One Sovereign Family

Don't wait to sign up for this much asked after class! Kathleen is presenting her Herbal Pregnancy Wellness Class this summer, July 27th, 2022 from 4-7pm. Come out and see how you can take control of your health and nourish yourself during this time. This is an informative workshop designed for expecting parents and birth professionals. Topics include nourishing and strengthening the birthing body, prevention and treatment of common pregnancy concerns (ex: iron deficiency, GBS and hemorrhoids), and how to prepare your own herbal medicines. All participants will leave with handouts and a parting gift. Tea Provided.

I've had this yoni art on my alter for over a decade. Every now and then I looks at it and it reveals more depth and meaning to me. It was crafted by some of my favorite artists on the planet, Beth and Zeeb Feywood. I have other works of theirs and when I touch them I can feel a moving within. Part of that magic is that we share community. These artifacts connect to some strong neural path ways of gathering, and ritual, and drumming, and communion.

Now that I'm perimenopausal, I look at this piece and it stirs a longing to go inward, to be enveloped in the soft folds of consciousness while I navigate this transformation. She inspires grace and trust in divine timing.

We hear a lot about “avoiding interventions” during the labor process. Less often, though enough to note, we do hear mention of avoiding interventions during pregnancy. However, these words are generally covering the physical actions taken upon pregnant women and their bodies. Today, I would like to draw your attention to an, in my opinion, even more pervasive intervention than sweeping membranes and pitocin: language. The language used when discussing pregnancy, birth, and women in general in regards to her authority. In particular phrases like “my OBGYN won’t *let* me”, and “my midwife says I *have to* have an ultrasound”, or even worse “they said they *are going to* induce me at 41 weeks if baby isn’t here”, are most commonly used. Occasionally, I catch myself in this passive mentality not just around birth, but in other areas of my life. In general though, you will hear me often state “you are allowed to say no”, when someone uses this phrasing. Other times, I’ll ask questions like “is that what you want?” or “did they tell you the risks of doing that?”. All the while, my inner voice is screaming phrases like “You are the authority of your body!” and “No one can make you do anything!” or sometimes, “Pregnancy does not cancel out your right to your body!”. However, I’ve found that screaming at people about being the sole authority of their bodies, tends to put people off. Haha. But whether I’m questioning or screaming, the underlying meaning is this: In every aspect of life, you are afforded the right to consent to being touched, poked, prodded, etc. You are equally afforded the right to decline access to your body to anyone, for any reason, at any time. Pregnancy and labor do *not* negate these rights. You do not have to do a damn thing. Ever. The language that is used when discussing such interventions and perceived requirements are what continues to perpetuate this feeling of powerlessness, of lack of capacity, of an inadequate agency. When we continue to give away our power to people of perceived authority in our everyday language, we are effectively aiding in our own oppression. The next time you are tempted to use this language, consider trying this lens on: “My doctor would like to XYZ because ABC, I have/not consented”. When you use this format, you’ve regained your agency in what is taking place. By recognizing that providers are giving suggestions based on their training and experience, but that ultimately you are the authority over yourself and therefore have the capacity to permit the suggested course action or not; you have placed yourself and your provider in their proper places on the hierarchy of your sovereignty. They work for you, not the other way around. By doing this seemingly simple shift in our language, we’ve converted women from the infantilized, inadequate subjects of the medical system into autonomous, whole beings capable of complete agency over their bodies. This mindset shift is what turns the tide in facing the aforementioned physical interventions later on in the pregnancy and birth.