Through the Labyrinth Blog
Report: Birth Story Listening at the Limmud Festival
I was introduced to the art of storytelling about eight years ago through the Birthing From Within childbirth educator and doula training programs. I could not have predicted then that the storytelling skills I was learning would eventually provide a pathway for cultural and ancestral connection to my Jewish ethnicity and identity. In 2016, I…
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Meet the Mentor: Deidre Coutsoumpos
In our ongoing Meet the Mentor series, you’ll get a chance to meet some of our amazing Birthing From Within Childbirth Educators and Doulas. You’ll learn a little bit about their Birthing From Within work – and, just for fun, get a glimpse into their personal lives and opinions! Today, let’s meet… Deidre Coutsoumpos Deidre…
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Report: Crossing the Threshold Workshop
As I drove to join a group of other birth workers at the Crossing the Threshold workshop in Seattle in October, I found myself feeling apprehensive about what lay ahead. This was partly because I lacked a clear understanding of exactly what we would be doing over the weekend. The introductory emails had been missing…
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12 Ways to Change Birth in Our Culture, Part 3: Initiating, Nurturing, and Supporting Birth Workers
In 2010, Pam England wrote a series of pieces about ways in which we can change birth in our culture. The Birthing From Within leadership and blog team has chosen some of these pieces as inspiration and jumping-off points to create a new 12-part series about changing birth in our culture that reflects current understandings within the…
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BFW Dictionary: Birth Art
There are so many words that are special to Birthing From Within, words that we use in very specific ways that are important and meaningful — but not always entirely self-explanatory. The purpose of the BFW Dictionary posts is to shine a clarifying light on the language used by BFW and its practitioners and to…
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How to Use Childbirth Education Handouts Thoughtfully
One of the wonderful things about practicing Birthing From Within is that while we all work from the same core ideas and experiences, no two mentors are exactly the same. About six months ago, BFW mentor Megan Malone-Franklin wrote a wonderful piece for this blog about why she and her wife don’t use handouts in…
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12 Ways to Change Birth in Our Culture, Part 2: Embracing our Elders
In 2010, Pam England wrote a series of pieces about ways in which we can change birth in our culture. The Birthing From Within leadership and blog team has chosen some of these pieces as inspiration and jumping-off points to create a new 12-part series about changing birth in our culture that reflects current understandings within the…
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Report: Ghost Ranch Advanced Birth Story Listening Retreat
In November 2018, a group of amazing birth workers gathered at Ghost Ranch, in Abiquiu, New Mexico to journey deep into the world of Birth Story Listening with our fearless guides Pam England, Nikki Shaheed, and Nicole Tricarico. We came from all corners of the USA and around the world. We brought with us expertise…
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Nourishing the Life Within: Vegan Herbal Broth and Golden Curry Lentil Stew
In Ancient Map for Modern Birth, Pam England writes of the importance of “Nourishing the Life Within” with tasty, satisfying, and nutritious food. In this series, we tap chefs, nutritionists, postpartum doulas, and other kitchenistas for their favorite ideas for: pregnant and postpartum parents…sleep deprived doulas, midwives, and nurses…and anyone whose inner spirit is in…
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12 Ways to Change Birth in Our Culture, Part 1: Magical Birth Stories for Children
In 2010, Pam England wrote a series of pieces about ways in which we can change birth in our culture. The Birthing From Within leadership and blog team has chosen some of these pieces as inspiration and jumping-off points to create a new 12-part series about changing birth in our culture that reflects current understandings within the…
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Meet the Mentor: Koyuki Smith
In our ongoing Meet the Mentor series, you’ll get a chance to meet some of our amazing Birthing From Within Childbirth Educators and Doulas. You’ll learn a little bit about their Birthing From Within work – and, just for fun, get a glimpse into their personal lives and opinions! Today, let’s meet… Koyuki Smith It’s…
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Report: Black Birth Matters 2018 Conference
On October 27, 2018, my fellow facilitator Koyuki Smith and I presented a Birthing From Within workshop at the Black Birth Matters conference, organized by the Birthmark Doula Collective in New Orleans. The theme of the conference was “Mind over Matter: Mental Health and Mothering.” The title of our presentation was “Learning Through Listening: Using…
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