Why Holistic Birthing Skills Are Vital for the Health of Mothers, Babies, & Humanity
Just as people gather food, grow food, develop homesteading crafts, and learn basic survival skills, knowing how to support a birthing woman and infant baby is essential human wisdom for the health of the family, community, and humanity.
In the case of natural disasters, epidemics, or other social disruptions, access to hospitals may be limited and unsafe.
I believe that everyone should know holistic birthing skills for safely and confidently supporting a laboring woman to birth, or to be able to give birth yourself.
In case you are ever in a position to be with a woman giving birth, it is essential to know how to support natural birth and delivery with the best outcome for mother and baby.
Having the knowledge of how to assist a natural birth can turn a potential emergency into the most amazing experience of one's life.
Birth is a witnessing of the emergence of a new being - ideally in peace, rather than a frantic fearful event.
No matter when and where birth happens, knowing basic skills will facilitate all to be calm, supportive, healthy, and prevent unnecessary intervention or complications.
Increasingly women are desiring a natural birth, but the skills of family birthing have become a lost art as several generations of women have birthed in hospitals veering from our ancient ancestral heritage of birthing at home.
In traditional cultures, women were taught basic birthing skills when growing up and prepared themselves to know how to give birth unassisted should the need be - though most women birthed with the support of midwives when available.
Over the past hundred years, midwifery has been suppressed worldwide resulting in a global shortage of qualified midwives and birth attendants.
There is a great need for more traditional birthing support, assistants, doulas, and midwives.
If all people were to learn basic birthing skills, then the fear of childbirth could be easily abated, as women have given birth naturally, at home, and in all kinds of conditions, for thousands of years. All people alive today are because they come from a long line of women who successfully gave birth.
Many women are choosing to birth unassisted without a midwife or doctor present, usually with the baby's father, some family, and sometimes alone in the desire of a family-centered autonomous birth.
All of my babies were born at home, and my last two babies were born unassisted - and they were the most amazing, healthy, and peaceful births!
Some women may have very fast labors and may not be able to make it to a birth center or hospital in time before birth.
I have even known people to birth in the hospital before a nurse or doctor made it to the room!
Other times, a homebirth midwife may not have time to make it to the home in the case of a precipitous (fast) labor.
As a birth doula, I once caught a baby that was born at home before the midwife arrived!
While the role of birth doulas is to provide emotional support and comfort measures, all doulas should also train in emergency childbirth and basic midwifery skills in order to be prepared for a precipitous labor.
Whether planning to birth unassisted, at home, a birthing center, or hospital - know the basics of birth and you will feel more confident and be at ease.
In the case of a precipitate birth, emergency, loss of care in your community by medical and midwifery providers, knowing basic birthing skills could save the life of a family member, friend, or neighbor.
You can learn birthing skills to help support women during pregnancy and the childbearing year, as well as to have the knowledge for the sake of healthy preparation for all circumstances!
One of my highest visions is for mothers, babies, and families around the world to all be supported, honored and nurtured as a foundational practice in creating global healing, prosperity, and peace.
Birth is an essential experience in life. Every one of us arrived here on Earth through being birth.
How we are born creates a primal imprint upon our body, mind, heart, and soul, and is central to our experience of health, love, and empathy.
Protecting the wellness of mothers and babies through the birthing year is vital to the survival of humanity.
Join the Holistic Birth Mentor Training and learn vital information on how to gently support a mother and baby during the experience of labor, birth and postpartum with natural wellness practices.
