Spiritual Midwifery

[free2be]

Anyone read this book? It is so inspiring.

Question though--were these mothers using lsd or marijuana. They talk about the contractions being psychadelic and getting high guring early labor. Just curious...

[hanno]

Originally Posted by free2be

Anyone read this book? It is so inspiring.

Question though--were these mothers using lsd or marijuana. They talk about the contractions being psychadelic and getting high guring early labor. Just curious...

I think it's just a different way of describing the feelings of labour/birth. I know I had a floaty surreal feeling during the whole process.

[DucetteMama21842]

Haven't read that one...

but I've read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and it was amazing!!! Totally love that book and it's pictures. Very empowering.

[Peacemamalove]

I think they mean a natural high not using drugs. You have to remember when it was written and the kind of language people used....

[bryonyvaughn]

There's a current thread on SM on the UC board. IME many women who've been through the managed labor and birth wringer find SM very freeing while those that have unhindered births are aghast at the MW-centric birth performances.

~BV

[hubris]

I also initially thought that the women were just using a different vernacular than we're used to, and this was their way of expressing how a natural birth was.

BUT I got curious about The Farm and ended up reading some articles about it, and found the Farmie blog, which is a really interesting first-person memoir of life in the Caravan and on The Farm. While it's only one man's perspective, it really helped to give me a little more context for Spiritual Midwifery. There was a lot of use of various herbal substances and I'm not entirely convinced that laboring women weren't using them. Not saying they were, just not convinced that they weren't.

I personally don't find Spiritual Midwifery to be a terribly useful book for my own birth preparation, but I do think it's a fascinating historical document. As bryonyvaughn pointed out, how women respond to SM seems based on our own beliefs and experiences - it's possible that I would have found it a more inspiring book from a birth-planning perspective if I had read it a few years ago.

[turtlewomyn]

I think there are a few references to women drinking in labor in that book (or IMG's other one, can't remember the title right now). They don't specifically say that they were using other substances. But, it was the 60's, they were hippies, and it could be possible that they were. Or, it could have just been the vernacular of the time.

I found that book to be inspring when I was pregnant with dd. But, after an unnecessary c-section I find any mention of interventions gives me the willies (wondering if they are necessary or not). Perhaps I am a UCer at heart (if only DH would be more supportive of that).

[aussiemum]

I loved Spiritual Midwifery! Read the stories over & over again when I was pregnant, & used some of the ideas/thoughts/inspirations during labour.

I think it's possible that some of the women did smoke cannabis during labour, but I highly doubt they used lsd. Other herbs may have been used, too, I dunno.