What a sight to see all theses gorgeous mamas dancing in celebration! Debbie’s Dance for Birth Class was more than fitness, it’s birth readiness. I loved seeing how you can translate the act of preparation for labor into a beautiful dance. Photo taken by SarahKate Butterworth at The Family Garden in Longmont.
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I had a dream, a specific artistic vision as a peak in my work. My dream (come true) is to have some great photos of my henna, at its peak, on the belly of a mama while she is giving birth. This is something I’ve tried to get, as much as “I could do.” Not to mention, it isn’t easy to (tastefully) photograph a birth, much less get the henna in the picture. The henna would need to be dark enough, the photographer able to get the right angle, a mama willing to share the most intimate moments of her life with the world. I accepted it was out of my hands, when the mama, baby and whatever forces combine to say, TODAY IS THE DAY and the henna is there, it will happen! I am a mere spectator in this dance of life!
to be adorned for her birth. Once more, Monet is a gifted birth photographer/storyteller, well known and loved in the birthing community. With all the bells and whistles that a true dream coming true can bring, Monet had her baby this summer! Monet’s birth is beautifully documented online (links at the end) and she really holds herself and her birth out as an example, encouragement and demonstration not that birth is easy or that everyone’s birth will look like hers, but to show other women who didn’t watch their mothers or sisters or Aunts giving birth what it looks like to give birth naturally.
I applaud Monet and celebrate her newest family member. I am also very excited and grateful My dream came true this summer, when Monet to realize my artistic dream in these divinely inNicole contacted me with news of her pregnancy spired photos of Monet. Please help me welcome and her birth plan. It was a perfect storm, my hen- this new addition to Monet’s family with a short na work would be on this beautiful momma’s bel- prayer of welcome and gratitude. ly, who wanted it there for the same reason as I did,
Monet’s birth was documented by two talent- pregnant and breastfeeding moms adorned with ed women with cameras, capturing the birth and henna body art in Boulder, Colorado, USA style. making my small dream come true. We welcome your feedback and photos of your Thank you! Read her story and see these pregnancy, babies and art via the Artfull Mother website and Facebook. amazing photographs on page 12. We have some FABULOUS articles, interviews, photos and stories for you this month too, starting with another thoughtful poem, “Follower of no Separation” from Boulder’s own Deborah McNamara. I spent some very informative and inspiring time with Lynn Schulte Leech for her interview and found out there was a great deal of help available to make FULL recovery after birth; a must read for new moms, especially if you are having pain. We have a touching piece, “Letter to my Doula” where a mama details the great treatment she received from her Doula. I got a chance to visit with Niki Dewart, a long time Colorado resident at her home in lovely Lyons, where we discussed Mothering, her Mother’s Wisdom Deck and her collaboration with Anni Daulter on Sacred Mothering. And lastly but certainly not least, Samantha Jessup brings us another installment in from the Bond Project with an inspiring story of one mama’s drive to breastfeed her son in the face of criticism and pressure to stop. I create Artfull Mother Magazine each Season (4 times a year) to serve the pregnant and new mamas as well as the greater birthing community in Denver and Boulder. My passion for community, family, birth, babies and mamas is why I am so excited every day when I wake up. Starting with raising my own 3 girls, becoming a grandmother, being part of this community and actually getting to share in the lives of these new mamas & their families is what makes me shine! Artfull Mother is my way of giving something back to the community of new mommas, and while it may be produced on the front range, it is freely available to new moms and birthing moms everywhere with Internet! The subject matter may well be the most universal of any content, of any kind...after all everyone has a mother! Artfull Mother invites people from all over the world to feast upon the art, stories, inspiration,
Please enjoy this season’s magazine, remember to share with your friends and birth workers as well as like us on social media! Please keep in mind, the businesses who advertise here are personally selected and invited to join in to make Artfull Mother available to everyone for FREE! They make this magazine possible and are some the best of what they do for the mamas of Boulder and Denver. Peace, SarahKate Butterworth
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Sweet new baby gazes up at her mama and hold the hands of her grandmother. She is the next generation - here we have 3 generations of women together. Baby girl is 2 days old and rests her head on top of her mama’s c-esction scar as she reclines in a hospital bed. What a jot Such a tender moment; a gathering of three of women. to witnexs the love, the generations tenderness. And a treat New mama is wearing her pregnancy henna which lasted through to see henna that went through the miracleher of 28 birth. Beautiful! birrth! ~ SarahKate Butterworth=
Interview with local Birth Recovery Expert: Lynn Schulte Leech Mother, healer, teacher and birth recovery expert, Lynn Schulte Leech is a physical therapist who helps moms have an easier birth and faster recovery. For over 25 years, Lynn has been practicing Women’s Health Physical Therapy in her own practice, Intuitive Hands Physical Therapy. I have known Lynn for years and met many of her clients through my work. After hearing first hand the benefits and impact of Lynn’s work in the pregnancies and births of my clients, I wanted to share a little bit more about her.
