Greetings
A big welcome to Xolani, born at home, a water-birth on July 15, 2012. Weighing in at 9lbs even. Congratulations to awesome mama Asha, her 4th home birth (and first water-birth)!!
~Sheila~
For 10 years, Sheila Simms Watson, a tall woman with light eyes and laughter in her voice, has been helping South Florida women bring their babies into the world only a few feet away from their home nurseries.
“A lot of women I’d come in contact with had horrible experiences [with childbirth],” said Watson, founder of Spirit of Life Traditional Midwifery in Miami. “Mine was totally different.”
Miami Midwife Sheila and baby Aria
by Wendy Mathias Photography - http://wendythephotographer.blogspot.com/
The Universal Language of Birth… (birth experience January 2012)
At a recent birth I got to experience the universal language of birth…..
I met this woman mid pregnancy. She was the relative of two other women whom I have been midwife to during their pregnancies and births. English is not her first language, so she spoke little to no English. Her relatives would come with her to prenatal appointments. We would communicate as best we could. As the time progressed, her English picked up little by little.
When labor started I was called by one of her relatives and arrived to find this mama in a good active labor pattern. She was listening to her body; moving and assuming positions that worked and helped her. My senses became my most valuable tools, my eyes and ears watching her and listening to her sounds. She would fuss and moan when she needed, verbally in her language and universally with her body. After being in and out of the pool, she says in her language “kaka”….. I understood that as I saw her body giving “bearing down” signs. She decided to get out of the tub and onto the birth stool she went. She is actively bearing down, with much effort. I can see bulging and a bit of her baby’s head. She then starts speaking in her native language what sounded very strong and forceful words, and I in my excitement looked at her and the progress she is making moving her baby down and respond enthusiastically “YES, YES”!!! There was a little chuckle from her relative who looks at me and says… “she said she is going to die, and you told her yes!”…. oh my, I laughed at myself and my enthusiasm and then told her… “no, not die, baby is coming!!” and they translated that to her! Minutes later she pushes out her sweet baby into her arms with the biggest smile of triumph and joy!!
What an incredible teaching this birth was for me…. I learned about the beauty of the universal (unspoken) language of birth!! I learned how it would not hurt to know a few key words in her language…so our post partum time has been spent with me learning a few key words in her language… I learned the ability to laugh at myself!!
Sheila Simms Watson
Every 90 second a woman dies due to complications from pregnancy. View this video & learn how you can help save a life.
What is midwifery care? The debut video for I am a Midwife, a new online series about midwives and what they do, explores just that! Eight different “real life” midwives describe the safe, satisfying and supportive care midwives in all settings provide women and their families!
From the Midwives Alliance of North America:
baby friendly rap
Visit La Leche League of Miami-Dade County for breastfeeding,
parenting, nutrition and pregnancy support.
