Jennifer Gray, Doula

Jennifer Gray, Doula Certified Birth Doula with DONA International, serving Sycamore/DeKalb, Rockford and the West Suburb

07/28/2022

What if we told women the truth about birth?

We’d have to tell them that contractions will probably be more than “surges” or “sensations.”

That they’ll probably rock your world and leave you begging for salvation as you clutch the edge of the tub or the hospital linens.

That your gentle breathing exercises and your Spotify soundtrack will be left in the dust as you sweat and pant and sway and swear your way through it

That you’ll trip harder than any mushroom you ever did in college and vomit with the same ferocity and travel to places deep within yourself that you didn’t know existed.

That you’ll float above your body and simultaneously be trapped in it with an intensity you’ve never tasted.

And in that intensity,
in the sweating and the swearing
and the swaying and the vomiting
and the endless hours of contractions crashing down upon you ...

You’ll find your strength.
You’ll find a resilience you’ve never known.
You’ll find the power you need for the journey of Motherhood ahead.

In the messy humanity of it all,
you’ll find that you are holy.
A portal to the divine.
Capable of indescribable miracles.
A vessel of sacred life.

What if we told women the truth about birth?
We’d have to tell them they are capable of anything.

Worthy of being treated like goddesses.
Made to walk through the flames,
surf the tidal waves,
dive into the underworld
And come out alive.

Not unscathed.
Not unchanged.
But whole
and healed
and ready to take on the world.

If we told women the truth about birth,
we’d have to admit that we’ve lied about everything else,
and that they are more powerful,
more fierce,
more capable,
more beautiful,
than we’ve ever let on.

If we told the truth about birth?
We’d shatter the world.

- Words and Art by Catie Atkinson

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for this complicated upside-down time

Image, Madison Safer

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Do you know how to use roll-over as a labor progress technique? Back in the 90s, my own mom was able to use this techniq...
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Do you know how to use roll-over as a labor progress technique? Back in the 90s, my own mom was able to use this technique to get me into a better position for birth, avoiding a cesarean. Today, I'm still persuaded best by encouragement and gentle coaxing. 😉😇

The Roll-over is a series of poses for labor when progress is slow. It's is a favorite in Labor and Delivery wards. Useful to reduce an anterior lip.

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Just sayin’ 🤷🏻‍♀️

05/10/2020

New out-of-hospital birth center coming to Northern Illinois!

BRBC is free-standing birth center supporting pregnancy, birth + wellness at every stage of life. We

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04/26/2020

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Prenatal and postpartum mental healthExpert-led live, small group sessionWe’ll cover all the basics about mental health disorders that can occur before or after baby arrives, giving you the tools to get support if you need it.One class | $20 Join June & Save What we’ll coverThe essentialsWhat ar...

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Sycamore, IL
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