Birth is an inherently female, feminine process.

Through the ages woman alone has given birth. It is only in the modern age, with the gaze of science turned upon her that Birth has been taken into the masculine realm of measurement, logic and engineering. It has been reduced to “Stages of Labor, ” “Progress or Lack of Progress”, and “Labor Management.” Reduced to “Home Like” labor rooms and Pain relief. It has been usurped as "Artificial Reproductive Technologies."

Birth is a transformation—what is created within is revealed to the world. The woman moves from physiological inner mothering in pregnancy to outer, more deliberate mothering postpartum. The separation begins that leads on to an independent adult. The stamp of culture is imprinted on this adult, beginning with Pregnancy, but most emphatically with Birth.

It’s time to deliberately recreate the Birth Matrix – reweave the rich fabric of the creative process that is birth into the mantle of womanhood, replacing the thin uniform of the hospital gown.

Through my work as a midwife and mystic the threads of this reweaving have been revealed to me by birthing women, the community of midwives and the inspiration of the Feminine in Her many guises. I wish to share them with you so that we can knit together that which has been unraveled by generations of lost woman-knowledge.

A Croning Uterus

This very moment my uterus is shrinking. So slowly to be imperceptible, yet, yes. She is declining in her size. No longer fertile on a physical plane, her energy is becoming more subtle and fluid. The wisewoman nectar that is not lost in blood each month returns, instead, returns to enhance my ability to give birth to myself, be it through words, works of art, planting my garden, cooking for my family, or gentle, peaceful caress.

Sometimes this transformation heats me with its flame. The physical is slowly consumed and the subtle is expanding, billowing. Will it kill me? Will I eventually disappear in this blaze? Of course. Yet what a fire works display I might reveal in the meanwhile.

Create I must and carefully choose it--elsewise that nectar can as equally create a sour and bitter old lady, regretful of the past, depressed in the present and empty of future. Just as I chose to give birth or abort my physical babies I now must take responsibility for this creative power on an even deeper level. Yes, I must continue to choose.

A Well Positioned Uterus is Happier & Healthier

I cant' stop smiling because I just learned some incredible, additional techniques to help move a retroverted uterus forward.

While most MDs say a "tipped uterus" is a normal variation, looking at the anatomy of the situation leads to different conclusions. In the 19th century MDs believed otherwise. Then they tried everything to get those uteri back into place.However, they didn't find anything that worked, so now they just say it's normal.

Just because something is COMMON doesn't mean that it is HEALTHY. I believe that many "female complaints" are related to a malpositioned uterus. I personally experienced relief from menstrual cramps and the end of brownish blood at the beginning and end of my period after Maya Abdominal Therapy. Many other women have as well.

In the Maya culture, the womb is the center of a woman's well being. If a woman or a girl-child falls or otherwise jars her body, she goes to have the village midwife or masseuse to replace the womb where she belongs to avert later problems with mentruation, fertility, pregnancy or menopause. In our culture, a car accident and jarring sports are two common ways the uterus can be moved.

One time the uterus is vulnerable to movement is just before and at the beginning of menstruation. At this time the womb is actually twice a heavy and larger, due to engorgement preparing it for a possible pregnancy. (Compare the red "uterus" to the pink one in the photo.) It reduces again with the menstrual flow and hormonal changes. Any jarring during this time is even more likely to cause malpositioning. No wonder it is so normal to have a uterus out of place in our culture today! Most women don't slow down with menses, even though most feel their bodies pulling them in that direction.

After childbirth, the uterus shrinks back to the size of a fist from the size of a small watermelon. The ligaments that hold the uterus suspended in the pelvis have stretched and grown. Postpartum is a vulnerable time for the uterus to become malpositioned.

You may have heard of a woman who always had menstrual cramps before having a baby, and then didn't, afterwards--- or visa versa, having post baby cramps when she didn't pre baby. This is because the uterus can flop around in that space until the muscles and tissues return to the prepregnancy state. In traditional cultures, women would wrap their bellies to support their organs postpartum and avoid this problem.

A post partum check in to be sure the uterus has gone back after the changes of pregnancy can prevent problems with menstruation or future conception.

Now that you understand the importance of a well positioned uterus, please seek a Maya Abdominal Therapist if your uterus is out of place. I can help you if you are in the Boulder area, or go to www.arvigotherapy.com to find a listing of practitioners.

Have a happy uterus!