The Innate Wisdom of Birth

What a blessing it was to be part of this beautiful experience.

This was the second time I had the privilege of witnessing the miracle of birth with this wonderful family, and this one was incredibly special.

Sometimes, in the world of modern obstetrics, I think we can lose sight of the beauty of birth. Not only as parents, but as birth workers and providers, too.

It is good to step back sometimes and simply witness what the human body knows how to do.

There is an incredible intelligence to physiologic birth. A mother listening to her body. Moving when she needs to move. Resting when she needs to rest. Reaching for support when she needs it. And a birth team that knows when to step in, but also knows when to step back.

It is okay to trust your body.

And as a birth worker, it is okay to trust your instincts while remembering that the woman in front of you has an innate ability to birth her baby. Our presence does not always need to mean intervention.

This mama welcomed her baby boy into the world in the water, in her own home, surrounded by people she trusted. She trusted what she was feeling. She trusted her body. And just as importantly, she trusted the team she invited into her space to watch over both of them.

Birth is messy. It is unpredictable. It does not always follow the plan we imagined, and sometimes intervention is absolutely necessary.

But birth does not automatically become dangerous simply because we allow it to unfold.

Every labor does not need to be managed as though something is about to go wrong. Sometimes our job is to watch, listen, assess, encourage, protect the space, and be ready if we are needed.

Births like this remind me why I became a midwife.

To be with woman.

Not to tell her how to birth.
Not to tell her what she should be feeling.
Not to make her birth fit within the boundaries of what makes me most comfortable.

But to sit beside her.

To support her. To encourage her. To protect her autonomy. To remind her of her strength when she forgets it.

And to be her safety net if and when she needs one.

There is something incredibly humbling about being invited into someone's home and trusted with something this intimate.

This is midwifery.

And I am so grateful I get to do it.

Image By - Melanie Amparo Photography