Christine Adams on empowering, educating and supporting women at the UK Midwife Clinic

For this week’s Making the Rounds, we interviewed Christine (Chrissie) Adams, APRN, CNM, of the UK Midwife Clinic. Adams joined the UK Midwife Clinic first as a patient, then as a student and now as a board-certified nurse midwife, where she works to empower, educate and support women and their families.

What interested you in a career as a midwife?

My mom is a retired nurse. Following in her footsteps was something I just naturally fell into. Then I saw my sister deliver my niece and then my nephew in Colorado with nurse midwives at a birthing center – and that rocked my world. 

I had seen some birth in nursing school at University of Cincinnati, and I really wanted to meld the two, like a birthing center with the hospital's safety net. So I found myself at UK doing just that.

Tell us about the care you provide as a midwife.

The midwifery model of care tells us to meet women where they are. So you're meeting a 13-year-old who's scared who doesn't really want her mom to know what she's telling you. You meet a woman who is starting the menopause process who is scared about the things her friends have told her. You meet women where they are, and you really try to help them understand what age and stage of life they're in. Answer questions for them. Be completely not judgmental. You want them to feel safe to dump out their fears or their concerns to you, so that they can be as healthy as they can be.

What’s your favorite part of your job? 

Deliveries are my favorite part of the job. If they come at noon on a Wednesday or they come at 2:00 a.m. on a Sunday, birthday parties are my favorite part of the job. 

Watching babies be born and then watching parents be born. Watching moms latch on to that baby for the first time, and dads that just cry when their babies are put in their arms is such a special thing to be a part of.

Watch our full interview with Adams.