Speaker 0
Into the wild, I'm going into the wild, I am. It's been a wild, freedom child since I left my roots back home. Into the wild I'm good. Into the wild I am. It's been a wild freedom child since I left my roots back home.
Speaker 1
Welcome to the Free Birth Society podcast. This is a radical space for women who are ready to celebrate their autonomous choices in birth, motherhood, and beyond. Together, we'll learn about wild birth through personal narrative, we'll explore the politics of birth, and we'll analyze everything that relates to our lives as women from a feminist perspective. Here's your host, Emilee Saldaya. It's
Speaker 0
been a wild freedom check since I've left my rules back home.
Speaker 2
Alright. Welcome, Siobhan. So happy to have you.
Speaker 3
Lovely to be here, Emilee.
Speaker 2
Yeah. I'm excited to hear your story, and I just want you to take your time and take us from the beginning and tell us about who you are in this big motherhood journey that you're on.
Speaker 3
It's interesting, you know, you that question, when did you decide to have a free birth? You know? I decided to have a free birth in my first pregnancy. And I read I was lucky. I moved into a house, and it was beside this other woman, and she had this library of all these enlightened, you know, the alternative literature that every young mother should find. And I read the Birth Keepers and, Laura Shanley's unassisted childbirth. And these two books were they had a profound impact on me, and I was like, this is it. I I just because the situation that I was in was, I was thirty six. It was my first pregnancy. We didn't have a home. We were kinda moving around, and I applied for the HSE home birth. So the health service executive in Ireland has a home birth scheme. Now it's it's very minimal, and the insurance requirements on these midwives are really strict. So they have to they had to they had to sign a memorandum to continue to operate, basically, all the community midwives. There's no community element in, Ireland in the training. So, essentially, all midwives in Ireland are just obstetric nurses. Technically, they're just obstetric nurses because the the community midwives, the ones that we have, the twenty who serve the entire country, are all trained in England mostly where they can actually get some experience. And then they go over there and come back, or a lot of them are English. Few few enough of them are actually Irish. And in this insurance, the new memorandum of understanding that they had to sign, which kind of really restricted them a few years it was two thousand and eight,
Speaker 4
so a good few years before I
Speaker 3
I it kinda became relevant to me. And I hadn't a clue about any of this, this, prior to my pregnancy, but I'm a I'm a researcher and a reader, and so I I really went into it when I did get pregnant. And I, one of those requirements those insurance requirements was that there would be two midwives attending every mother. Mhmm. So this kind of made it impossible. You think if there's twenty in the country. Right. So in Carrie, there was just one, and the other one had retired. But they said that they were gonna get another one And that she could come along any day now and we could recruit, you know. So I said, okay. I'll go through the rigmarole, and I'll I'll get my go in and get the scan. And, the I felt a little bit uncomfortable with the scan. I have to see. I was like, I couldn't find any research on it. I was already out of the medical paradigm. My mother had died, from renal cancer a few years previously, and that's when I went through the rabbit hole. I I researched what it was. I realized it was an industry, that it wasn't a health care model, that it was a a financial model. And this you know, the I realized that probably by roots, the surgery and removing her kidneys, they had removed her chance of survival, you know, and put her on as she was a full time renal dialysis patient for eight years and then died. You know? And that's pretty much once they remove your vital organs, that's all you're looking at. So I was already done with that. So when I, applied for the home birth, yeah, I satisfied all their all their criteria, because I was healthy and strong. I think vegetarianism was a bit of a black mark, but apart from that, I didn't have didn't have many others. And they were just kinda stringing me along, and and and they were saying, you know, we might get that midwife yet. You know? And I was so actually, it was so outrageous to me because, you know, being a young Irish woman, you don't really encounter discrimination. You know? You you just you're kinda floating around and and and everything's great. You know? And then you're you're in the system all of a sudden. When you become a mother, like, all of a sudden, you you start to really come up against it. And I I'm a performance artist. I made a one woman show actually at the time. I was like, I'm doing a show about this. This is outrageous and all the things that were, the the the comedy of it all, you know, where they tell you avoid soft cheese, but no one's telling you about the fluoride in the water and this sort of farcical situation that you find yourself in, you know, where, the doctor's, like, putting this scan on you that he has no idea what the you know, nobody could tell me what the long term effects were, if there was any malefects from ultrasounds. And yet they were all they were all telling me, you know, to cook my eggs, like, and, like, ensure that I had enough iron and you know? So, yeah, like, the contradictions and the facts were they inspired the show. So my advocacy started from the very beginning, I think. I just became an advocate as soon as I was pregnant of of maternity rights. And, when people ask me what way I was I realized that I they they weren't gonna get the midwife. And I was like, I'm not gonna get a midwife, and I don't wanna go in there. So I'll just do it at home alone. Not alone with my partner, Dheermit, who was totally with me, you know. And, we I got two friends, who hadn't much experience, but they were there to support me. And we got a pool, and we got a really nice house when I was eight months. And it was all sweet. Like, it was sweet. I had a lovely birth circle, and the friends came over and, you know, we did a heartbeat meditation. And, like, we were ready to go, like and, it was I just wasn't prepared for how long it was going to take. You know? I was thinking, like, we went I went into labor or what, you know, I now know to be pre labor, but, I mean, it felt pretty intense for our pre labor. And, did we send out the text messages to the family saying, you know, if she wants to get into labor, you can start praying now. And then it was, like, one day and then two day. It was it was, it it was forty eight hours. Two days maybe by the time I was losing energy. It was three days in total. I don't really know how to measure it. We kinda lost track of time. But it was definitely the third day, and, I I couldn't eat or I couldn't eat anything. I could drink. That was all. And I was losing energy. And, but my fee I wasn't losing faith, but what happened was the house started to fill up with concerned family members.
Speaker 4
Oh, no.
