an amazing process. And then I remembered myself in her and felt thankful to have been so centered by her in such an incredibly busy, beautiful, absurd, endless day.That moment when.I looked up and the nurses and the students and the midwives and the Residents and the doctors all looked like my community and my colleagues and my friends.That moment when today meant everything.