Sacral Births

Every pregnant woman goes through a rite of passage when delivering her baby. In honor of that passage, she develops rituals that help navigate her through this journey. These rituals become sacred and are a symbol of maternal strength and intuition. A doula can help guide her through these rituals.

When I was laboring, my ritual was breath -- that, and I needed to squeeze my husband with my left hand with each surge. Once, my husband switched to my right side and it threw off the entire balance of my ritual. I immediately told him to switch back. :) I reflected on this later and was surprised at how intense my ritual was.

I also kept silently chanting, "Let your body do its work. Stay open..." My doula was a constant reminder of this mantra: when she sensed me tense up, she would calmly place her hands on my shoulders and say, "Soft and open. Breathe." This was enough for me to recollect myself and resume the ritual. In the end, my labor lasted 6 hours and was unmedicated and without intervention. I know a big reason my birth experience was so wonderful was because of my husband and doula.

You will also develop your own rituals, as most women do (Gaskin, 2003). The important thing to remember is that your body was built to do this. Your baby is strong and trusts you to bring him or her into this world. Trust in yourself, trust in your baby, and you will have a sacral birth. Set the intention now!  ~ Jonna