Birth is a Rite of Passage
A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.
Throughout pregnancy, women experience profound change: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. These changes occur in a pregnant woman’s body, brain, hormones, and her heart.
Pregnancy and birth are profoundly transformational experiences in which a woman becomes a mother, and her life is never again the same after birth as it was before. Birth has long been considered by many cultures to be a sacred rite of passage in which the power of the transformation shapes both the baby, mother, family, and the entire community.
Communities the world over have created ways of honouring and celebrating womanhood, pregnancy, birth, and the newborn through physical, social, and spiritual rituals and ceremonies for healing.
When we recognise that birth is a rite of passage, then how you choose to treat your pregnancy, birth your baby, and care for your newborn helps establish the foundation for their life and for yours too, as a mother.
The Importance of the Birth Partner: How They Can Support You During Labor and Birth
Birth partners also hold a unique power: the ability to trigger the release of the hormone oxytocin, often referred to as the “love drug” or “bonding hormone.” Oxytocin plays a pivotal role in labor and childbirth; its release is what causes the uterus to contract. So, when a labouring woman feels safe, loved, and supported, her oxytocin levels increase, which leads to more effective contractions and a smoother labor process.
Pregnant in Perth? Here’s why you need a Pregnancy Yoga Class!
Attending specially designed prenatal yoga classes is not just about accommodating your growing belly, it’s also about expanding your mind, exploring your options for birth and joining together as a collective community as you begin your journey into motherhood. Pregnancy yoga offers a depth and a warmth beyond the yoga postures themselves, and like everything in life, some teachers will resonate more than others, so seek out a class (and a suitably trained teacher) that suits – you’ll know your community when you find it!