Wheel of Ancestral Hands: "The Midwife". Lauren Raine
You are a midwife, assisting at someone else’s birth. Do good without show or fuss.
Facilitate what is happening rather than what you think ought to be happening.
If you must take the lead, lead so that the mother is helped, yet still free and in charge.
When the baby is born, the mother will rightly say: “I did it myself!”
from The Tao Te Ching
Thank you to the truly with woman midwives who walk alongside us as comrades in the struggle. Our thoughts are with you every day and especially today.
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Thankyou for a thoughtful post. Too many times the midwife is seen as the hero in the room – the keeper of birth safety. Birthing wisdom belongs firmly in the hands of all women, and a few of us a called to spread that knowledge as far and wide as possible. Being with women encompases many things and quite a bit has beeen lost to our modern professionalism. It is of the utmost importance to a woman’s health – physical and emotional – to her child’s health – physical and emotional, and to societies health – that women can proudly exclaim – “<> did it”.
This saying is so spot on for the work of smoothing out birth. You do that every day, Janet, and I appreciate you so much.
Thanks both of you. Very big thanks. Birthkeepers are thin on the ground nowadays and I’m honoured to know you.