Speaker 3
Yeah. And they were just like and they were so they were good and support. You know? They were good, like but it was just and then my cousin came who's a doctor, you know, and he was being really he was being really good too. He was like you know, he was he was prepared to deliver the baby if he needed to, you know, but he did check the heart rate. He said it's a bit low. I'm a bit concerned. And then everyone was a bit concerned, and then there was this vibe of concern. And, you know, it just I was like, okay. There's, like, we'll just go in and we'll get checked out, and then we'll and then we'll come away home, and it'll be grand. And we went in at three o'clock in the morning. And she goes, once you get in there, I had no idea the place is like the blessed prison. I had no idea. I mean, you're you're going in security doors, like, you know, and there's bars on the window. And I'm like, oh, shit. Like, I knew as soon as we get in there, like, they were they were treating me also because I hadn't gone in for the I kinda dropped out of off their radar. I hadn't gone in for the last few scans. And, it was the belly of the beast. I swear the hostility we encountered because I was saying no to the fecal monitor, and I was saying no. And they were like, did you plan to have this child at home on your own? You know what I mean? And, like and I was, so they kinda it was really, oppositionary from the start. It was a beautiful midwife there at one point, and she was pregnant herself. And she was like, give me your oils and your you know, I brought in me a few oils and Christa's. And I was like, oh my god. Maybe we can, like, you know you know, it could be okay and, like and then once she left and the the shift changed, the next woman came on was in Irish means, like, hate. It was funny. You know how things are just the symbols become glaring when you're in that state. That's so much to say, Emilee. You're like, I'm like, hey. I'm through it. Basically, because I, turned down the antibiotics because the membranes had ruptured
Speaker 4
Mhmm.
Speaker 3
More than eighteen hours previous. Now eighteen hours is all you get in an Irish hospital. I mean, it was and I could even hear her say, I thought it was twenty four hours. She was saying to the mother midwife, I thought it was twenty four hours. She said, it was, but we changed it to eighteen. Now because this is eighteen now. And I looked it up later, and I've since lost the reference because they've I don't know. It's come off the Internet. I looked it up later, and I was finding seventy two hours was allowed in a lot of French hospitals before routine administration of antibiotics.
Speaker 2
Completely arbitrary. It's Yeah. It's not like a real anything. It's
Speaker 3
No.
Speaker 2
The very fact that there's complete change from hospital to hospital, even in one county sometimes, is it would almost be funny if it wasn't so offensive.
Speaker 3
Yeah. That's it. It would almost be funny if it wasn't so offensive. Exactly. Yeah. And, so this eighteenth and I'm looking at the clock, and they're looking at the clock because they wanted to give me antibiotics. And I said, no. No. No. I'm not taking any of that. I don't wanna eat my baby to have any of that, like, you know. And they and they I said, there's no concern. Like, is it there's a risk of sepsis because I was shivering. You know? That was my bioindicator of sepsis, like, because I was shivering. And, it was like I think just the hostility. I can remember the hostility. This is an emergency delivery. The the coaching, the the derogatory, like, the derogatory comments. Like, I'm not leaving my midwives to the wolves, the total cow. Like, I mean and, and I was in I wasn't like I am now. I wasn't, you know, a search of performance artist. I was, like, totally vulnerable, weeping, kinda going, Jesus, let me out of this place. Like and and, endearment was like my warrior. You know? And I was thinking, thank Christ. Imagine if you hadn't that. And and I think that offended them even more because everything about us seemed to offend them. And, why did you come here if you didn't want intervention? Why did you come here if you didn't want our help?
Speaker 2
Right.
Speaker 3
I was like, oh, well, I just I thought I could get checked out and leave, actually. You know? Like, I didn't really. So, the child was born, and, they got the card immediately because it was an emergency delivery. So it was all it was treated like emergency. The room filled up with people. Eleven dear, it was eleven people came into the room. Like, I don't know. It was eleven people. It was at eleven o'clock, so I think he got confused. But, anyway, the room was full of pediatricians trying to drag the baby. Of course, I had the love gaze. Isna opened his eyes immediately, like, not like the others. He opened his eyes immediately and they locked. To my and we were just locked in this loving gaze like, and the oxytocin and it was just this extraordinary moment. And it was really such a pantomime because it was like a it was a shit show. There was so much happening in the room and we were like in the middle of it. And Diarmuid is like, leave her alone. Lift a bond. Lift a bond. We have to clean the. And, Jeremy, be reasonable. Be reasonable. Stop him. And and, like, and I I said, leave me bond with leave me bond, and I wouldn't let them. Give me the baby. You're not taking the baby. Give me the baby. And so twenty minute it just I kept the baby. And I think we got her twenty she goes, it's been twenty minutes is what she said. And I was like, oh. And then I let them take the baby, and I said, Diarmuid, stay with him. And Diarmuid went and, he told me afterwards, all they did was fucking cleaning. Mhmm. They didn't do it. They went to clean the big emer an emergency cleaning life. You know?
Speaker 2
Well, if if he hadn't have been hawk eyes on that baby, who knows what other stuff they could have done? I mean, lots of times, they do injections and they, you know, the they they will there's plenty of things available. But with him being Hawkeye's protector, that might have you get what I'm saying.
Speaker 3
I get what you're saying.
Speaker 2
Oh, maybe it's
Speaker 3
just too bad. Christ, Emilee, if we were any bit less on the ball. I mean and we weren't on I mean, as in not on the ball, but, like, assertive. You know? Like, we went in kind of ready. You know? Like, we went in and I think of all the women who you know? And I had done all that reading, you know, all that alternative reading, like, you know, like, being armed with Laura Shandy's book is something else. Like, I mean, it details the domino effects of intervention. You know? So I had to know a lot.
Speaker 2
You went because you were worried?
Speaker 3
I was worried. The fear, the doubt got into me. It was three days. You know? May may there was the heart rate might be low. You might lose power. We can go in and get checked out and come away. I went in thinking we can go in and get checked out and come away. Oh, you're not oh, you're not going anywhere now. You're eight centimeters. Oh, no. No. No. No. No. No. You can't leave. But, I mean, I probably could have, but the door was locked, like and I did check out the window. You know? Wait.
Speaker 2
What do you mean
Speaker 3
the door was locked? I mean, they they locked the door. So when you go into the not my door, but the to get in onto the ward, to get onto the delivery ward, you can only open it from behind. I mean, this is like, I didn't check the door, but I know they're getting in. They had to buzz us in.
Speaker 2
Yeah. You can get out. You just yeah. You could get out. You can't get in. You could have gotten out, but they can speak. Definitely. Yeah. It's not actual prison. It's an it's a illusion of a prison that we all participate in. You know, it's like the, you know that that that story of the elephant, the the tiny elephant who's tied to the little peg, and then when he's big, he's still tied to the little peg, and he could totally tear it out of the ground, but he's been so conditioned that it keeps him where he is. He will never do you get do do you know that story? No. Okay. It's it's like a it's like a, yeah, like a children's story, but it's, and it's the same thing with the hospital that, of course, you could literally leave, but the the spell that is cast, you know, from our deep conditioning, from the white coat, you know, sin syndrome, from all everything, from the whole thing we're, you know, we're born into, even though you could literally leave, it's basically meaningless because you won't. Mhmm. Mhmm. And by you, I mean I mean everyone.