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health. If after birth one is having leakage of urine/bowel, pain with intercourse, pelvic/low back/hip pains, or organ prolapse (where your pelvic organs have fallen down and cause pressure vaginally) I can help. Also, if their birth was traumatic in any way, I’m really good at releasing trauma in the body and helping women become at peace with their birth. its?
Does this work take several vis-
Because I mainly see post partum women I can usually help women Lynn, what is women’s health with their physical symptoms in one physical therapy and how does it session. apply to pregnant and postpartum Do you have any success stories women? that really stand out in your mind? I specialize in working in the pelvic I’ve had so many women with region, mainly with the pelvic floor muscles. Some call us Pelvic Physical symptoms of leaking urine or havTherapists. I work intra-vaginally and ing pain with intercourse and in one I specialize in helping all the organs session their issues were resolved in there too. Helping women prepare completely. I had one woman fly in for birth so it’s as smooth as possible from Michigan for one session and and recovering from childbirth is my she wrote that she was so glad she did area of expertise. As you can imag- because I helped her in areas of her ine, this area gets pretty stretched and body she didn’t even realize she had the organs can get messed up during problems. I know exactly how to help women’s bodies recover from birth. labor. How can women get a hold of When should a woman seek physical therapy? What are the potential you? red-flag symptoms you can have that They can schedule an appointment would indicate pelvic floor problems? on my website and learn more about During pregnancy if a woman has my work at: a history of any pelvic trauma, falls www.IntuitiveHandsPT.com on their buttock or tailbone or have Thanks Lynn! Mamas also check back/pelvic pains, these may cause difficulty during birth. Any woman out Lynn’s YouTube Channel: Birth who has had a baby would benefit Recovery Expert, where you can learn from internal pelvic floor work after all about what is really going on in birth to make sure her organs are back your postpartum body! in place and her pelvis and pelvic https://www.youtube.com/channel/ floor muscles are in proper place and UCBUsM_zZ9keQBugpIYhkJNQ functioning well for long term pelvic
photo by Joel Peterson Photography
A Letter to my Doula This is dedicated to all those who choose to answer the call to support mothers as they give birth to their babies. And specifically to MY doula. It has been almost two years since my daughter’s birth. The details of her birth are now somewhat blurred by time, sleep deprivation and the missing brain cells that departed once I was pregnant and then became a mother. But, I can still FEEL the support you gave me. I can still
see your face - reassuring, calm, inquisitive, loving...I see YOU and the significant role you represent in my daughter’s birth story.
husband and powerhouse of a sister by my side!). SO I didn’t KNOW myself how powerful a doula’s presence could be until you joined me that early fall day And I want you to know a few in my L&D room as I grappled things...from this mama to her with the fact that my daughter would be joining us almost four rockstar birth doula… weeks early. During my first pregnancy, I Your cheerful, supportive, read countless times about how much of an impact a skilled birth loving voice still resonates in my doula could have on a mother’s being. I know it always will. At a experience in labor. I didn’t have time when fear could have taken one with the birth of my son, over, you created joy, strength (though I did have my amazing and love. You empowered my 9
husband to rise to his best by my side. You saw what I needed, what my husband needed, what my baby needed, and then did it without any expectation of gratitude. When I didn’t have contractions and worried I’d need to be induced, you worked your magic and really got things going! When I let the overwhelm of the experience start to take over, you met my eyes with reassurance and a gentle voice. I felt you breathe your calm my way. And when the birth fairy showed up, you stayed in a positive, helpful mindsetinviting me to stay there, too.
challenging and more medical, you met us there too, without an agenda. Even when I know it must have been SO hard to watch, especially when there seemed to be no other alternatives, your
voice of reason, support and wisdom piped up to remind us that WE were the ones in “charge” of what choices we were making.
