LATEST NEWS!!!!!
I am now available to do sessions at the BellyBelly Pregnancy Centre, in Canterbury (Victoria, Australia).
This centre has been established to provide pregnant women and their families access to top-quality therapists in many fields, so as to ensure that mothers and unborn-children are given optimal health and support during this important time.
In today’s environment, pregnancy and birth have become highly medicalised, and the high rates of medical intervention lead to adverse effects on children in the womb (not to mention the effects on mothers, their partners, their families, and our society at large). This may be a big call to make, but there are plenty of websites, forums, books, and journals that document this bizarre state of affairs – keep an eye out for names such as Michel Odent (obstetrician and anthropologist), Sheila Kitzinger (birth educator), and Ina May Gaskin (Midwife).
Closer to home, there are some fantastic people doing some amazing work in this field: Joy Johnston (Midwife), Rhea Dempsey (Educator and Counsellor), and many others. There are also some worthy community groups such as Birth Options Association Australia (BOAA) and Birthing and Babies Information Education & Support (BaBs).
The time of pregnancy and birth are incredibly important. The future health of the child is determined by the health and wellbeing of the foetus in the womb. Thus, the health of mother and father at time of conception determines how healty the future child will be, and the the health of the mother during pregancy, birth and post-natally also determines how healthy the child will be and how it will be able to cope with the rigours of life on earth and infection. The introduction of medical drugs (as well as recreational) have an impact (most usually negative) on the child. How peaceful or stressful the birth process is also has consequences later on.
There is plenty more stuff I could write about – however, there is some much of it already out there, I strongly urge all parents and potential parents to look around and read for yourselves. Education is the key to everything in life, and if we are responsibly informed and take an active role in informing ourselves about our choices and their possible consequences, then we have done the best we possibly can for our children.
How does Spirituality affect pregnancy/birth?
Like I mentioned above, the amount of stress/peace the pregnant mother experiences will effect the unborn child. The womb isn’t silent, and children do hear the noises from the outside world. The mother’s own emotions will also play a role in the foetus feeling supported and nurtured and protected. If a mother is at peace, then so too is the child. This feeling of security plays its most important role during the time of birth: like all mammals, mothers will go into labour when they feel it is safe to give birth! This is why it is vital that mothers are not only protected but supported whole-heartedly at this crucial time.
The birthing process is a ceremony – once labour has started, those present are in sacred space and ceremonial time; the outside world no longer exists, and we are present in the most primal and original of rituals. Indeed, in my humble opinion, all ceremonies (from all cultures) are based upon this original ceremony – the beginning of human life!
This is something separate to devotional faith, ecclesiasticism, or religion. These are part of culture and society, and help us as individuals answer deeper questions of meaning and faith. What I am referring here is to that essential part of ourselves that somehow defines us as humans, and indeed is the kernel of commonality amongst all religions and spiritual practices. The Chinese refer to it as shen, and this ’spirit’ is a multi-faceted thing that is common to all humans regardless of race, colour, or creed. Our emotions, mental/intellectual capacities, and consciousness are all linked in with this concept; and as there is no mind-body dichotomy in Chinese Medicine, the health of the spirit is inextricably linked with physiological health. Of course, the Chinese had herbal medicine, acupuncture, and Qigong to bring this aspect into balance; however all cultures have some way of dealing with it, unique to their own realities and existences in their own eco-systems – we in the West, for example, have psychology and counselling…
‘Spiritual’ healing then is about bringing that facet of ourselves into balance. What usually holds birthing women back from a completely natural birth is Fear – that’s why they give up and allow the Medical system to tamper and meddle. A good Midwife knows this: left to her own devices, a mother will birth free of complications (provided the woman is healthy and happy) – this is very similar to the Daoist concept of wei wu wei (action through non-action).
A calm, healthy birthing mother will not need drugs, pain relief, or a ‘free ticket’ out. She will be able to go into herself, face her greatest fears, and come out the other side with a happy and healthy infant in her arms. This is no different to all ceremonies and rituals, where we simulate this journey of life-death-(re)birth.
So why do I have a passion for this, as a male?
As a father and husband I have a duty to ensure that women’s business is honoured and protected. The journey of labour and birth is for the individual mother to go through herself; no-one else can do it for her (just like any other ritual/ceremony, there is no passive by-standing, only active participation). As men, we have one role in this, and one only: to protect and support our women as they go through this ceremony! There is only one professional who has the ability to assist the woman in this process, and that is the Midwife. Obstetricians are surgeons – their expertise is in performing surgical procedures when all other avenues have failed! But until then, it is hands-off and let the woman do what she instinctively knows what to do. The human body is one of awesome and deliberate design – let it do what it is designed to do! This is the same for other practitioners also (acupuncturists, herbalists, etc) – there is no need for intervention, unless it is absolutely imperative.
As a healer of Spirit, my job is to assist the pregnant mother in helping and guiding her towards her own ceremony, to give her tools that she can call upon if necessary! It is also about helping her to be calm, happy and healthy during the time of pregnancy, so as to ensure as natural and calm a birth as possible.
I am available for consultations on Thursdays all day (9am – 7pm) and Saturday mornings (10am – 12noon) at the Belly Belly Pregnancy Centre, Canterbury (Vic., Aust.). For more information, see the Services Offered page.