Speaker 3
I know. I know. And I tell you, if I like, you know, it progresses then you go beyond moving then. You know, the the the the thought of the thought of getting into the car or you're just you're just in it as well. You know, all of this is happening, but it's also happening on the surface. And underneath, there's something else going on. You
Speaker 2
know? Exactly.
Speaker 3
And so you tell the story, but it's like it's still a story of what's happening on the surface.
Speaker 2
Matric Rising Festival, our annual summer solstice women's gathering, is here on my gorgeous land in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and it is the place to connect with me and the free birthing women and sovereign midwives of this epic birth liberation movement. I teach classes and host an intimate meet and greet the very first night of the festival, and you will even catch me DJing. Yes. I am matriarch one. You'll get to meet all of our Freebird Society luminaries, our wise women teachers, who you know from your favorite FBS courses. You'll meet the very women I interview on this podcast. This is the place for wild women and moms to meet up, connect, and forge friendships that can last a lifetime. It's truly the climax of everything we do, and MRF is so close to my heart. We're scaling back MRF twenty five to be the most intimate yet, capping it at only a hundred and fifty tickets because this year, I wanna go deep. I just love the experience of getting to know each and every one of you by the end of the festival. For a long time, I held the vision of creating a women's gathering where true sisterhood could be woven, and matriarch rising is the manifestation of my dreams. I'm so glad I get to share it with all of you, and I want you there this year. Come learn directly from me and surround yourself with powerful women from all ages, all walks of life, and from all over the world. Make sure you sign up for our mailing list so that you can be the first to know when we roll out all of our insider insights of this summer's festival. I'll see you soon. I think a lot of us are up for free birth until period. And and, I mean, for me, I've only had two babies this way, you know, but but the first birth, I wasn't prepared. I had a three day birth, and I was not prepared for that. And I made up that that must mean something is wrong, even though in my sane mind, I know that's not true about birth, but I made it up. But what you're saying underneath it, it's because I didn't really understand self responsibility yet. And so I still had tentacles into the system, and I still had tentacles, you know, outsourcing into away from me. You know? And that's not bad. That's not wrong. It's the younger versions of ourselves, and there's so much here for our for our learning. You know, I I I do so many sessions with women who have they try to free birth and then they don't and they go to the hospital and then they beat themselves up about it. And I just think there's so much underneath that to learn about who we are and where we are and and our actual commitments and desires, but it's only in facing this stuff that we can mature and that we can choose something different someday.
Speaker 3
Yeah. And the education of going in there as well. Sure. You know, that's I mean, that created my advocacy. Mhmm. You know? So from that perspective, I can see the perfection of it. Mhmm. But, yeah, I think the three day labor, being prepared for that would be a big thing for a first time mother to learn about. You know? I don't know why I wasn't, but I just didn't expect it to take that long.
Speaker 2
Well, in this but in the system, births aren't allowed to take that long unless they're inductions. And so we do not we do not have stories in our collective of long births because they don't exist in the system. Right? And so, you you know, every now and then you might hear of a home birth story like that with kind of a lucky scenario, but that was a big part of my realizing of pathologizing my long birth was, oh, I didn't have a reference point for how normal it was because I'm in a society where this isn't allowed. Oh, okay. I can find forgiveness and and curiosity and softness for the part of me that just didn't know yet.
Speaker 3
Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. And, also in the the things that come up, you know, the vitamin k and the, the blood sugar levels being low. So blood sugar levels are low. He hasn't had colostrum. There must be sepsis. He's a little bit blue. He's blue because they cut the cord. Obviously, we have hurt a third of his blood in there. You know? We want to take his blood before he gets colostrum. And so we'll just pacify him with a shot of glucose, which is sugar, refined sugar. So refined sugar being the child's first food rather than colostrum because they wouldn't wait for me to give him the colostrum. You know? And here's me having read, oh, like, The Case Against Sugar by Gary Taubes and Michel Oden's microbiome. And you know what I mean? The more you know, like, the more you're horrified. And, of course, I was like I was even campaigning on EMFs at the time, you know, and I'm surrounded by them inside in this hospital room, like and you know, how that is disturbing to the child's bioelectric field and, you know, it's it's it's, it's the least optimum environment. You know? And a lot of mothers, when they first go in there, they don't know that it is. But I knew, and I think it's it's good, this catalog of things as well, and it was it made me very effective as an advocate afterwards, you know, the the things that I had to go through. They called, TUSLA, which is social services, because I refused antibiotics for him. They called the guard. They said they would call the guards if I if I continue to refuse. They, they said they would get a court order, but it was Sunday. And they would have to wait till the Monday, so they'd have to keep me for the Sunday. Because when you are a state of home birth, you're not and you have a natural delivery in hospital, then it's hospital policy to let you out prior to the three days. You know? Some others want to stay the three days, and they kick them out. But for me, they were keeping me in for observation. They said for three days because the blood and sugar the salt and sugar levels were low. This is a very common thing. Salt and sugar levels are low. Now I hadn't eaten for three days. I said my salt and sugar levels are low. You've got to get the feeds up. You've got to get the feeds up. There was this pressure in these three days. Get the feeds up so you can get his salt and sugar less. Otherwise, we have to give him formula. I said, you're not giving him formula. So that's because this formula has whatever they need to sign off on the tests, like, you know, and whatever else is in the formula. Mhmm. They want to give the baby a bath. They're using Johnson's and Johnson's. It has this, like, fucking trichlizen in it. Like and I I'm like, what are you doing? You know? No. You're not and will I take the baby? Oh, you're sleeping with the baby? That's a bit dangerous. I'm sleeping with the baby. You know? Daddy has to go. Daddy's not going anywhere. You know? Like, it's just it's at every turn. You're not you're not getting the heel prick because the heel prick, they they take the bloods and they have a delta bank for twenty years, and I don't see any point for these very rare diseases. And because I know a little bit about surveillance capitalism, you know what I mean? So this it's a litany. It's a litany, isn't it? I mean, I'm going through these things quickly because I'm assuming that, you know, we're sort of of a certain mindset. You know? When we opt for home birth, we've gone through, like, a certain gambit of information and processed and integrated the world that we live in. Like and these are but these are very these are these are very crucial things. Like, you can list them. These are very crucial things to know. You know, and what you can only do navigating them in a in your using your diplomacy or sometimes you're trying to comply, you're trying to appear complicit, or you're going assertive, you know, all different tactics because it's it's literally constant, like, refusing the fetal monitor. They asked me about fifty times, would I not take it? You know, I I'm sorry. I'm alright with that. I'm refusing syncytosin. I had to sign a waiver that I'm risking postpartum hemorrhage and death by refusing zenithosin. I'm like, Grant, I'll sign it. No bother. I'll sign whatever you want. Just leave me alone. Like and I signed it, and they continued continued to push zenithosin every blessed hour. You know? So it's just like it's like relentless drug pushing, relentless machine pushing, and relentless nappy checking, undermining, disempowering. Would you not eat that? I'm sorry. I don't eat chicken. I'm sorry. I don't eat, like, that shit. And, you know, and I'm trying to get my salt and sugar levels up and, you know, and they're, like, have a tuk tuk. And this is this is the breastfeeding fridge, and it's full of Dairylea cheese. And thank you, brother. But anyway, listen, that's Isha's birth. So that was Isha's birth. So I came out and I was totally annoyedly, cross, and,
Speaker 4
you know,
Speaker 3
outraged. And This
Speaker 2
this is obstetrics, ladies and gentlemen. You know, what really chops my ass is the rhetoric that's out there right now that if you just know your rights and if you just know how to advocate, nothing without your consent will happen. I fucking hate that. It is such a lie. It is such a myth. And so these women believe that because the rest of their, exposure to adulthood does operate that way. Right? Like, in most of the world, in most of society. Yeah.
