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Maidens in the Birthspace and postpartum portals
What do I do as a Maiden Birthkeeper…
Lately I’ve been doing a lot of business and self reflection as my next solar return approaches and the end of this year is also soon approaching. It’s dawned on me not many people know what I do, and I haven’t sat to find the words to describe what I do so here it is. What is Dani Taylor Birthwork, what essence do I provide, what services do I share with the world behind closed doors, what churns in my mind on a daily basis…
Way’s I show up as a Maiden Birthkeeper & How you can work with me…
Closing Ceremonies
I facilitate ceremonies to close (and simultaneously open) the birth portal after a loss, conscious pregnancy release, traumatic birth or any variation of birth to support the mother in returning to her intact auric field, to leave behind whatever she took on at that wasn’t hers in that time, to release and somatically move through anything that was imposed upon her in the birthspace. We create this space so she may move forward with clarity to birth again or gracefully move into the next chapter of her motherhood season and life. The Closing of the Bones ceremony aims to remove the cold and stagnation, to seep the woman in warmth, sweat, creating movement and flow in her feminine waters.
Pregnancy Care
I provide a space for woman to come to share, speak, and process whilst I meet them with undivided attention, presence and deep listening allowing woman to feel met in her experiences and process whatever they are journeying through. I call upon any resources, or community she may need to best support her on her journey while centering her as the authority of her experience. We cocreate together as Mother and Birth Guardian journeying through pregnancy witnessing one another evolve and morph. I listen when you need me to listen, I provide when you need me to provide, we walk in the bush communing with the trees and float in the ocean to practice surrender. We read if we want to read, listen to podcasts and affirmations if it is resonant or we set fire to things, and wipe mud on the faces of rocks, whatever you need your care to look like, I’ll show up, with freshly bakes goods or liver pate, and a heart fully ready to meet you.
Preconception Care
I offer a space for woman to radically claim their desire to be a mother as I embody this myself as a Maiden, living in alignment with my value of fertility that oozes throughout this business. When it comes to preconception care I provide a space for woman to dream, and embody logic. Creating quests for our physical, spiritual, emotional and cultural health before bringing forth our young. Knowing the importance of preconception health from a Traditional medicine perspective and how it’ll ripple throughout a women’s pregnancy and postpartum it’s vital I feel that woman are radically nourished and supported along their journeys. Asking the community beyond the ego self, weaving community into the fabric of your life so you enter pregnancy with hands to hold you. I feel in society woman are underfed, under valued, under fucked and under resourced, if we can flip this narrative before having children, we set ourselves up for a well resourced entry into motherhood. My desire for this world is all mothers are well fed, well fucked and so divinely resourced for their childbearing years. I wholeheartedly believe this begins preconception, the relationships we create, our relationship with resource, money, food, love, home and community.
Birth Space
I’m yet to physically enter this space.
I’ve journeyed in similar places, creative birth portals, liminal spaces, in sex, death, temples, plant medicine ceremonies, sweat lodges, in ceremony with woman. I vow to show up in the birthspace in presence, boundless unwavering trust in the mystery, to massage if you need a massage, to tone alongside you, squeeze your hips, work with the Rebozo, make the space dark, sensual and appropriate for an animal to birth in. To witness you without judgement, ensure you’re hydrated and protect the hormonal makeup of birth. Working with your intuition, my intuition and the Guardians of Birth to support you in safe passage as you move through the threshold.
Postpartum Care
As a Maiden Postpartum Caregiver I offer my full capacity to cook, tend and bow at the alter of a postpartum mother. Cooking food that is easy to digest, warming, full of carbs, proteins and fats to encourage whole healing and restoration to the body after it’s nourished growing life for 9-10 months. I draw upon teachings from Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda and Traditional Mexican postpartum practices in my work and aim to support woman to feel held, warm and supported during the early postpartum time. I tend to the home, embedding beauty where beauty is needed, rubbing oil on feet securing with socks, ensuring mumma is hydrated and well fed, that the family unit has space to talk and process. I burn Mugwort over soft bellies and stir herbs in warm spring water for the perineum. I bind Fajas, and bake muffins. I sing and witness the tenderness in homes.
1:1 Calls
Oh how I love phone calls. These calls are where I dish out all the information in my brain, to support you in structuring your postpartum care through a postpartum planning session or perhaps you are new to the concept of postpartum and I can provide digestible education on postpartum care and why it’s vital for a thriving society. I can hold you as you unpack your birth story, debriefing and finding the medicine in your experience. I can guide you as we talk through any fears you hold around birth, or look into your birth imprint. I can work alongside you in preconception to dream, prepare and cultivate your needs and desires before bringing through your spirit babies. I can mentor Maiden birthkeepers, so they don’t make the same mistakes I’ve made and feel supported to support and nurture mothers in your community.
Birthkeeper Circles
Held monthly on Bundjalung Country, I gather with fellow birthworkers, doulas, midwives and woman interested in this path to discuss, debrief and sit in communion. Often sharing tea and a treat, we come together as colleagues, allies in support of one another. As our work demands a lot of us, and is often done in solitude, I feel it’s important for birthworkers to come together to share story, business fails, triumphs, and network, to delegate and collaborate with one another.
Maidens in the birthspace
As a Maiden I don’t have my own children to tend to yet. I know when I’m a mother my capacity and priorities will shift greatly. I’ll be putting my children, husband and home before anything else. Presently, I have a full cup, full capacity, little responsibilities and lots of availability to give, tend, care and show up for the Mothers in my life. I feel as maidens we have a responsibility to help our mother friends, clients, community in all the ways they are open to receiving, like hanging out that load of laundry, dropping off a meal or taking the kids to the park if needed.
I don’t have to work out childcare when I’m on call for births. I can take time to deeply care for myself after facilitating ceremonies or attending a birth so I enter into other spaces energetically clear - this I am so grateful for in this season. Having a maiden in the birth or postpartum space takes a layer of pressure off the mothers in the community, and often the maiden in that space is already familiar with the mother she tends to, that familiarity provides safety. I haven’t had my own birth experience so I come in as a clear slate, without having witnessed or experienced any traumatic births, I don’t bring in any expectations or projections (not saying mothers do this). There is an innocence in the Maiden doula, I feel like I and my maiden doula kindreds have a great sense of responsibility, maturity and integrity when relating with and supporting the mothers that go before us. For I am in such reverence to mothers always, mothers are my greatest teachers and I’m so privilege to be welcomed into these spaces. It’s in the lived experience in the home, witnessing, listening and being present with mothers and children that I have learnt the most.
Thank you so much for reading this post, I’d love to hear what resonated or what didn’t for you? If you feel to work with me or have any questions about what I spoke to please don’t hesitate to send me a DM or email.
With sincere love
Dani x