I know...I know that your experience of my birth had to be intense, it had to be so challenging to move through emotionally and physically. But I never saw it on your face. Through the unexpected twists and turns And when my daughter’s that accompany any birth, you birth became unexpectedly more helped me walk through each
gate of my experience with as much grace and humor as possible. Your selflessness, all the hours you spent holding my hand, supporting my husband, working your magic with the hospital staff...it did not go unseen. And, my lovely doula, the moment you helped my daughter latch to my breast the first time remains a moment I call upon to this day. When I needed hope through those early days of breastfeeding strugglereassurance that breastfeeding would eventually get easier- that image of you helping me latch her (and her latching!) was seriously a beacon of light that kept me going.
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Without you, we would not still be nursing today. I know you don’t need my affirmation that your role in a mama’s birth is vital. But it is. It is SO vital. Each time. Each mama. Each birth. You’re the closest thing to a superhero that a mama can have, not because you save the day, have all the tricks to get her baby out or bring their husband a burrito, but because you hold
her up so she gets to be the Services and Co-Founder (with superhero at her baby’s birth. Erika Primozich of Boulder) of So, thank you for agreeing Birthing From Within Colorado. to be our doula and for your She offers Birthing From Within priceless guidance as I welcomed and Birthin’ Again Childbirth Classes, Postpartum Doula Care my baby girl into the world. and Prenatal Yoga Classes in Love, Denver and Boulder, Colorado. Along with her classes, she is also Mama Rebecca leading Prenatal Yoga, Postnatal and Birth Preparation Retreats. Rebecca Peterson is a mother She is a lifetime lover of travel, of two and the owner of Sacred good wine and laughing to tears Breaths Birth and Postpartum with family and friends.
photo by Joel Peterson Photography
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The Birth of my 2nd Daughter My last few weeks of pregnancy were nothing less than blissful. I worked to embrace the anticipation, the insomnia, and the stretch marks that so often accompany the last days. I connected with baby on quiet morning walks and as I snuggled my older daughter in bed. Her movements against my taut skin...the way I could feel my hips opening as I walked...the fullness that somehow continued to fill. On Friday, August 5th, my very last client went into labor. I joined her and her family at Baby + Co (my birth place) and watched her birth her first baby into the world. I went home feeling relieved and inspired. On Saturday, some of my dearest friends and clients joined me beneath the oak tree in my front yard and surrounded me with love and blessings. They brought flowers to weave into a beautiful
12 photo by Rebecca Walsh
crown and Sarahkate Butterworth adorned my belly with henna again. As they left, I assured everyone I had at least another week before baby came. I truly believed I’d have Eliza around 4142 weeks, just like her big sister. The day before I went into labor, I noticed nothing surprising or different...except that I texted my midwife to ask her exactly when she was arriving in Denver. Susan Mitchell is a dear friend and although she had moved to the mountains, she planned on coming back to Denver just to catch my baby. At 7:45pm that night, she let me know that she had safely arrived at her sister’s home. Ryan and I watched the Olympics and then we went to bed. August 8th. I woke up with Lucy and Ryan still sleeping beside me. I checked my phone
and messaged my BFF and birth photographer Jennifer Mason. She had asked if we could get together and I responded that my day was FULL (which it was...in more ways than one!) I had my 40 week midwife appointment scheduled, followed by a massage, followed by a fancy dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Denver. (Note: if you want to go into labor on a certain day, make A LOT of plans). I got up and began working through my morning routine - brushing my teeth, hair, cleaning up the kitchen from the night before. Around 7:30, I started feeling contractions. They were mild, but clearly very different from the Braxton Hicks contractions that I’d been having for weeks. I noticed them, but didn’t allow myself to believe I was actually in labor. On my due date. But as the minutes passed, the contractions seemed to increase in frequency. I decided to time a few, and realized that they were already 4-5 minutes apart. Still very mild but clearly consistent. And so being a birth worker who likes A LOT
of advanced notice, I alerted my birth team that something was “happening.” After the alert was raised, I walked up and down the stairs a few times to change the laundry. Each time I got to the washer, a contraction would come...a strong one...and I felt like I was leaking some sort of fluid. It was at this point that I realized labor had really started - around 8:00am. When I had called Susan, she encouraged us to head into the birth center - ASAP. Our older daughter’s preschool began at 9am, and although we had a back-up plan for her in the event I went into labor before school...I really wanted to drop her off that morning. At this point, the contractions were still very manageable so we made plans to drop her off and then head directly to Baby + Co. Around 8:30, I told Ryan we needed to get into the car now. I could feel the contractions shifting and I knew we needed to be on the road sooner rather than later. Worse case scenario: we’d forgo preschool drop-off and bring Lucy to the birth center.
