Sonoma County Midwives

It’s said that during labor, a woman leaves her body, traveling to the stars to find her baby’s soul to bring back to earth. It’s almost true. Much like in slee...p or meditation, in unhindered labor, our brain does go into an altered state due to a ‘theta wave’ pattern, a deep, dream-like state, starting around 8 cm dilation, or earlier. The mind quiets, intuition and body-knowing take over. We go into a timeless, primal place where we can hear our ancestors say ‘we’ve been there, you’ve got this.’ It’s a transcendent state, not unlike orgasm, but deeply focused on birth. The world seems to disappear. The energy of birth takes over. You are in ‘flow.’ Your body knows what to do. This powerful state facilitates intuitive birthing. My midwife mentors taught me to create the space that facilitates this state. Powerful tools that induce and support the theta state include: Meditation Visualization Breathwork Music Sound, Prayer, Chanting Slow dance/movement These elicit calm, reduce heart rate and blood pressure, release fear, and relax your muscles facilitatating dilation and birth. This is opposite to the nervous system’s fight or flight state which leads to anxiety, fear, tensed muscles (including pelvic floor muscles), and in most mammals, inhibits or stops labor & birth. Modern obstetric practices, with constant interruptions, harsh lights, loud noises, and restrictions on how a woman births, impedes theta state, interfering with our ability to enter trance state, and it’s fear-mongering approach to birth puts most women into a subtle but chronic fight or flight state - studies showing that it can be enough to inhibit labor progress. Over many decades I’ve learned many techniques to help women access their primal birthing state, and innate birthing potential - I would love to share these with you - now for free, and soon, in a new online community. I can’t wait to share To access the classes, click here: https://m.facebook.com/groups/ideservebirthsupport/ Did you experience an altered state in labor? How did it feel? Please know if you didn’t, that’s okay. This is a no-judgment zone - all experiences, stories, and paths welcome. @jennifermasonphotography

Hi Friends, I know this pandemic is a giant P.I.T.A. It is uncomfortable, crazy-making, inconvenient, economically stressful, seemingly ENDLESS, and so much more...but please, hang in there. We're playing the long game. Have a simple, safe holiday.

This...exactly.

Sweet little 2020 babies. They surely have been the bright lights in this dark year.