There are a few young 'uns on my list who may possibly be thinking about having children. That is what made Ina May Gaskin jump to the forefront of my 365 project. Ina May's book, Spiritual Midwifery, changed everything-for me, for the world, every-thing. I only wish I had read it before my kids were born, not after. There's a book out there that every "expecting" mom gets whether she likes it or not. The title is something like What to Expect when you're Expecting. That book? Complete Rubbish. Make a nice art piece out of that book and then go and get Ina May's books and read them. Have your spouse read them, too. Ina May is truth. All others pale in comparison. Ina May Gaskin was born in Iowa, the daughter of a farmer and a schoolteacher. Her maternal grandparents ran a Presbyterian orphanage. In the 1970's she began a commune in Tennessee known as The Farm and with other midwives founded The Farm Midwifery Center which was one of the first out-of-hospital birth centers in the United States. After reading Ina May's books on birthing, I realized that some of the reasons our world is so messed up has to do with the actual beginning of our time on this planet: with how we are birthed. Birthing metaphors are there in all disciplines of study if we look for them. Actual birthing is possibly the most powerful human act. Therefore, Ina May's work and activism is groundbreaking. It is indeed a counter-cultural and revolutionary feminist act to take one of our most sacred abilities as women out of the hands of the male dominated medical establishment. In 1977, Ina May published Spiritual Midwifery. In 1987, she published Babies, Breastfeeding, and Bonding. In 2002, Spiritual Midwifery was re-published. In 2003, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, and in 2005, Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding. By taking back the power of women's natural abilities to carry and labor children, Ina May is known for her abilities to draw on the power of women's bodies without the need for medical intervention. Her own techniques in assisting childbirth, especially The Gaskin Maneuver, also called all fours, a technique to reduce shoulder dystocia is not only used at The Farm, but is now used by the medical profession at large. Ina May has lectured extensively on midwifery, and continues to do so today. She has won numerous awards for her work, including an Honorary Doctorate from Thames Valley University in London, and was co-winner of the 2011 Right Livelihood Award. If you have never heard of Ina May Gaskin, you should definitely check her out. Her books are easy to read and understand, and are highly recommended by me. I honestly think any human being--both male and female-- should read her books before or while beginning a family. I am sure those books will change your life, just like they changed mine.
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DawnWomen's history geek, mom, lesbian, theologian, dreamer. Archives
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