photo by Rebecca Walsh
photo by Jennifer Mason
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photo by Jennifer Mason
We made it to her preschool (albeit about 15 minutes before school started) and I was even able to snag a few pictures. The contractions were coming every 3-4 minutes at this point, or one to two during every song on my birth playlist. As soon as we got to Baby + Co, I made a beeline for our birth room. Susan Mitchell walked through the door and greeted me with a hug. Soon after, labor began to intensify. I had tested positive for GBS at 36 weeks, and thus needed a dose of antibiotics. Amy and Gaither (two Baby + Co midwives) worked to get my IV started. I asked them how long it typically took to receive a dose 30 minutes - and I asked them to run the line faster. I must have known that my body was going to do this quickly! One by one, my incredible birth team arrived. Jennifer, my birth photographer, came in first with flowers in her arms. Kelsey, my best friend and doula, arrived shortly after. And amazingly, my videographer who had been at another birth earlier that morning made it to Baby + Co just around the time I got into the birth tub! I worked through contractions with Ryan and Kelsey applying counter-pressure to my back and hips. The contractions were quickly on top of each other and I felt an immense amount of opening and stretching with each one. We got in the shower as the birth tub was being filled, and I began to moan loudly. The warm water on my back felt amazing... although I was eager to get into the tub as soon as possible. After one strong contraction I said, “I need to get in NOW.”
photo by Jennifer Mason We had brought the flower wreath from my Mother Blessing to the birth center, and I’d hung it on the bath faucet. Jennifer placed a few sunflowers in the water. And so with those blooms surrounding me -- I labored. Contractions were strong...and I found my voice and moan deepening with each one. I felt that distinctive moment of transition - I CAN’T DO THIS. I WANT OUT - and I knew that baby must be close. My mom came into the room around that time having made the drive from Colorado Springs. And so despite the intensity, I was surrounded by so many people that loved me. Amy, the other Baby + Co midwife attending my birth, could sense 11 both the intensity and fear that was radiating through my body. She asked
everyone but Ryan to step back and away. She encouraged us to connect to our baby and each other in the minutes leading up to the birth of our daughter. I treasure those moments we shared together, and I’m so glad that Amy encouraged us to find them.
cool off and rest. I tried a few tentative pushes in the water, but immediately felt like something wasn’t right with her position. After talking to Amy and Susan, we decided that it was best for me to step out of the water and get into bed.
Soon after, I began to feel pressure that made me want to start pushing. I knew that I was likely complete at this point. While the water had felt wonderful for a short period of time, I suddenly felt hot and feverish. My contractions had been coming 16 quickly that my body didn’t have a chance to so
Susan checked me just to make sure I was complete- it was the only vaginal check I had during my entire pregnancy and birth. Sure enough, I was ten centimeters and baby was in the plus one position. She encouraged me to push whenever I felt ready. I forwent pushing as long as I could,
but soon my body was telling me it was time. With my daughter’s birth, pushing had come easy and I’d surprised both the nurses and my OB with my ability to push her out in about 20 minutes. With this baby, I could tell something was very different. My pushes weren’t moving her the way they had moved my daughter three years ago. Further, second time mamas are often able to push their babies out much quicker than their firsts. It became evident this was not going to be the case with my labor. While I don’t know exactly what was causing this to be so much harder, I think we all suspected that I was giving birth to a BIG baby in a wonky position.
And this is the part of my birth story that holds the most meaning for me. It’s the part of my birth story that I didn’t expect. The part that perhaps I had the most to learn from. Having seen so many births and having had such a quick labor with Lucy, I anticipated that this second birth would be fast and easy. I felt strong throughout my pregnancy and I envisioned myself birthing my baby without much support from those around me. Instead, I ended up on the bed with two midwives guiding me as my husband and best friend held my shaking legs up. Instead, I found myself doubting my body’s ability to birth my baby. Instead, I found myself going to that place of desperation that so many birthing mamas can relate to - a place that you feel like you’ll never be able to leave. But it was during those moments that I found a deeper strength than I had previously imagined- a strength that came from community and from loving support. I let go of self-sufficiency and found that I could rest in the arms of my family and friends.
