As one of us is born, so are we all reborn.
Urban Bush TRUSTS Women; that their bodies know Women’s work and can execute it with grace.
Urban Bush TRUSTS families and their capacity to know what they need to be whole.
Companionship throughout the Birth Journey
Our relationship is a partnership. Our meetings, opportunities to exchange and discuss. I suggest, I do not dictate. I advise, I do not demand…Here, a woman’s innate ability to self-determine and create fulfilling birth experiences for herself and her family is celebrated. Personal empowerment is the goal.
Urban Bush: The Living Traditions
Prenatal
Q: What is the most important factor in achieving a healthy pregnancy ?
A: Radical self-care
How does one really grow a baby? In the excitement and uncertainty that can come with pregnancy it’s easy to become distracted by fears the world would have us juggle. But in truth, we have what we need to be radiantly well. We can choose to slow down, become more attentive, allow ourselves to hear the subtle communications from within, and develop the strength to trust them. Through an unwavering commitment to care for ourselves, we learn the pace necessary to truly care for our babies, lovingly honoring their requirements. The self-care we practice between appointments has the potential to determine whether we enter into the work of parenting from a state of overwhelm or inspiration.
The choice is ours!
Photo Credit: Dorraine Judge. Reflections by Dorraine
I am able to support women and families during their prenatal journey by offering experience, a safe container for exploration, and guidance that is grounded in integrity and compassion.
Labor and Birth
Q: What elements are necessary to have an ideal birth at home or in any setting?
A: Unconditional Love, Truth, Trust, Patience, Honor, & Faith.
Imagine showing up to run a marathon without having trained for months prior in preparation for the event. While the ritual of birth decidedly brings physical challenge to the fore, it is actually the mental and emotional rigor that demands mindful preparation and a committed approach. Fortunately, we are given several months before the birth event to address our deeply seeded fears; identifying our traumas and concerns, exposing them to the light of all the love and good intention we have for our growing babies. Thoughts often overlooked as “normal anxieties” during pregnancy, when they remain unaddressed, have the potential to (and often will) surface during labor as an impasse; demanding to be named and reconciled before baby can come forth. Creating personal literacy with the tools of Truth, Trust, Patience, Honor, Unconditional Love and Faith, supports us inside of our birth ceremony so we are able to navigate the journey from a seat of empowerment, regardless of birth setting or outcome.
During labor & birth expect to to be respected. Expect that every consideration made is to ensure both measurable and felt safety for mother, baby, and family. Birth is the elder. She is the wisdom in the room.
Postpartum
Q: How do mothers best prepare to take care of their newborns?
A: Acknowledging that they, themselves, will be reborn.
What if birth, instead of being celebrated as the definitive end of pregnancy, was observed as a zenith, like reaching the peak of a mountain that one must now navigate their way down? Too often, we succumb to the narrative that now that we have had the baby, we can (and should) quickly return to our ‘pre-pregnant’ bodies, our pre-pregnant pace, our pre-pregnant lives. These expectations are not only unhealthy for us but leave no room for the gentle unfolding of the soul who has come forward into new life. What if we allowed ourselves and our babies as much time to adjust from pregnancy as allowed when adjusting to pregnancy? What if we took our care after giving birth as seriously as we did before; if we nurtured our babies alongside ourselves instead of in lieu of ourselves? Perhaps instead of experiencing so much depression and anxiety we might access restoration; a rebirthing of ourselves, nourished, filled, strengthened, and balanced. Profoundly prepared for the work of supporting our children as we grow together in the world.
