Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage by Rachel Reed

Author:Rachel Reed
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780645002515
Publisher: Word Witch

Presence

During labour, a woman is in a particularly vulnerable and open state, psychologically and physically. This is probably why women throughout herstory have sought the company of other women during this time. The term ‘presence’ is often used to describe the midwifery role of ‘being with’ women in labour. Women want their midwives to provide an unobtrusive attendance and an atmosphere of safety and calm.43 With presence, the midwife provides an ‘anchor’ in the external world so that the woman can surrender to her journey betwixt and between.44 Although midwifery presence is about ‘being’ rather than ‘doing’, it is not passive because it requires an intentional focusing of attention into the moment and onto the woman and birth environment. A midwife needs to enact mindful presence by remaining quietly attentive and drawing on her senses, intuition and intellect to observe the rhythm of the birth and the wellbeing of mother and baby.

To me, presence is being in the moment, standing in the liminal space with nothing existing in those moments outside of that woman and outside of that place. Mental, emotional and intuitive intelligence being focused in the moment on the mother, the baby and the birth space. Watching and being with.

— Kristy, student midwife45

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