Is Homebirth Safe?
What is a Birthkeeper?
A birthkeeper holds space for the unfolding of birth as a natural, physiological, and spiritual experience. Birthkeepers draw from ancient wisdom, intuition, and practical skills to provide holistic pregnancy and birth support that nurtures the whole person ; mind, body, and spirit, and offer a ‘wise woman’ presence during labour and birth.
The Wise Woman Doula
In 1999, as a student midwife, I read two books that changed everything for me: Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year by Susun Weed, and Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin. Alongside these were the works of anthropologist Robbie Davis-Floyd who named the technocratic model of care in which I was learning and the holistic model that I strived to practice. These each created a foundation for the midwifery that resonated in my bones and their words gave shape to an approach that still anchors my work today: the Holistic Wise Woman model.
Midwife, Doula, Birthkeeper. What’s the difference?
A midwife is a registered medical professional who monitors the wellbeing of women, birthing people and their babies during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. A doula is a non medical support who offers education and advocacy for those usually engaging with the medical system. And a birthkeeper is a non medical, holistic support, who often works with those choosing a ‘wild pregnancy’ or freebirth.