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How I take care of myself during the *on call* period…
Hey loves, today’s blog is 10 ways I prepare while being on call & some of my birthkeeper self care…
Supplements - taking care of my immune system, adrenal herbs, tonic herbs, magnesium, and beef organs.
Time in nature, lots of this!
Being physically prepared - birth basket ready, restock my birth basket with food and snacks ready (for me and the mumma), water bottle, & fuel in my car. These basic things make a huge difference. Being physically prepared for me also looks like cutting and filing my nails in case mumma needs massage during labor and braiding my hair, which I like to do intentionally for birth and ceremony.
Taking on less - mindfully not jam packing my calendar with work, offerings and social events.
Receiving body work
Writing practice, working through any fears or things that arise for me as a care provider, practitioner and support person. My responsibility to move through these things before entering a sacred space
Listening to birth affirmations - there’s this one recording by Yolande Norris Clarke I love, that has unique and deeply resonant affirmations, I love to listen to as a reminder, a grounding point
Eating enough. Protein and nutrient rich meals, with lots of healthy fats. As birth is such a big experience to behold and witness, I make sure to have enough animal protein and fats to ground myself, and to lubricate and nourish my nervous system. This is my norm, but I pay even more attention to it during this period.
Lean into my community. I couldn’t do this work without my loved ones support, friends and fellow doula kindreds to debrief with, to hold me as I hold mothers.
Trust my birthkeeper intuition, if you are attuned to the energetics of birth and pregnancy, and your relationship with the mother you’re walking beside is solid, you can feel into the portal opening, this can also support you and supports me in preparation. Working with the Sacred Birthing Guardians, and nature sometimes my guides will send me a date/a number to tune in with. The one time I didn’t trust that intuition I missed a birth!