So Susan and Amy encouraged me to move from side to side, from my back to all fours. We were trying to get baby under my pubic bone - a task that felt more and more monumental with each push. Active labor and transition had happened SO quickly but this pushing stage was long, hard, and often times disheartening. And yet through it all, my midwives helped me hold it together. They could feel and see baby moving, and so they told me (again Further, that long hour of pushing forced me and again) that I was making progress even though I to connect with my baby. My labor had happened felt like we were permanently stuck. so quickly that I was still in shock when I started
all photos on this page by Jennifer Mason
photo by Jennifer Mason
pushing. But when I realized she wasn’t going to slide out, I found that I needed to remember what I was doing...and who I was doing it for. I placed my hand on my belly and felt her last movements inside of me. I garnered up all that mama-bear strength and pushed harder than I ever thought possible. When we finally got her around my pubic bone, she birthed herself. I felt the ring of fire and suddenly everyone exclaimed - her head is out! Even more exciting, she turned just as she was crowning. Her head rotated and my posterior baby decided to come out the right way after all. I was able to see her head and touch it before I delivered her body. Words can’t describe how amazing it felt when she eased her way out of my body and I was able to greet her with just a gentle touch from my hand. With the next contraction, her body was born. My husband lifted her out and placed her on my chest.
incredible to me). I felt the warmth of that amazing organ on my skin and marveled at its intricacies. I loved seeing my beautiful baby beside my beautiful placenta. Our bodies are capable of incredible things. And then we were just a family - together - in a beautiful space with so many loved ones and friends surrounding us. My sister, my mom, and my motherin-law were all present for our baby’s birth. They stood by the bed and sent me their love and energy as I brought our newest family member into the world. Eliza latched almost immediately, and so we spent the next several hours skin-to-skin. Lucy came to meet her little sister after preschool. She was shy and timid, but I could tell that it was the beginning of a beautiful and life-long relationship. Our family and friends slowly filtered out so that Ryan and I could rest and recover with our new baby.
Eliza’s newborn exam was performed on our She didn’t cry immediately, but the midwives bed. She was an AMAZING nine pounds and four stood back and watched me vigorously rub her body. ounces. Almost a full pound bigger than Lucy, who Soon after, she let out her first beautiful lusty cry. had arrived at nearly 41 weeks. Later that evening, I birthed my placenta soon after, and I asked it to be we took a bath together...and that beautiful crown of 18 placed on my belly (a weird request to most. but flowers floated beside my new baby.
photo by Jennifer Mason
photo by Jennifer Mason
And so I found that this birth was less about me and my individual strength or power. Instead, it was about community, it was about a sisterhood of women who were brave enough to stand with me. It was about my husband and me...the deep love that created this baby was present when we birthed her. And that beautiful wreath of flowers carried the words and spirits of so many dear friends who weren’t physically present in the room. This is what birth can be, what birth should be...a space in which we’re able to do something absolutely incredible, a space where we’re never alone. See the video here: https://vimeo.com/180444117 Listen to Monet tell her birth story here: http://thebirthhour.com/podcast/a-birthphotographers-birth-story-monet-moutrie/ 19
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photo by Jennifer Mason
photo by Jennifer Mason
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Interview with Niki Dewart, co-author of Sacred Motherhood Niki Dewart lives in one of the most beautiful places in Colorado which is really saying something! Plus, the folks who live in Lyons, Colorado are particularly passionate about their homes. I had no problem seeing why that is as I drove the 20 minutes from Boulder to meet with her. I first met Niki when I adorned her with henna in celebration of her second pregnancy in 2008. Niki and I met again, both of us blessing the women in a Sacred Pregnancy Class in Boulder, me with henna and Niki with ritual and insight. I was so pleased to see her Mother’s Wisdom Deck getting some wider exposure, to be shared with so many new women and with such beautiful art! And now co-author of Sacred Motherhood--I have discussed this topic many times. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love this movement! I am in equal parts proud and excited that this local mama is bringing such genuine sacredness and compassion to motherhood on a really wide scale! I hope you can sense my excitement and enthusiasm at the opportunity to sit down with Niki, in Lovely Lyons, while her baby played around us. We started by talking about her creative process... SarahKate: Tell me about the Mother’s Wisdom Deck; where did that come from? Niki: That came from a desperate moment... I was out on a hike, right after my second baby was born. I felt so lost and wished I had some way to tap into my deeper knowing. Throughout my life, I’ve used card decks of all kinds, especially the Medicine Cards, and I wanted a deck that was especially for mothers. I looked online and was surprised to find there wasn’t one! I was talking with my friend Elizabeth Marglin and told her what I found. She said, “What!? We’ve got to do something about that!” We got right to it. One of the signs that we were on the right path was meeting up with Jenny Kostecki-Shaw through a series events. It was pure synchronicity. Jenny is an exceptional artist and has been such an inspiration. The process just flowed; the whole experience was incredible.
