“I am the midwife I DREAMED of becoming”

In this chapter, we follow Amelia’s development from uncertainty to confident, embodied midwifery practice. Drawing on the Dreyfus and Benner models of skill acquisition, this chapter maps her progression towards proficient, context-sensitive care. Her stories reveal how clinical judgement is shaped by experience, relational presence, and attunement to physiological and emotional cues. Through increasingly autonomous practice, Amelia demonstrates skilled coping and an intuitive capacity to “see the whole.” Polyvagal theory is used to explain how her nervous system regulation supports her sense of safety at births. Amelia’s growth exemplifies what it means to become the midwife she once dreamt of becoming.