Awake : Business of being born

Since the dawning of time, it has been the traditional role of women to attend other women in labor and birth.
Midwives were the doctors, the counselors, the shaman, the healers, the pediatricians, the birth professionals, the mashkiki and the midewikwe. Doulas were the women-helpers; women of age who had been-there-done-that, were old enough to understand the work being done, the servants of the heart and bodyWhat happen now?Woman usually view birth as a painful and dangerous event. Now they expect a medicated birth to provide relief from pain and to ensure their safety and a child. It has become popular for women to plan Cesarean sections to avoid birth. American women are effectively becoming incapable of birth, thanks to our fear of it. I believe that it’s necessary for us to confront our fears by learning different techniques. I have come to understand that birth is a natural and unforgettable part of our lives.