This is one of the gorgeous cards in The Mother’s Wisdeom Deck: art by
Jenny Kostecki-Shaw 24
(http://dancingelephantstudio.com/visualart/).
Buy the deck online: https://www.amazon.com/Mothers-Wisdom-Deck-Inspiration-Guidebook/ 23 dp/145491890X/ref=pd_sbs_14_img_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FGHTC0WHPRGB3FPB0D3J
The Mother’s Wisdom Deck is in it’s second printing now. There have been some improvements and a new look. It has been affirming to see it continue to get out into the world, reaching more women. SarahKate: How did you connect with Anni Daulter and create Sacred Motherhood? Niki: Actually, Anni reached out to me. The Mother’s Wisdom Deck and Anni’s book Sacred Pregnancy both came out in May 2012. Anni Daulter clued into the fact that we were both in the same field working with a similar message about the spiritual path of motherhood and tapping the full richness of becoming and being a mother. We were doing similar work in the world and Anni knew that, so she contacted me and that’s how we connected. On my side of our partnership, the idea for Sacred Motherhood grew out the deck. The Mother’s Wisdom Deck is an amazing offering, but cards aren’t for everyone. Although I am a total deck junkie, there are women who feel intimidated by the process of using an inspiration or oracle deck. I wondered how else we could put out a similar call for mothers to experience the deep soulwork of motherhood, but play with a different format. Sacred Motherhood is totally different from The Mother’s Wisdom Deck and really every other book out there, but that was the seed within me. And, it dovetailed beautifully with Anni’s work. Sacred Motherhood is the much anticipated sequel to Sacred Pregnancy and the second in an incredible series of Sacred Living Movement books. SarahKate: The “deep soulwork of motherhood?” That sounds amazing; what does it mean? Niki: For me personally, mothering has been one of the most difficult things in my life and I think that is true for a lot of women. I see what I’m doing every day- a lot of mundane, egoless tasks in total service. There’s nobody running around saying, “That’s so amazing what you did all day, picking up socks!” and yet, it is. It’s where the rubber meets the road. The opportunity is incredible and requires a perspective shift toward seeing my children as divine beings. My being in service to them is a devotion to all that is divine in them, in me, and in all life. For me, that begins to get pretty juicy. I also get to see and experience many shadow aspects of myself that I wouldn’t even know existed until I was pushed to my limits in motherhood. The whole experience can be pretty intense, disorienting, and transformational. SarahKate: What do you think makes Sacred Motherhood so different from other books about motherhood?
Niki: I feel there are a lot of parenting books out there written for a different experience of motherhood; one more about schedules or staying on top of things: results oriented. There are a lot of really beautiful parenting books which I’ve found inspiring. What was missing for me was a book that was both inspiring and beautiful. A book women would pick up and immediately be inspired by the work they are doing in the world. Hopefully this book will speak to many women. The invitation is to dip in and see what speaks to you personally. Each chapter starts with an introduction to a topic such as “Tears and Fears.” The first section is addressed to “You,” the mama, and is often posed as a high level question, such as, “How does emotion show up in motherhood?” The next section is written for “Your Soul” and explores the topic another layer deeper. The third section is about “Your Child,” and focuses on what might be going on for your children. On any spiritual path there are practices that keep us on the path. So, each chapter also offers up a “Sacred Motherhood Practice,” something to try for a week and to see if it pulls you deeper into the experience of motherhood. 2125
and met at their edge, whatever it is for them. We welcome the light and the shadow; we dance with all of it. SarahKate: This sounds tremendously beautiful; more inspiring by the moment. I am floored! Niki, what do you love most about this work?
