Birth is a rite of passage because it brings us through a moment of big change, not only for the child, but also for the mother, the father, and the whole family. During our last Wisdom Circle, we looked at childbirth from different perspectives. We spoke about our need to be held and listened to, but we were also asked to notice how we were held, and where perhaps we were not held enough. This conversation left many questions working inside me. I now feel a strong need to ask my mum about my own birth and what it was like for her. I have three children, and each birth was completely different. Strangely, I did not feel more confident with each experience, because there was always something unknown: who would be there, who would receive the child, and whether there would be a woman beside me. My husband was with me all three times, and I remember how difficult the first birth seemed for him. I would like to ask him now how he remembers it, whether he felt it was truly his place, and whether he would have stepped away if my mum had been able to stay with me instead. I also wonder how these experiences may have shaped his later relationship with each child. We were all held in different ways, depending on the country, the hospital, and the people around us. Perhaps this is why birth can carry so much fear and uncertainty. We may be missing simplicity, closeness, and the kind of relationships that can hold us through such a sacred moment.
—Anonymous reflection from a woman in our Wisdom Circle
From Our Collective Journal Pages is an ongoing series of vignettes that offer a window into tender accounts that may never be spoken about in typical daily conversations. This content is being offered to invite our readers to join us in collective introspection and compassionate witnessing. Where will we steer our efforts when we truly own our own stories and bear intimate witness to the plight of our sisters?
