Stages of Labour

After I made the first, cried and journaled, I could not stop myself and this is what came from my complusion to keep my hands moving on the paper. This time again I thought I had it right till I reflected on it. ... This so true of the doula work I do... I think it also shows my love for the water and all the water births and where they come fromJourney through Labour Landscape
This drawing is completely influenced by my experiences as a doula, however, I did not need to think this part. Even though each woman goes through a unique labour and birth experiences there are certain commonalities that resonate through each labour including my own.
She sails out on calm seas, excited and just a little anxious about her journey, and as the ocean floor drops from under her and seas get rough... the little boat is rocked. She finds herself in unknown territory.
Soon enough her little boat is tossed and ripped and she sinks deeper. She spins through the vortex of intense feelings - physical and emotional. The physical manifestation of this play of feelings is seen as progress or not. At some time she hits rock bottom and only then can she begin her journey upward.
While the picture could represent the woman working her way through her labour sinking deeper into her instinctive self, moving with her body and supported by her nature as a woman and hormones. It could be just the opposite. She could start with a just a small fear, which would grow with each contraction, further as times passes. She may reach a point where it paralyses her and she faces extreme physical pain and helplessness. Her labour could be stalling or she may be facing trauma for herself or the baby and that’s her point of hitting the rock bottom and then having faced the worse she comes back.
What came as a surprise is the part where it says keep going. I found that I drew this little energy symbol within her and as she moved in time and body, she also moves the energy within. Whether this energy uncoils in sync with her body or against it is the play of her feelings. Faith or fear? As she hits rock bottom, she lets go of all plans and ideal birth scenes and if she does tap into the other positive energies around her she can move beyond the mode and modality of how she gave birth and actually birth the baby.
It helps me understand how I connect with the women I support and how she can mirror my positivity but most of all despite all the information why I feel the helplessness and desperation when she isn’t able to work through her issues blocking her birth and my energy begins to move with her in the negative direction. It has given me a new sensitivity to why some births are mentally harder on me than others, irrespective of how the woman has given birth.