Happy Solstice!

Hooray! The sun is once again reborn, and the days will become longer. As we enter into the birth of the light, let's take a moment to be grateful for this amazing momentum we advocates of normal birth are building to help heal the long dark age of unconsciousness surrounding women's wisdom. We are at such a peak of insanity with planned C-sections for convenience, anaesthetised labour, being told SO MANY times we are defunct in our brilliant ability to express our most unique female function, there HAS to be a shift. There is an incredible global network of folks working hard to create a new paradigm in which our bodies are viewed as trustworthy vessels to do their work the way Nature intended.

This is in no way to say we should all just birth in the woods. I personally might, as would many I know...but I do not eschew technological advance in its ability to help promote safety in childbirth...when appropriate. I have seen friends and clients unexpectedly but truly need to rely on some interventions for their and their babies' well being. Though we may begrudge the environment of birth for mainly being technocratic and mistrustful of womens' sacred functions, I feel that adopting an attitude of "us against them" heals nobody. Whether we shoot from the left or shoot from the right, the very act of shooting can be potentially ugly. If only we could all have respect and honour for each other, based upon true understanding and basic trust, we could have far better birth outcomes than we do. Ah, but that just isn't going to happen for awhile. Just because I wish it, will not make it so. But I work towards that time.

I LOVE working with a woman in a hospital and seeing a medical person learn something they didn't know about the more emotional/spiritual/psychological aspects of childbirth, or see them deeply moved by a natural labour. These stories create change. If they only happened at home, the very people whose eyes we're trying to open might just remain in the dark about the possibilities. If they didn't see empowered, beautiful births in person within their environment, often facilitated by a doula or midwife, seeds of real awakening might no come about. So I feel so happy to be living my path, trying to create an awareness of birth as something beyond a series of phases and stages that needs management.

Medically managed birth as the cultural norm is not going anywhere for a long while. So I am choosing to bring the love into this environment, helping women, helping their doctors, finding balance. From a place of greater understanding among all, we can create more respectful and effective diaglogue.

There are many ways to bring in the light. Blessings to the radical midwives! Blessings to uc-ers! Blessings to doctors with the hearts and hands of midwives! Blessings to the water birthers and dolphin midwives! Blessings to high risk obstetricians who use their skills for the greatest good! Blessings to the lotus birthers! Blessings to the baby wearing, breastfeeding-til-5, co-sleeping, homeschooling mamas! Blessings to med students slogging over their books, thinking birth is kinda gross...may a beautiful hospital birth open their eyes to never before considered possibilities that were never mentioned in those books! And bless my doula sisters everywhere, who are willing to witness and hold.

May the seeds of our good intentions flourish in the light.

So mote it be.