And then there are “Ideas” in each chapter. In the “Tears and Fears” chapter, one idea is titled, “What color is sadness?” and prompts you to work with emotion through art. There are also “Pairings,” which are different resources that we find inspiring like books, movies, songs, crystals, herbs, and other things that might be supportive of the topic. The final piece in each chapter is a journal prompt. We hope every woman is inspired and stirred by what she is reading, but ultimately we want Sacred Motherhood to reflect her own journey through motherhood. Anni and I can only speak from our experiences, so the journal is a place where each woman can write and reflect on on what motherhood means to her personally. We recognize that we can’t say it all! We’re not experts- we’re just offering up what we know. All mamas have immense wisdom. When they have the opportunity to write, they are going to find invaluable gems within themselves. That’s what the journal is all about. SarahKate: That’s incredible, to look at it from so many different angles. Niki: Yes, Anni and I both love trying to get at the full sensory experience, but how do you put it ALL in a book? So it’s also about circles and retreats. SarahKate: The circles! Tell me about the circles! Niki: We are doing two things: one is that we are offering Sacred Motherhood circles here in Boulder where women can sit together in sisterhood, touching into the deep soulwork of motherhood. We are also training women all over the world to lead Sacred Motherhood circles in their communities. The circles weave together council, creative projects, movement, and ceremony. It’s in these gatherings that women have the support to be seen and mirrored in their beauty
Niki: For me, at this stage in my life, I love the creative process of writing, pulling all the photographs together and working with Anni. The collaborative and creative process is so important to me. It is a chance to see how my creative energy can feed something and move in a different way than how it shows up in the day in and day out with my children. Writing and mothering has been a nice balance for me. I feel like motherhood generates a lot of creativity, but mamas don’t always know how to channel it because we are being called in so many directions. I love the opportunity to grow. Knowing I had a deadline, I prioritized taking time for myself to let my creative work come through. Integrating all these experiences is an ongoing, beautiful, and creative process. I also love being with the women in circle and holding space for their full expression!
Find out about Sacred Motherhood Retreats: www.sacredlivingmovement.com/sacred-motherhood Sacred Motherhood Retreats include… SACRED MOTHERHOOD + the CALL Acknowledging the CALL to the sacred path of motherhood, we call in a deeper layer of intention and create sacred practices for mama. Mama Project: Malas
BIRTH Honoring the moment we become mothers, we celebrate the threshold into this uncharted territory of love that is heart opening, life changing and crazy making. Mama Project: Birth Stories SACRED FEMININE Tapping the infinite well of the divine feminine, we awaken shakti through voice and movement and open to the deliciousness of loving and living. Mama Project: Altars FEARS + FREEDOM Exploring what keeps us from living in our deepest truth and fullest expression as mothers, we transform whatever is holding us back into a prayer for something greater. Mama Project: Prayer Bundles EMBODIMENT Expressing what is stirring within as motherhood pulls us into the essential truth of who we are, we follow the thread toward being more fully alive. Mama Project: Clay Creations I AM Standing at the edge, we step over the threshold of self-love to embrace our full beauty and unique gifts on behalf of our children and our communities. Mama Project: Medicine Walk INTUITION Cultivating our inner knowing as a source of mother’s wisdom, we learn to trust our sixth sense and our own unique paths as mothers. Mama Project: The Mother’s Wisdom Deck LIGHT + SHADOW Weaving the light and the shadow through personal stories of mothers in our lives, we create a song tapestry about motherhood. Mama Project: Ojo de Dios HONORING Honoring motherhood as a sacred dance of giving
+ receiving, we pamper and adorn each mama in the circle. Mama Project: Mother Blessing GRATITUDE Bringing home the boon, we offer gratitude for the abundance and blessings in our lives. Mama Project: Despacho SISTERHOOD Circling one last time, we reflect on the deep experiences shared together and voice our intentions going forward. Mama Project: “Going to the Bowl” a Sacred Living Movement tradition and much more.... 227
The Bond Project - by Samantha Crystal’s story: It’s Boobn’ time I knew I wanted to breastfeed long before I was pregnant. While I did not know much about babies, I understood that breast milk is the best option in order to build immunity from illness and for nutritional reasons. I worked with a lactation consultant from WIC (Women, Infants and Children - an organization that supports mothers - http://www. fns.usda.gov/wic/women-infants-and-childrenwic) before and after the birth of my son. She really helped me to understand the importance of breastfeeding and what to expect from by body and the baby. This positive reinforcement helped me to embrace this decision.
