Scenes from Birth

As a doula, we see many things in our line of work. We see people at their most vulnerable, and at the same time at their strongest. We see the inside of lives and bodies. We see a rainbow of moods and emotions. We see the balance between life and death. The transformation of persons into parents and grandparents. But there are other things we see.

We see the everyday beauty of the moment. The full moon on the way to the hospital. The close conversations between the birth giver and partner. And we also see the art in the birthing space.

Pictures of nature. Flowers opening up into bloom. Tender moments of motherhood. Cute photos of babies. All decorate the halls of the maternity wards and designer birth spaces at birth centers. Little details to provide subtle encouragement for laboring women to open up and embrace labor and motherhood.

As the laboring mother holds tightly to the hallway rail as she works through a contraction; I sometimes wonder how often these pictures are truly seen by their intended audience. Do they give inspiration, direction, or possibly diversion?

Or perhaps the art is not intended for the mother, but those supporting her? The nurses, physicians, doulas, and family; all receiving reminders that birth is natural and sometimes need patience to bloom. That tenderness is needed as we mother the mother. Maybe we need the distraction, so the mother can labor uninterrupted by well meaning intentions.

What is some memorable art you saw in a birth space? What did it mean to you or the birth giver? I would love to hear your thoughts.

www.gracioushandsdoula.com
gracioushandsdoula@gmail.com

Comments

Relaxation, Rhythm, and Ritual during the time of Uncertainty

As a doula I am often speaking with my clients about the importance of the Three Rs in Labor. The terms coined by Penny Simkin refer to Relaxation, Rhythm, and Ritual as the essences of coping in labor in place of Fear, Tension, and Pain. As our society is in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have found myself turning to these techniques in my own life as a way to cope during this time of uncertainty. I wanted to share these thoughts in hopes that like with birth, we can embrace the uncertainty one day/contraction at a time until the birth of healing arrives for our nation. Relaxation Uncertainty can make even the calmest person feel some stress. The key to relaxation is understanding what is and isn’t in your control. The simplest thing you have control over is your body and mind. Check in with yourself. Are you feeling tense in your body? Are your thoughts racing? Take time to acknowledge these feelings and ...

Feeding the hungry mother-Macaroni & Cheese

As a new mother... or even a veteran mother you sometimes find yourselves feeling hungry at random times of the day. For myself 10 o'clock in the morning is the time when I realize that while I did drink my coffee that morning, the toddler stole my breakfast and I never got anything else during the hustle and bustle of the morning. Post Toddler Theft Count Chocula Cereal This in between time where breakfast no longer sounds appealing but lunch seems too far away, I find myself glancing through the pantry for a suitable snack to tide me over. While I am reading some great books about healthy food options for pregnancy and postpartum, today I was looking for something purely comfort food based that would take little effort and time. As a result, I present to you Microwave Macaroni N Cheese ! The ingredients are pretty simple. Macaroni noodles, water, milk, cheese, salt, and pepper Find your largest mug that is microwave safe. Inside add 1...

The night the Operating Room went dark…

Have you ever seen an OR room with the lights turned off? Everything put away in its place? All is clean and sterile? All is quiet? Empty…? I must confess that in my own experience I had never seen it happen. I am sure it is the case; an ordinary occurrence for the staff of the hospitals. But for me, my view of an OR has been quite different. When I visualize an OR, it is bright, filled with people, lots of noises, and it is very cold. You often see more of the ceiling than you do of the floor, or even the surrounding walls. The color of blue scrubs and screens fill one’s view. And yet…there was the night the OR went dark. It was a late night supporting a client that needed baby delivered in a hurry. Everyone was prepped, mom was taken in, baby made her arrival, and mom slowly rejoined the conscious world as she felt her baby on her chest. I notice over my shoulder that staff were finishing u...

Ask the Doula

Search This Blog