Speaker 3
You do. In most areas, you will not be able to assert yourself.
Speaker 2
You have right. You have no clue that when you're going in, you will be treated like a little shitty kid that everyone hates.
Speaker 3
Yeah. I mean, it is desperate. I have never been treated with such contempt in my whole life. Of course not. In my whole life, you know? It was totally outrageous, like. And and to do that to the very you know, to the woman you should be serving hand and foot like, you know.
Speaker 2
I mean, yeah. Wrong wrong place for that, but
Speaker 3
Wrong place for that. Yeah. And it's enculturated in there. And, you know, and there are midwives who are you know, they're trying to be very nice, you know, and and they you know, because there's a course, there's humanity in them, like but really, really, there's nothing they can do. Like, there's nothing they can do, like, because there's
Speaker 2
Well, they and they choose that job. It's not like they're victims. Like, they choose to go work at the torture factory, you know, and maybe they feel like they're little angels in the dark evil system because they're they bring a little more humanitarianism to their patients, but they're doing fundal abuse. They're they're drug pushers. They're taking babies away. They just might be doing it in a bit kinder way.
Speaker 3
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2
Anyway Yeah. So that puts a fire under your ass.
Speaker 3
It put a fire under my ass. I I sent in a complaint. Took me a year to write the complaint. It was very thorough. I had a a list of recommendations of things that they should change and and how I was treated. They said they bring me into a mediation process with the obstetrician. I couldn't wait to look her in the eye. They never did it. And it but they got a written response from her. They sent me a so a year year tried to complain. They sent another year. I I did an FOI to get my file, which was that. I couldn't bear to read it by the time I got it anyway. I was already over it. Like, mother is coping. I was like, ugh. And, you know, they eventually responded to the complaint, said that they had done everything by the book and that there there was no fault anywhere.
Speaker 2
And But, Siobhan, they did.
Speaker 3
They did. That's exactly right.
Speaker 2
That is the book. You can't complain to the people who made the book. Like, they did exactly what
Speaker 3
Well, the thing is is they say to you when you go to your first appointment, we do skin to skin. We allow thirty minutes skin to skin with motherhood.
Speaker 2
We do They lie.
Speaker 3
We do we we we we wait for the umbilical cord. We wait three minutes for the umbilical cord to stop pointing. Like, what they said that all of those things were voided because it was an emergency delivery. Of course. Of course. Of course.
Speaker 4
Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of
Speaker 3
course. Of course. Of
Speaker 2
course. Of course.
Speaker 3
Of course. Of course. Of
Speaker 2
the, you know, the authority card and because they know they know how to keep your baby alive, they know how to decide what baby needs, not you, just like the stupid woman who grew the baby, right, and who's then going to mother the baby the rest of their life. That's totally irrelevant within the walls of the hospital. And so they get to justify actual intentional line. It's they they are never actually going, you know, this whole, baby friendly concept. It's just a con, and it's so obviously a con always. You know, there's these hospitals around the around the world that say that they do water birth, and so these women go, and they pay, and they pay for the extra water suite, and all of this stuff. Oh, but they forgot to mention that once your waters are open, you can't be in the water. Oh, I'm so sorry, honey. Better luck next time. It's just they're con artists, and it's completely legal. You know?
Speaker 3
Completely legal.
Speaker 2
It's amazing.
