Birthing As Country

“I can understand that some of you may think that birth in remote areas is dangerous. And you must know that a life without meaning is much more dangerous”. 
—Jusapie Padlayat, a Salluit elder

I'm not going to claim to know what it feels like for pregnant indigenous women as they move towards birth, negotiating the options available to them. But I just read an article that moved me to tears. You can read it here and I strongly encourage you to do so.

I feel like that eight pages just changed my life.

The quote above from a Salluit Elder sums up in a very basic way how critical it is for those who are wanting to connect with cultural pregnancy and birthing practices in a meaningful way to be supported to do so. And, more generally, how critical it is for women to be supported to birth in their power, however that looks.

It exemplifies how birth is so much more than just 'healthy mum, healthy baby'. There are physical, emotional and spiritual layers that are all critical to the thriving life force of the mother and baby.

Pregnancy and birth are such rich opportunities for personal and spiritual growth. If every woman took advantage of this inner growth path and claimed her power as a mother, we could change the world.