Birthing In the Spirit

By: Cathy Daub

“Birthing in spirit” is very inspiring to me. I have struggled with my spirituality, many people have but finding my passion has shown me how beautiful birth and new life is. All the spiritual elements put my feelings into words. It has given me so many good tips and ways to cope with labor. It covers so much ground. This book has given me a nice jumping off point for my personal work.

I appreciated the parts on affirmations. It put a lot into perspective like the rules of only using present tense and the first person singular. The words used mean so much and need to be picked carefully. Affirmations are very big for me i feel like that is one of the most important aspects of being a doula. Being able to support someone through one of the biggest events in their lives is major. I feel more confident in comforting someone after knowing the rules. I hope to one day be very good at calming people. Affirmations don’t work instantly, this is key to remember. They will set into the person when it is needed.

I enjoyed learning about the pelvic outlet and what the pelvis does before and after labor. The pelvic outlet is a big part of labor. It has to open wide enough to push the baby out. This happens around the same time as dilation and effacement. Some women in Jamaica think that birth can't happen until the woman “opens her back”. This can be compared to women in that last lull before the baby can come out. It is very interesting to see the way it moves and opens for the baby to slide on out. Mixing affirmations and the pelvic outlet, a woman should never be told by doctors her pelvis is “too small” for a baby. That is not something they can eyeball, it just makes the birthing person more fearful of birth. Fear can slow or stop labor. 

Learning the developmental stages at the end of the book really helped me see what type of things a child needs and when. Babies grow into toddlers running around. Each age needs a different type of discipline and care. There is a chart that makes it clear where more effort is needed during what stage of life. I think that learning about the developmental stages will help me as a postpartum doula because I want to help when parents aren't sure how to soothe. I like to see that teaching character is integrated in, I feel like that is so important for preteens.

 I would suggest this book to everyone. I learned so much from this book. It really lined out what a doula should be. I know that I have the spirit it takes to bring calm to a birth space. It is eye-opening in so many ways and I feel the information in this book could be helpful for anyone around children.

Where to buy “Birthing In The Spirit” By: Cathy Daub
https://birthworks.org/product/birthing-in-the-spirit-book/