Birth Arts Doula Workshop in Maui, Hawaii

I am thrilled to be traveling to Hawaii next week to teach a Birth Arts International Doula Training in Kahului, Maui!

There are still a couple more spaces left in Birth Arts Doula Training on Maui for February 8th, 9th, and 10th. This is an intensive three-day workshop including optional doula certification distance-learning work.

This is a wonderful opportunity to study to be a holistic trained labor support companion, providing nurturing care and encouragement to mothers, babies, and families as a birth doula. On your off time, enjoy tropical Maui!

More info about Birth Arts Doula Training in Maui here: http://www.maiahealingarts.com/birth-arts-doula-maui/ 

More info about Birth Arts International here: http://www.birtharts.com/

For inquiries or to register contact Kara at kara@birtharts.com or 541-520-0681 

Dolphin Birthing Pods

After my time spent on the island of Maui recently, studying Sacred Birthing, I have been interested in learning more about the dolphins and their connection to birth. After watching many videos of dolphins giving birth online, I am struck with how quickly and strongly the dolphin mothers swim through the water as they birth their dolphin babies. The laboring dolphin fully undulates their spine while swimming in circles and spirals through the water.

This reminds me of human mothers who move restlessly during unmedicated labors, spiraling there hips and rocking their pelvises back and forth. Mothers are very rarely passive to lie down during birth unless strapped to machines and tubes, or numbed with pain medications. It is instinctual natural wisdom for the mother to move actively during labor, for in able to move the baby, the mother moves her body.

While the dolphin baby is born tail first, and human children are usually head first (vertex), both dolphin and human babies spiral out of the birth canal. This primal motion of birth, the spiral, connects both the human and dolphin mammals.  Dolphins are also one of the few other mammals in which a female companion is present as a midwife.

The dolphin midwife assists the infant dolphin in coming to the surface for its first breath soon after birth. The dolphin midwife also assists in creating the birth circle around the mother and infant with other dolphins who create a pod. This birth pod protects the mother and baby dolphin, as mother-baby bonding is pivitol to the survival of dolphin babies. The birth circle also greets the infant dolphin with sonar to stimulate it's full ignition of consciousness and neurological stimulation.  

Many people have done research into human's having dolphin-assisted waterbirths in the ocean, and one of the benefits that is known about is the dolphins use of sonar on the laboring woman and infant to create healthy, peaceful birth, with extremely aware and conscious babies. This connection between dolphins and humans is just beginning to be understood.

Unfortunately, dolphin infants have only a 50% survival rate. Dolphins are very succeptible to environmental pollution, human disruption in their environment, and domesticated dolphins have a harder time successfully breeding. I have mixed feelings about dolphins in captivity, however it is very rare to find live footage of the births of wild dolphins. The videos of dolphins in captivity do not show the extent of the birthing pods of midwives. However they show that domesticated dolphins will also seek out the nurturing and care of their trainers while in labor.

Here are a few videos of dolphins giving birth:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X8-aWCU0do

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USe7kG1UaoE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBIhu84bLdA

I believe we have much to learn from our dolphin relations about birth, bonding, and healing.  

Birth Arts Doula Workshops

Birth Arts International is a holistic doula training organization currently offering workshops in the US and Europe, as well as distance learning doula education globally. Birth Arts Doulas are holistically trained, in the art and science of assisting women in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. The birth doula program integrates evidence-based maternity care with the wisdom of traditional midwifery and women's healing arts.

Learn about optimal health for pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum, as well as the practical skills, techniques, and hands-on-care of being a labor support doula. Learn about updated research and practices in modern maternity care and midwifery. Practice bodywork, rebozo, and massage for labor support.

