05/07/2021
FB reminded me of a text that I wrote a fee years ago after attwnding a water birth workshop with Barbara Harper.
I feel so inspired.
9:40 this morning - I come to a waterbirth workshop that my doula Paula Aji hosts. It's in beautiful Neve Tzedek of Tel Aviv. Walking down the narrow streets of Neve Tzedek, I think of my great grandmother Batia whom I'm named after. She immigrated in the late 1800s (no it's not a mistake) to Israel from Russia and came right here to Shlush Street. How did she give birth back in those days? I wonder.
I step into a beautiful apartment and welcomed by beautiful Paula (Can you feel all the love I'm feeling right now?). Barbara Harper, whom I get to know submits this amazing workshop. She reminds me a little of my mom. She is exactly her age, Jewish, American and wears a big Hamsa necklace like her. I immediately feel at home. When she begins talking about water births, my eyes are filled with surprising tears of excitement. I feel the energy, activism, wisdom and experience of this woman and I intuitively know that I am right at the place that I am destined to be in.
Water births for me are a memory, a life changing one, which are embodied inside my body and soul. Both Hagar and Maayan were born inside the water, each of them at a different birthing position at a different birthing center with different midwives and with a different set of mind. Hagar's water birth was so life changing for me that it made me a doula.
Barbara also gave birth to two of her children inside the water 34 and 36 years ago, life changing events for her personally and for many other future water babies worldwide. Since then, she has been advocating for water births all over the world. Through her vast knowledge of research based evidence that is so in favor of water births in almost any indicator that you could dream of, she has been managing to change so many hospitals and birth centers' practices around the world to incorporate water births in them (e.g., The US, China, many countries in Europe and happily our country as well).
The waterbirth education course contained so much research based evidence about water birth accompanied by beautiful pictures and movies of women giving birth in water. I will probably sum some points out later on but for now I would like to quote Barbara for all my fellow doulas who were not fortunate enough to attend.
"What are the 3 most crucial words that you want to say to a woman giving birth?
YOU ARE SAFE.
We as doulas need to create this safe space for the mother and to really believe in her so she can let go and birth."
It may sound like a cliché. It is not. It is a life changing truth for so many mothers and babies giving birth in water, on land, naturally or medically.
Thank you Barbara for reminding me the beauty and wisdom of birth physiology, of being humble and not interfering, of remembering how crucial my calling in this life is… to support processes of creation and becoming.
I am truly inspired by you.
And thank you dear Paula Aji for sharing Barbara with us.
