There is a somatic practice that I have learned called Holding the Bones. This is an intimate practice where I hold your pelvis while attending to the difficult emotions that have been stored there. Holding the Bones is a subtle, gentle birth trauma repair practice.

When it comes to sports, we know that we have to practice in order to know what we're doing. This applies to other physical things, like practicing an instrument. In fact, anything that we do physically OR mentally requires practice in order to gain mastery. Well, I'm not suggesting that we need to master birth, but it sure would be nice if we could practice it! If, for the first birth, we had any idea of what we are doing!

I had the joy and privilege of attending a birth this week. This was the mother's second birth, which was a first for me. Working with a woman who has already birthed makes my work easier since she already has a good idea of what she wants and doesn't want, and she was so confident and relaxed after baby arrived.

As you may have noticed, I talk a lot about empowerment in my discussion of fertility, pregnancy and childbirth. Recent conversations and articles have been pushing me to deeply examine what "empowered birth" really means, and how it affects women.

When women can birth freely, without fear and in the way that they choose, birth can be peaceful, providing the framework for peace and joy in the family and in the larger world. It really is that important and that far-reaching. It doesn't matter how she chooses to birth. What does matter is that SHE is the one who has made the educated decision.