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Midwife?
I used to be scared of the word Midwife. I would shy away from using it. When I began my birthwork journey I went deep into the freebirth side of things. Learning from wise woman predominately in that line of work and service. Teachings of never refer to yourself as a Midwife. Which is fair. I’ve always stuck to my scope of practice because of learning what I’ve learnt and that integrity is vital if you’re going to do this work. But there was a severance from between me and my archetypal Midwife. Like she was locked behind the walls of a University degree, or I needed permission to claim that title. Yet, I midwife myself through this life everyday.
Recently I’ve been intrigued and moved by Midwifery Consciousness. Going to a Uni open day, celebrating the International day of the Midwife, being apart of a course full of Midwives, meeting midwives, Facebook messaging midwives. One of my best friends is subletting at an old midwife & herbalists home. She stoked the fire, I brought herbs for tea and gluten free cookies. We sat at the coffee table and splayed out old Midwifery texts and marveled at the imagery. It’s in moments like that I feel like the embodiment of the change I wish to see. It’s the embodiment of my witch in restoring my inner midwife. Learning first and foremost for me and my souls path. And also I have this amazing ability to attract resources. It’s like my web of resource and knowing, people, names, books and online resource to is quite large - in the birth worky space. For that I am so grateful.
I think my relationship with the word and archetypal midwife was harmed by my naivety and impressionism from the freebirth dogma, painting Midwives as a perpetrator, a violator, and rapists. Yet, that may be the case in some scenarios. The midwives in my field of awareness, and there are MANY now in my field who are deeply conscious, reverent, mindful, and aware of the layers on consent and the impacts their energy has on the birth space. Midwives have been some of my greatest teachers. I often marvel at the level of commitment, devotion and sacrifice it takes to study to become a Midwife and also just to be a Midwife in this time, I am in awe. I often wonder, is that something I want to do? Do I have what it takes? Musing on all the different life paths one could take. But the calling to Midwife has always been there. I wonder what form it will take next?