Speaker 3
Yeah. Yeah. So by the time birth number two came pregnancy number two. I mean, I, it was locked down, and nobody was going anywhere. And I certainly wasn't going into a hospital, and I wasn't going to bother with the HSE community midwife service even you know, they had found another midwife at that time, but, I wasn't gonna go through the rigmarole. And I I mean, still, ideally, I would have liked a midwife, you know, somebody there who you know, to support me. That was still my ideal. But, yes, I didn't I just had no time for anything like that. So at off grade pregnancy, you know, and it was all healthy. It was all it was all good. But, at the on the thirty, it's actually this is where you come into the story, because my step and dear man did the free birth course then. We read that, and we just felt like, okay. Yeah. We're we're in. Like, you know? We are made here. Like, you know, it was really it's it's great. It's great. It's brilliant. You're great. And, it was so empowering for us as well and, as well as because it's so, like, this it's it's not soft at all. It's so hard. You know? It's, like, it's it's very hard and it's good. It needs to be hard. And we, I woke on it was about the thirty sixth week, and, I just woke in a pool of blood, and it was bleeding, bleeding, bleeding, like and I was just like, oh, Jesus. I thought I was having a miscarriage. And I was like, I I didn't wanna call. You know? I'd I called I had there was a great woman, Faye Leggett, and I called Faye, and, she's a free birth. She had her own free births. And she she was like, it could be okay. You know? It's like, don't worry. Just sit tight and just stay steady. And she gave me advice on the phone, you know, because I just didn't wanna go in there. And, dear, I was like, I think we should go in, and I I was like, just just Google it maybe. Google it. Let's see what comes up. That was the first thing we did, and it all says, you know, all you can find on Internet is, like, miscarriage. You know, if it's a if it's a thirty six week bleed, it's miscarriage. But, like, I didn't feel I was, like, tuning in. She's like, tune in to the baby now. Tune in to the baby and see. And I was like, it's not a miscarriage. It's not a miscarriage. I'm tuning in. But you're there, like, battling with your fears, this wave of fear. And because the last birth, it was like I felt like I if I'd had just kept the faith you know? If I had just kept the faith, I woulda had my free birth at home. I woulda had my child at home and avoided all that trauma. Like so I'm like, I'm not, you know, I'm not losing the faith this time. I'm staying pushed. And and so I the bleeding stopped, and, face had just rest. So I was literally I was almost afraid. I just stayed in bed for the next couple of days, and then I got up and about a little bit. And then after a week, I had another I same thing. I woke just bleeding, and it was kind of gushy. You know? So I got a bit of a fight, and I was like, okay. And I just I told him that if I had another bleed, I'd go in. You know? That was kind of because for him as well, he's not in my body. You know? Like, he he's kind of like I and and he's just gotta, like, trust me fully, and that's hard. So you kinda come to a compromise too where you say, okay. If there's another bleed, I'll go. You know? And, and, yeah, so I went in, and they said it's a placenta previa. And, even, like, I said, okay. What does that mean? And, you know, and she's and, of course, they were the raised eyebrows. Oh, you haven't had any scam. We haven't seen you. We haven't you know, this is your first visit. Oh, but should they knew me probably from the files that they had on me. You know? And, the first thing, your baby could die, Siobhan. You need to take this very seriously. The first thing that you know, she said, like, your baby could die. And that's what they were saying to me. It's like, your baby could die. Do you realize your baby could die? Your baby could die. You know? They're so quick to say that, like, to an expectant mother. And, you know, did I say, how dare you speak to me like that? No. I didn't. I burst into tears. Because the vulnerability of your life. You know? That's what caused me. Like, my usual, you know, activist self, like, just gets shelved because I'm all hormone and, like, you know? And then I just wanna kill them afterwards, like, for but your baby could die. You need a c section. You need to schedule a c section immediately. I said, no. You're not doing that. I'm going home. So I went home. I told, and I wrote to Yolanda. It's right. Because that you were all we had anyway, like, because we were we didn't go anywhere. And Yolanda said, get the pictures. Peer plates are now she found found the time. She responded straight away, and she sent me a decent email. And she said, get the the pictures from the ultrasound, and let's see what kind of grade what kind of grade is it. So I called him. I said, what grade is it? And they said, oh, we don't grade it anymore. So they wouldn't give me that information. They said, we don't grade it. It's just serious or not serious, and yours is serious. Something like that. So there was no and the doctor I I I said, is there a possibility that the it can move? You know, because your lens it can move. You know? You can it it can move right up until the end. And, and, she they said, yes. There's a possibility it can move. I said, fine. Then I'm waiting. You know, I'm not going in. And I waited, and I went into labor then on the third of January. And it was just such a beautiful ecstatic feeling. And even I dare we build in a birth lodge out the front. It was freezing cold in January, like but I was so in, like, Christmas miracle mode. I I was like, I was like, we have our miracle. This baby will be born at home. And even Yolanda said, well, this would be the point two percent of cases where you do need to go to a hospital. Like, you know, she's like, look, if the baby can't get out, if it's serious, you'll have to go in. Like and I was like, well, I was like, if Orlando Clark, maybe I have to go in. But I was still praying for a mirror like, I was still praying that it wouldn't be necessary. You know? And it was important to me for the labor to start and for this child to choose their own time to her. The idea of induction and scheduling and electives, and I was like, I'm not doing that anyway. And so I started, and I was surging away at us, and beautiful ecstatic, like and it was one of these moments. Like, oh god. She's coming. She's coming. And I knew in that moment, she was a girl. And and and then it was kind of the surge just kinda changed. The quality of the surge has changed, and it was like and there was kinda then this kind of it was like a pounding on the perineum. You know? And I was, oh, that's a bit different now. You know? That's maybe and I had the thought she can't get out. And just that thought, you know, whether the thought was true or not like it was enough. And I said, June, we'd be able to go in. And so we made a bed, and it was a beautiful full moon of frosting. I gotta remember it in the back of the van, and I was like a samurai because the contractions were or the surges were already on top of one another. It's four o'clock in the morning. I went into the hospital. Shouldn't or the obstetrician will be in it at ten AM. I was like, right. So all my Vipassana's, like, came into play there in that moment, like, you know, and I was just observe the sensation observing and not moving. You know? Because if I moved at all, you know, I was in it. Like, and and and so I was stuck still. But I was able to be I was able to be samurai, and I was able to be in the vortex in there. And I went in, and they did the first ever like, it was it was quite a beautiful experience. You wouldn't believe it. Like, you know, I was somehow protected in it. Now it was grown in it. It was it was it was the hospital, like, you know, but they stayed away from me. Nobody came near me, like and I went in and I I said, I would like the vaginal swab. Well, we don't do vaginal swab. We've never done that. And I said fine. And I just got all the the tissue and got the and gave Dearman. Dearman had pockets full of tissue with vaginal nukes. I said fine, Dearman. We'll do it. You know? Because that's and, then you I don't need the screen. That's fine. And the woman who came out to me, she her name and it was the anniversary of my mother's death. The very hour my mother died, my daughter was born. Oh. And do you know what? My mother's name was Joan. And the first woman I saw when I went in, she I went in, my theater support. Hello. Joan. She was talking in Irish for the start, and she said, I'll be your support. My name is Joan. And it was just like and he and then and doctor Hughes, as he delivered the child, and she was blessed golden coming out. So it was a a golden sheen offer. Handed her to me. She latched. Oh, we'll have to take the child away in recovery, they'd said previously. I said, I would try you won't be doing that. They didn't even try to do that. Doctor Hughes said, oh, let's do the vaginal swab. Why not? He did the vaginal swab. You know? It was just like everybody was on my side. It was quite extraordinary. It was quite extraordinary that and they didn't touch her and they didn't move her for the three days when we were in there. Nobody came near her. I co slept. Nobody tried to check her nappy or check her anything. You know? They just left me alone because I was the patient, and they would all fuss about me. And are you okay? And, oh god, are you alright? And they were pissed off. Whereas, previously, Isha had been the patient, and they were put this is our patient. We have a responsibility to give our patient antibiotics. You're a healthy mama. You've had spontaneous vaginal delivery, but now you're a patient.
