something new...

I was born during the only "hurricane" that has ever hit the west coast... The Columbus Day Storm of 1962. Look it up, it was a pretty amazing storm (that's what we call them on the west coast).

I ask my Mom to retell the story of my birth at least once a year. It's amazing every time she tells it. I can see the adventure on her face as she talks about the drive to the hospital and the Doctor saying, "I'm only here cause it's the only place that has power"...

She remembers most of the story. Right up to the point where they put a mask on her face and knocked her out. You see, I like many children was born during the days of "twilight sleep". This was a time when women were literally disengaged from their own births. They had no memory of one of the most amazing and impacting experiences of their lives. This did not mean that their bodies didn't experience labor, just that they themselves had no active or intentional role or control. They were disengaged from birth by a drug. An entire generation of birth stories were lost because of "twilight sleep". The perception of birth was changed as well because women were no longer telling their stories.

My own Mom has more of a memory of my birth than of my other siblings, most likely because of the rush and craziness of the situation. I wonder what it would have been like for her if they hadn't gotten to her in time to knock her out. What impact would it have had on her and on me.

Birth leaves a mark. When a woman gives birth, how she gives birth effects not only herself but those who hear her story as she tells it. I have sat and listened to the stories. I have watched in awe and wonder as women share something truly profound. Every birth I have attended as a Doula and every story I have heard has left a mark on me.

And let's not forget the Dads....Their story is just as profound and leaves just as great a mark. Sometimes even greater. For them birth can be a time of trauma, watching the one person they care most about going through something they can not control or do for them.

Or.. it can be a moment where they content with a strength that they never knew they had. I have seen both. To see a Father be born is an awesome thing. To hear their story, from their perspective is just as amazing.

so... this blog is about... you guessed it... BIRTH!

But not just the physical birth, though that is my passion and promotes what I do by profession. It's also about the daily opportunities to birth. This blog is an excellent example of my own birth today. Today I give birth to "The Birth Mark". Thanks for attending. All stories are welcome.