Birthing From Within

Last evening we attended our last Birthing from Within class, facilitated by the fabulous Natalie, wonder-doula. Check out her site (linked to this post's title).
Birthing from Within is an interesting practice based around emotional self-knowledge, breath awareness, and creative/symbolic exercises. I read the book, by Pam England, before the class started and enjoyed the concepts and exercises, though I found it strongly biased toward natural/home birth and very anti-c-section. I struggled with that at the time because I wasn't yet sure we weren't going to have a scheduled Carsarian birth, and it made me feel frustrated and angry.
I hoped and assumed that the class wouldn't be quite so slanted, and I was correct. The classes, running one session a week for six weeks, were held at the Red Hen in Carrboro. (The great maternity/baby consignment shop.) There were two other couples in the class, so it was nice and intimate. I felt like I got to know the other folks in the class pretty well, and we all had enough time to speak, share, commiserate, question, and practice.
The various activities we did were really helpful; things like pain-coping techniques (with ice and breath), art work expressing our concepts of birth, baby wearing techniques, and couples' coaching methods. I came out of each class feeling a wonderful appreciation for Russell, more than anything else, but I also often felt a comforting sense of confidence. Sure, birth sounds hard, but I also regularly felt like I could handle it. Honestly, I was more anxious hearing about how one gets and epidural than I was about hours of contractions. Since we're still planning on having a natural birth, I am very happy to have experienced that level of confidence.
Last night, being the final class, was a bit special in that we had a couple with their four month come tell us their birth story, and then the soon-to-be mommas shared their birth bundles.
The birth bundles contained three objects that represented the mother, the father, and the mother and baby's combined efforts of birth. I chose a cowrie shell to represent the mother, as this is a classic symbol of women and fertility. I chose a hawk wing to represent the father (especially Russell as a father) since the hawk is his totem animal. Finally, I found a great piece of petrified sediment from inside a shell (the shell long since having deteriorated) that forms a spiral. I chose this to represent birth because of the spiral shape, which symbolizes the course of life.
The couples also exchanged an expression of their appreciation for each other. I created a sort of card with a photo of the Orion nebula on one side. On the opposite side I attached a poem I wrote many years ago about a hawk, which I found recently during the move, and fit Russell perfectly. I decorated it with some stars, buttons a la Burning Man, and glitter. I was pretty happy with the result! I also included Russell's name on the side with the nebula in metallic orange ink...
Russell typed me a sweet letter on his cool vintage typewriter, including a heart design (that was apparently pretty difficult to do on a typewriter). It was very sweet, and I was especially excited because it's the first thing he has written to me from the typewriter - which is a fairly infamous piece of equipment!
It was sad to have the class end, as the group was very supportive and it was nice to have an outlet. However, I think we'll be glad to clear the schedule a little bit more. We have been busy bees lately! And we'll all get together for a potluck once the various babies have arrived, which can only be fun.
We drove home in the rain (the first we've had in a while) and found a tree frog sitting on our front door knob. I gently tried to coax him off the knob, and he jumped onto me. My efforts to remove him only caused him to climb up my sleeve - he was a very friendly and unafraid frog! I finally managed to get him off me and the door, but it took some work before we could get into the house. I posted a note about the frog event on Facebook, and my mom linked to an animal symbolism website that defines 'frog' as fertility, birth, and transition... A sure sign of baby coming! And coming soon...
To wrap up the evening, Russell gave me a good foot rub with some mentholated mineral salve and then bathed my feet and scrubbed them with a eucalyptus salt scrub. It was very relaxing! This was supposed to be part of the last class, but we ran out of time. I was glad we got to do it at home, because I was very comfy in my gliding chair, and it was nice to feel connected in our new house!
It was a good night. Now we're that much more prepared, and that much closer, to meeting Orion.