Speaker 2
You also you know, like, you you went in for them to do the thing they like to do.
Speaker 3
Exactly. Exactly.
Speaker 2
You were essentially compliant.
Speaker 3
Exactly. Exactly. And that
Speaker 2
was Right. Like and and I can think back to all the births I've attended in the hospital. And when the moms come in to get the surgery, it goes a lot better.
Speaker 3
Oh, yeah.
Speaker 2
That's where it's more.
Speaker 3
I was exactly. I was there to get what they. That's what they're trained to do. It was like you know? And, I mean, they were thrilled because it was probably the first essential c section they've done in a very long time. You know what you mean? They actually did need to intervene. Like, I mean, how many and it's a thirty percent rate average in most Irish hospitals now. Thirty percent. One in three mothers. Like, it's nearly one in two of first time mothers. It's outrageous. Like, you know? So with it was a yeah. You're right. That's it. Exactly. I went in to do the thing that they're trained to do. I was I was that two percent that that the whole blessed system is there to to serve. You know?
Speaker 2
So I would be curious to have seen on the ultrasound at the time of the birth process where the placenta was.
Speaker 3
Yeah. Yeah. I'd be curious. Before, I said, I'm not going in with another one last ultrasound. And, to see if I was still kinda holding it out till the very end, like and they said they couldn't see that the head was too far down, the last ultrasound. I can't see I just can't see a thing. I can't see a thing. So because they couldn't they couldn't see. They couldn't make out whether the
Speaker 2
Well or they were not telling the truth.
Speaker 3
The placenta was blocking. Maybe.
Speaker 4
Or they
Speaker 3
were not telling yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I don't know. At the time, I thought maybe there was no choice. And now, you know, you would think you would think afterwards, was there I do think there was a possibility I could have birthed her vaginally, actually. I thought that later. But at the time, I didn't. And because I didn't, I didn't I was okay with it.
Speaker 2
Totally.
Speaker 3
Because I wasn't losing my agency.
Speaker 4
Mhmm.
Speaker 3
I was making my I was choosing, and that was the key I was choosing. So that was Erlou. And then so so that was the three years between Erlou and Isha. The third birth was at this stage, I'm forty two, and I'm now a VBAC because I've had a c section. A VBAC. So a vaginal birth after c section is, excluded from any home birth.
Speaker 4
Mhmm. And,
Speaker 3
Yeah.
Speaker 2
You're really striking out with these shitty midwives.
Speaker 3
Because now I've moved out of Cary, and I actually do have access to a midwife. But I'm too old as well.
Speaker 2
Oh, for sure. No. You're it's not gonna happen.
Speaker 3
I have two there's two two red marks there. So anyway, I didn't give a shit. It. Definitely having a free bird. And it was funny, like, the progress. You know, the first time they were like, have you got a midwife? You're like, yeah. I'm not a midwife. Yeah. Oh, yeah. She's great. Yeah. And you're just kinda you're kinda lying your way through it. Like and and then it was, have you got a midwife? No. I haven't made right. No. I don't either. I'm burping at home alone. I'm having an ecstatic birth. You know? And this, you know, like, of course, I've I've stayed in touch with all I'm in the movement now. Like, I'm in the I'm in the movement, like, the free birth movement. I'm part of the community now. You know? So, like, I've heard the beautiful stories, like, of the ecstatic birth and that birth is the climax of six. And I I believe that's like, oh my goodness. Is that it? Like, it's me and Dilma, you know, we're gonna have our, our intimate our greatest intimacy, like, finally. And, we found a house. We we all seem to be homeless. I think we can't.
Speaker 4
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's a common story, actually. You know, the whole, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were onto something there, I think. But, the I suppose this the the child coming wants to move to the place it wants to come in. And we found a place, and there was a a rookery and two horses, and it was so kept and held. And I was like, this is it. And the circle is the circle is here. Like, you could feel the the the heldness of this little space that we found, you know, this little place. And, and I had a baby shower and didn't do one of the women come. Baby shower blessings, I call it, not a shower of gifts, shower blessings. And, one of the women that came does the family constellations. And after the baby shower, she did a family constellation and cleared the birth trauma out of the maternal line. You know, for the baby blessing, like and all very spontaneously happened. So the signs and, were were very good. And I, there's a few now. What's changed here in Ireland basically is that now there's a few birthkeepers knocking around. So from this from the six years since I had Ishmael, there's now an ecosystem forming. And, like, I was scrounging around for somebody to call when when I was pregnant with Ishmael. But now I've got three phone numbers of women who have experience, who can attend me, and who are, you know, outside of the system completely, who are who are who are of the same paradigm. You know? So fairly sorted. Like, it's great. You know? It's it's it's great to have that. I still didn't want them there. I still wanted to do it on my own, but to have them on the phone was was really something. And, touring it was all oh my god.
Speaker 2
It was
Speaker 3
all ecstatic. My orgasmic oxytocic trick, unplugged took a twist, and all of heaven broke loose in amniotic juice. I wrote a poem. Became a wild ride of determined grist.
Speaker 2
And Wait. You wrote a poem about this?
Speaker 4
Yes.
Speaker 2
Do you have it memorized?
Speaker 3
I think I do.
Speaker 2
Oh, please perform it.
Speaker 3
I just said it as Sheila I speak. Sheila na gig. Have you ever heard of Sheila na gig? She's like this open vulva, and she's ancient, and she's carved in stone all over Ireland. And she's from the pagan times. And she's just basically like this carving where she's just, like, sitting there like, I gotta she's just like do you know what I mean?
Speaker 4
Mhmm.