From what I understand researching online, at eighteen months babies are more capable of reasoning. We will work on “no boob until the sun is up” when he is at that age and go with the flow. I am not going to hold him to any expectations though.
Before Tobi was born, I thought I was going to be able to pack the freezer with milk. I expected the whole process to run smoothly without a hitch. I definitely wanted to breastfeed for at least the first year.
The hardest part is still the time constraint breastfeeding imposes during the daytime. I have learned that distractions are my friend in order to cook, clean, etcetera - when they work. Writing this has taken twice as long as normal because if he sees me sitting, it is “Boobie time!” in his mind!
Then reality kicked in. I struggled to produce an adequate amount to keep him full. I secretly supplemented because I was ashamed my body was not keeping up to my expectations or my son’s needs. His dad was not at all supportive of formula since it is a processed product, but I wanted to make sure he was full.
As he is not yet a year and a half, it is important he eats solid food regularly. I assumed he would lose interest in breastfeeding after I began feeding him three times a day, but that has not been the case. Sometimes, I feel like I am a portable milkshake machine. If he is not in his highchair, Tobi runs over for a sip of boob instead of drinking from his cup or bottle.
Breastfeeding is a natural and beautiful part of life. I believe every woman should feel secure in society to feed her child without being afraid of backlash. Knowing this, I was still very insecure for a long time while breastfeeding in public.
The first time was at the Botanical Gardens in I also did not anticipate the nipple pain! I did not Denver and Tobi was a few months old. I had a want to give up. I told myself we would at least get nursing cover that felt like I was draping a bedsheet through the first three months. over my baby. I think it made people stare more, At three months, I’d discovered nipple shields even if I was trying to be as discreet as possible. (thanks to the lactation consultant) and we had The nursing cover was bright blue so that probably a routine so I was feeling optimistic to try for 6 didn’t help. months of age. By then I no longer needed to use a He is so big now, but when he was smaller I had shield and truly enjoyed our feeding sessions. a carrier I could actually nurse while at the grocery So far Tobi is almost a year and a half and still going strong. I learned to stop putting a time limitation on breastfeeding and to appreciate how it has strengthened our bond. My goal now is to stick with it as long as it continues to work for the both of us.
store and no one could really tell. It took practice, but I learned how to nurse in public without any blanket so as to not draw attention to ourselves (mostly for my own comfort). We actually nursed in the dentist office reception room today.
In public, I find most people respect those boundI allowed Tobi to decide when he is ready to aries and give me the respect to look away and not completely wean off the boob. I would like to curb stare. It has happened where I have received a nighttime feedings and have him sleep by himself. weird glance by some guy walking by a few times. 26
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I do not let that get to me because feeding my son is none of their business. Plus, I have received far more loving smiles and nods from fellow mothers which outweighs any stranger rudeness. Tobi’s father totally supported breastfeeding in the beginning and now he is discouraging. He feels that Tobi is too dependent on the boob and I’m sure he is going through a jealous issue. He constantly asks me while I am nursing when I will wean him and I tell him it is totally up to Tobi. I am going to visit my family soon and I am curious as to what they will have to say now that Tobi is over one year old. If you are a new mom, don’t put limits and expectations on yourself. Seek out resources such as WIC and through your hospital, and an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant can be a lifesaver. I delivered at the University of Colorado Hospital and they really helped me those first few days get the hang of things. Never be ashamed to ask for help or if you need to supplement, do what you need to do to have a healthy baby. People always tell you it gets easier, and breastfeeding really does get easier as you and your baby learn to work with each other. It’s a journey together, and while our babies might not remember our sacrifice we will always keep these cherished memories and strong bond in our hearts as they grow. Words & photos
Samantha Jessup The Bond Project www.miraclekisses.com 30
nursing photos by Samantha Jessup
Samantha Jessup
720.541.0775
www.miraclekisses.com
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