mamaroots

when I see the redbuds

 

I have never seen the Redbud trees the same since Silas' birth.  5 years ago I was patiently and at times not so patiently waiting for this little person in my belly to emerge.  I was approaching my 43 week of pregnancy, holding steadfast to my home VBAC desires and hoping for labor to come soon.  One of the best pieces of info another friend had told me who had a her home VBAC was the she had to do everything different so that her psyche did not hold the memory of the C-section from her first birth. That was one magical gem.  I had a completely different support team.  On one of my many prenatal visits at my doctors house we sat on a blanket under her redbud tree and had a check and accupuncture. I remember looking up at the trees so lush and purple.  She asked if I had ever nibbled on the blossoms.  I had never heard or tried that and it was a beautiful sweet little treat from that tree.

I was continuing to trust the process and journey of that birth and would walk out on my deck and nibble from my own redbud tree and rubbing my belly.  Once my baby Silas did enter the world on that April day it was incredible in my arms, in my home, surrounded by amazing people.  Some friends brought a tree for Silas to celebrate his birth about a week later and low an behold it was a Redbud tree.  We had a ceremony and buried the placenta under the redbud tree.  Every year since then we all nibble from the tree and take in a part of ourselves.  

I told Silas yesterday we we remarked on how incredible the redbuds are that he will always know his birthday is near when he sees the redbud trees!  Go nibble on a blossom and try its sweetness, try one for Silas!  One more week to go till my babies birthday!  Remember I warned you on the sentimental posts!! haha-

There is no way I can ever see Redbuds the same- pretty fitting for Cesarean Awareness Month- remember ICAN this April.

 

 

power of women

Yesterday I had the divine pleasure of spending the afternoon and evening with some amazing women.  I was with a tribe of maidens, mothers, and a wise wise crone sharing her stories of the power of women. I say crone in a most honored place.  I have had the pleasure of knowing MorningStar for a few years now and am so honored to be included in her most recent book in both story and photo- it is so humbling. 

I have shared so much with her and my amazing birth tribe preparing for and accomplishing my powerful VBAC, now almost 5 years ago in April with my Silas.  It is days like this that reminds how lucky I am to be in the presence of such a tribe of women that I am fortunate enough to call friends!

 

 

While we were gathered in circle I worked on another in the 3-Sisters series I have done since the fall.  I was inspired to bring in elements of the moon and nature to reflect this trio.  I like how the maiden and crone shelter either side of the mother because I find that often I need to remember the innocence of my maidenhood and listen to the stories of the crones to balance out my role as mother.  

If you are interested in this amazing book you can get a copy through Midwifery Today- such a powerful book!  You will not regret it.

healing stitches

Big thanks to everyone for your sweet birth-day wishes to my Jasper and me for his "birthing" day- love the mama support that know that when you celebrate your child's birth you are also celebrating the birth.  As many of you know Jasper was my planned homebirth, then early induction and ultimate c-section due to me getting pre-eclempsia.  It was very hard giving up my homebirth but ultimately making the best decision based on my health at the time.  I often said that healing from the stitches of the c-section was alot easier than the soul healing that had to occur for me to then give birth at home 3 and half years later to Silas.

As I was thinking about his birth this year I was reminded of the process of healing.  We all process events in our lives differently.  I know that different things happen for different reasons.  With Jasper's birth I had to do pretty intense healing work in order to move forward.  I wanted to share with you what I did.  I did lots and lots of journaling, and because I am a crafter I knew I wanted to make something.  I decided to make a healing quilt.  I sent out the call for folks to send me a square of fabric in red, pink, or white.  I looked at my gathered fabrics, wrote about them, cut and pieced them together as I was piecing my whole self back together to get back to a place to think about homebirth again.  I made the pattern to mimic a simple open yoni also, to see in my next birth. 

I did this work for about 6 months leading up to Jasper's birthday in 2003 and then I had a "healing-way"- think reverse of blessingway.  I gathered my women support system and had them shares words of healing with me, brought beads that I made into a bracelet, and then they helped me finish the quilt.

Now my quilt hangs in my studio right above my sewing machine.  It is a part of my creative space, which is very much like a womb for me at home.  Good thing my hubby doesn't mind that I love dark red paint!

Many wonderful thanks again and my best wishes out to the powerful women getting ready to birth this September! 

A book on my reading list, a book recommended by my good friend Amy, it is called Broken Open by Elizabeth Lesser-  I will have some down time to get all caught up on reading as we head to bluegrass festival land with friends later this week, I can hear the banjos calling!

what to say . . .

Have you caught the controversy over the Spanish dolls that encourage teaching breastfeeding?  How can this be a controversy?  Why is it okay for girls to mimic being mothers with dolls but controversial to let them mimic breastfeeding- makes me scratch my head- I say give them a doll that shows birthing and breastfeeding!  This is a lovely one A Toy Garden. 

And just another lovely spot for breastfeeding- we went to go see Ponyo- the newest Miyazaki movie yesterday with the boys and there is a small spot in the movie where a breastfeeding mama talks to the two main character children about how she eats well so she can make more milk for her baby-thank you Miyazaki!

Headed to the shelves

Brand new on the shelves tomorrow is the book by Abby Epstein and Ricki Lake called Your Best Birth- I will be buying a copy of the book to add the The Womb Room Library and also there are copies for sale tomorrow at the local bookstore where I work.  I look forward to reading this.  I also have a copy of the DVD The Business of Born in the movie library available for check out in case you have not seen it yet.

I just found out also that they launched a new site that I just went and signed up on- love it when the empowering message of birth can spread and grow- be sure to check it out!