Speaker 3
They can't see it like they're standing in the chair, but it's just like anyway, this is the the Sheila and the gig. She's very famous here. Like, this is what happened because I went into at twelve o'clock, it unplugged. You know? The the the it unplugged. And I was actually listening to Pia at the time, our mutual, and I was like, oh, to the well of the old ones. You will find it's not. It's doing it. I thought it was a most beautiful thing like, I'm a
Speaker 4
Oh,
Speaker 3
you're And I be I be like, Boane in my mac and marathon, and I was harsh that I was cow, and I was really so far gone. And, like, this, it became at about midnight, it became extremely intense, and this was not some place I'd gone to previously. This was active labor. I what I'd had before was something else. I had the oxytocin drip plug, and it was I went into push mode. Right? And it was like and that shocker just, you know, because when I had it was I just had a little bit of shit every time I pushed. So it was like and this went on for seven hours in push. Like, I couldn't I couldn't get it sit down. I couldn't I was just with this sort of bailing. And David was trying to hold the perimeter, like, but he just you know, she was just there. Like and, I, yeah, it it it was I I faced myself. You know? I faced my my doubt and my fear in the seven journeys. I went into this initiative experience, like, that was, I had been waiting for for seven years, Emilee. It was it. It it was it was it was it was it was what I knew was coming. Like, you just you face yourself, you know, it's doubt and faith and fear. It's like it's it's just, oh my god. Am I is it will it ever will he ever come out? Like, will I have to go in? Will I is it gonna happen? Am I stuck? Is you in the wrong place? You know? And all the narrative, like or the oh, I mean, instead, you're going into the I am I am the ocean. Like, you know, I am have to this is what I'm gonna do. Just gonna wait. On the dark night of the hole of profound peristalsis, earth cracking, butt racking, soul unpacking from hole. This orgasmic oxytocic trip of meditative bliss unplugged took a twist, and all of heaven broke loose in amniotic juice became a wild ride of determined greased. This meditative bliss. And I bathed like Boanne in my mack a marathon, and I was horse and I was cow and I was well and truly gone, and the waves bore down on me. And some of them I rode, while others wiped me out. And this shitstorm seemed relentless, so soon I lost all count. And I got stuck in a place between life and death, the edge of the unknown, and no place was set. And then I was the ocean. I was the swimmer and the wave, and only doubt could drown me, and only faith could save. It was the part and posture sitting on the bowl, the precise geometry to birth the waiting soul. And on the new moon of the worm under the elder tree on Sunday morning after Saturday night on a toilet seat and a tree stump on a wing and a prayer of the ling and the prayer, on the day of the mother into the hands of the father, he was born. The second son, the battle won, the kingdom come. Aw. Thank you. He finally came out on the toilet, you know. And that's what Sheila was telling me. She was saying she you know, like, this Sheila Nagy, like, I realized what all this this ancient carving that's all over Ireland. It's all over these ancient you know, it's a birth things. It's a it's a birthing goddess.
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Speaker 3
You know, it's not really about the sex. And that posture, that particular posture sitting on the bowl, you know, and this thing that we don't talk about, like like, of of you don't get to see your shit in the hospital. You don't get to see your blood. You don't get to you know, they clean that all up. But there was blood everywhere and, like, this little this tree stump, that's what we used to Eru has to get up on the toilet. We had a tree stump so she could reach the toilet. You know? So, actually, he was born on on the toilet, but, like, all his blood went on this tree stump. And it was all it was very, like it need a huge head, and that's probably why it took so long. You know? But, like, the this this journey this journey that we are deprived of. You know? You you might get to go through a period. You get you get to go through, but this journey where it's just you, and you have to and I think it had to be the eight hours of push for me, like, because I I needed to make up for what I was deprived of maybe. You know? I had to go into this journey, like, of and the minute it was funny. The minute, and that's how we know the time of birth actually because I said, call call the midwife, Maybe. Because he obviously maybe maybe he's not because morning had come, you know, to eight o'clock in the morning, Mother's Day. And the child the other children were waking, and I was like, that you know, I was like because I said the child will be born by morning. The child will be born by morning. You know? And he wasn't born by morning. And I said, text her and tell her tell the midwife to come. And, the minute he texted her, the child came. Yeah. So it was like and I was like, we and sure, like, it took it was about three hours later before we realized what was the time of birth. And I said, it was the time you texted her. Yeah. That was it. Like, you know? Mhmm. It was like this, yeah, this moment of just help me maybe. Maybe that was it. Help me, like and all the blood that came after. There was so much blood after. And then that I was able to call a woman and say, is this okay? And she was like, that's okay. It's okay. That's fine. You know, I did need that support. I needed Sarah Kelleher, beautiful Sarah Kelleher that I could call, like, you know and I actually even, you know, was able to, like, send her a picture of my mucus plug going, that's a mucus plug. Right? You know, you do that's kind of Is this
Speaker 2
are these are these sovereign birth workers, or it was the medical midwife?
Speaker 3
No. No. No. These are sovereign birth workers. Okay. I'm yeah. These are sovereign birth workers who don't have aren't licensed within the system. So do they they're it's it's safe for them. It's safe for them. I can't you know, you can't mention anybody else, like or, you know, there's nobody. Yeah. There's some people who who can you know, they'll help you, but they can't be mentioned. You know? But, yeah, these so it was great. There's sovereign birth workers around now. And, yeah, I think that postpartum and the mess and the blood and the you know what I mean? That's really it was it was great to have some support at that point. It's lovely to do it on your own, and, I noticed, like, I'm so different after it. You know? I feel like I feel like I grew up.
Speaker 4
Like,
Speaker 3
I just finally came into my motherhood. You know? Mhmm. I'm I'm really I I've matured in so many ways. I'm enjoying him so much. Like, he's and he's so chill, and I can leave him down. Even that, like, I was able to leave him down. Like, I remember the lads just always had to be up with me. You know? Like, just sleep away in the bed. You know? And I wonder about these differences as well. You know? I know there's certain things there are difference of design and character, but there's a lot I think there's the fact that he didn't leave that sacred little space, like, you know, he was so held.
Speaker 2
Well and even more so than his experience that you didn't leave the sacred space. You know? You're the one setting the tone for your babies. Right? And that you felt better, that you were that you, you know, were were got, you know, like you said, everything that you were ready to finally have. I think more than the baby going through that birth, it's they get the benefit of you going through it. Mhmm. You know?
Speaker 3
Yeah. That's
Speaker 2
right. Not not that it's irrelevant that they went through it. It's not. But, you know, when a a a regulated, happy, proud, connected mom, that's going to create a contented baby.
Speaker 3
Yeah. It's true. It's true. It's incomparable. It's incomparable. You know? And on a spiritual level like Emilee, this this this spiritual initiation of it, you know, that you would get to face you know, to become an ocean and and enter into that that place, you know, that dimension. I can be free to do that. Like, to to ride the ocean of your own body. And to be you know, we should be all we should be allowed like, that's that's sure. Like, you can't contrive that. You know? You can't contrive that. And I suppose that's what men do. You know? They go and fast in the wilderness for five days to try and come close to that. Like, you know, that's what the vision quest is, isn't it?