The workshops combine intensive experiential practice with a distance learning component and birth attendance for certification. Birth Arts Doula Trainings are comprehensive, extensive, inclusive, and empowering. Contact Kara Spencer for more information on upcoming trainings in the USA: kara@birtharts.com. Contact Demetria Clark for international trainings and distance learning: demetria@birtharts.com. www.birtharts.com

UPCOMING BIRTH ARTS WORKSHOPS:

2007 

October 19, 20, 21 - Birth Arts International Doula Training
Harbin Hot Springs & Retreat Center, Middletown, CA
Registration: kara@birtharts.com - 541-520-0681
http://www.maiahealingarts.com/harbin-hot-springs-ca-oct-07/

November 3, 4 - Birth Arts International Doula Training
New Paltz, NY
Registration: helena@birtharts.com - 802-235-1512

November 30, December 1, 2 - Birth Arts International Doula Training
Sacred Waters Birth Center, Eugene, OR
Registration: kara@birtharts.com - 541-520-0681
http://www.maiahealingarts.com/birth-arts-eugene-oregon/ 

2008 

January 25, 26, 27 - Birth Arts International Doula Training
Basel, Switzerland
Registration: demetria@birtharts.com
Phone: 41 (0)65081884 from Europe
Phone: 866-303-4372 from US and Canada

January 25, 26, 27 - Birth Arts International Doula Training
The Educated Mama, Sanford, FL
Registration: patricia@birtharts.com - 541-556-8415

February 8, 9, 10 - Birth Arts International Doula Training
Kihei, Maui, Hawaii
Registration: kara@birtharts.com - 541-520-0681

Upcoming Birth Arts Workshop in Northern California, near San Francisco, Bay Area, and Sacramento at Harbin Hot Springs. Now registering for workshops in California, Oregon, Hawaii, New York, Florida, and Switzerland. New trainings are being scheduled all the time. Distance learning students are now training as Birth Arts Doulas in South Africa, Europe, and North America.

Birth Arts Doula Education programs are open to all whom are interested in learning to be a labor assistant or birth doula. Birth Arts is open to women, men, health care professionals, students, and all whom show the motivation and passion to support and nurture women, babies, and families throughout the childbearing year.  

Traditional Mexican Midwifery: Angelina

Angelina is a Partera, a Midwife, who practices traditional homebirth midwifery in Mexico. I had the honor of attending Angelina's workshops at a Midwifery Today conference in 2005 and was profoundly inspired by her gift for midwifery. She is a warm and loving spirit with a wealth of information regarding midwifery, fertility, women's health, and natural healing remedies including herbs, massage, rebozo, moxibustion, cupping, nutrition, and more.

A three-part documentary of Angelina practicing midwifery and working with her clients through fertility, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum is available to watch for free online. I highly recommend this video as it shows you a rare glimpse into a highly skilled midwives practice and demonstrations of many traditional techniques that have been passed along by parteras for centuries. 

Part I: Angelina the Midwife 

Co-Creative Birthing

Co-Creative Birthing Consultations now available worldwide by phone! 

Conscious Pre-conception, Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum Mentoring with Kara Maia Spencer, LMT, CD, CBE 

Do you wish you had a doula or birthing mentor to talk about conscious conception, pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum topics with? Co-Creative Birthing Consultations assist you in discovering the light within yourself, your own innate power to give birth consciously to your baby and yourself. It's life coaching for empowering mamas.
 
Kara integrates her knowledge of mothering, childbirth arts, doula and midwifery care, energy medicine, women's healing arts, and traditional birthing practices into a unique co-creative healing experience for women to prepare for pregnancy, birth, and parenting physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
 
Feel empowered to birth your baby with the wisdom within your self! 
 
Individualized consultations assist you in clarifying what birth experience you want, and guide you through tools and practices to manifest the birth of your dreams. Learn skills to help you flow with the expected and unexpected joys and trials of childbirth and parenting. Use the law of attraction to create the optimal birthing experience for you, your baby, and your family. Learn to develop core awareness and tap into your innate potential to birth your own unique life.
 
The Co-Creative Birthing Consultations were developed over years of working with hundreds of women in the birthing year through bodywork, education, and doula care. Through extensive experience offering doula, childbirth education, and healing sessions for expecting and new parents Kara has developed a unique integrated practice providing holistic mentoring for women in all cycles of fertility and childbearing. Discover the wisdom of nature and spirit within yourself and your birth as you co-create the birth of your life!

For more information go to Maia Healing Arts: http://www.maiahealingarts.com/consultations/