Speaker 2
Right. Yeah. I know. Women women don't need a lot of that stuff. We have it built in.
Speaker 3
But that's our initiation. That's our initiation.
Speaker 2
It's built in.
Speaker 3
It's built in. And it makes a mother it makes a a good mother a year. Like, I yeah. The ramifications are absolutely blessed. Huge. Mhmm. Huge. Huge. Yeah. And to have gone through the gambit of it and to see, you know, no matter how like I said, you know, my birth stories aren't no nowhere near as harrowing as other people. They all have every one of them has a victory in him, like, you know, but, incomparable. Incomparable. And the aftermath, like you said, to be in the aftermath on your own, to be in your own space, to feel that sense of sovereignty, to feel like he's mine and he's nobody else's. You know?
Speaker 2
And that nothing got taken from either of you.
Speaker 3
Nothing got taken from
Speaker 2
Only given. You know? Like, god. What a what a place to start from.
Speaker 3
Yeah. And I mean, I don't know if she look but the I became public. Then there there was, like, a I just wanted to tell everybody as well. You know? Mhmm. Of course. Naturally. Yeah. And, you know, it's a great area because there's a bit of scaremongering, a bit of fearmongering going on around the legality of it. You know? Are you allowed to free birth? And so I wrote an article, and Diarmuid actually wrote an article because we both, you know, we have both have journalist backgrounds and so we yeah. We just, I was publishing in a in a lovely, like, a kind of a well, it's an alternative magazine, but, you know, a high a good journalistic magazine here. And it was picked up the story was picked up by a very mainstream radio show. And Diarmuid and I were interviewed on that, and the child was just two months, two weeks old, actually, at the time. And, you know, they they gave it they gave it the full hour. It was it's the lunchtime show, Joe Duffy. It's the, you know, the most listened to show in Ireland. And, the women who called in were all very supportive. It was very even Joe himself, who's, you know, notoriously confrontational was very so he was supportive enough for him, for Joe. He was you know? And, it's just it shows how much of a sea change there is really. You know? That it can be something like free birthing, which is deemed so radical, and it's not, it's not sneered out of the public sphere as it you know? Or I I'm not called, like, a reckless endangering mother. You know? I'm, you know, just somebody who you know, to normalize it. It's being normalized. It's like, no. Actually, you know, I'm just having my baby, like you know, that that that nonsense narrative that has been so unquestioned. Like, you know, is that safe? You mean you chose not to have a medical profession? I yeah. That was my choice. Yes. You know? And, do you think that's safe? You're like, it's actually safer than being in you know, we have our our our side is so reasonable. Our side is so, Yeah.
Speaker 2
I know. I always say we have we have logic. We have nature on our side. Like, those are you know? Like, that we have nature on our side. That's that's a big one.
Speaker 3
That's a big one. That's a big one. Yeah.
Speaker 2
Yeah. But it is I agree. It is changing. I mean the
Speaker 3
yes.
Speaker 2
So the last six years, a lot has shifted. A lot has changed. It's really, really exciting. It is definitely becoming more normal and accepted and
Speaker 3
Over there too. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Global thing.
Speaker 2
Everywhere. I know it is. I know it is. Mhmm. You know, and it's not it's not free birth that is so radical, and that's so it's not free birth that's blowing everyone's mind and triggering them. It is adult women taking responsibility. That is actually what this is about. That women thinking for themselves and claiming their life, owning their decisions, standing in their own power and self responsibility is not something that we have seen with any consistency for many, many, many generations. And that is the fundamental trigger point about free birth. You know? I think there are other points as well as people are terrified of death and know nothing about birth and, like, yeah, there's other stuff also that's interesting to talk about and unpack. But a woman making her own decisions and standing in that and taking misogyny. It reveals people's unconscious misogyny very quickly when women think for themselves and, how would
Speaker 3
I say it?
Speaker 2
When women think for themselves, it's, you know, against the mainstream, you know, concepts, and and people get triggered about it. It's not really about birth. Well, I love your stories. I'm so glad you shared some of your poetry.
Speaker 3
Me too.
Speaker 2
Very all of it. It was very entertaining. I loved it so much.
Speaker 3
Oh, great. Great.
Speaker 2
Well, thank you so very much.
Speaker 3
So much. Mhmm. Yeah. It's great great to be on here and great to tell you this story, you know, because you're part of the story.
Speaker 2
That's awesome.
Speaker 3
Like yeah. Yeah. It is. It's cool out now. When I was telling you, when I was like, oh, talk to Emilee today, he's like, oh. He was yeah. You know, it's yeah. It's coming full circle. It's, yeah, the grand finale.
Speaker 2
Thank you.
Speaker 3
Lovely.
Speaker 2
I hope you enjoyed the show today. You can support this podcast by donating to it through the link in the show notes below and of course leaving an awesome review on whatever platform you listen on. The more reviews, the more visibility the show gets, so let's spread the good word of Sovereign Birth. Don't forget, you can watch our podcast interviews on YouTube and see the women as they tell their birth and power stories, and you'll also find our viral free birth collection of epic raw birth videos on our YouTube. Make sure you're subscribed to our channel. We've always got a lot going on at Free Birth Society, and you can find out all about it at free birth society dot com, at free birth society on Instagram, and opt in to my newsletter below. We offer courses on free birth, authentic midwifery, the blood mysteries, as well as one on one coaching, in person retreats, and of course, our annual women's gathering, the matriarch rising festival. Our exclusive private vetted membership, the lighthouse, is definitely something to check out if you're looking for a community of wise sisters to get guidance from and to meet in real life. Together, we rise sisters. We must speak our stories, fully claim our lives, and support one another. This is the living revolution, and I am so grateful to be in it with all of you. I'll leave you with our gorgeous Free Birth Society theme song, Wild Woman by Aruba Red.
Speaker 1
I honor you for the wisdom you held, the ancient traditions of plant medicine and womb magic. I feel the spirit of the ancestors as I place my hands upon my belly. This sacred portal will be honored. Eons upon light beams of survival, withstanding, the eradication of our power by design. I will not allow the separation of our young to be forced upon me. My sisters will no longer birth in captivity. The picket line redefined from burning our wild women to paralyzing us and drugging our babes. Babes. Strapped down in a clinical white bed drying up the milk from our breasts, keep your needles. My family will never again be doomed to chase those dragons all your poison. We reject your fear. We choose love. Everything with intention. Death, ascension. I will fly and bring her back to the star.
