Women of San Blas

Last week, I paid a visit to my local and favorite YMCA (William G. White) in Winston Salem, NC.  My daughter was missing her pals in the daycare room and I missed seeing my workout pals!  While my daughter played, I got a chance to chit-chat with some friends and was stopped by several members so that they could see our newest Carter member, River Oakley. 

One woman in particular asked me about the birth and how it went.  I went ahead and explained that it was a water birth and I felt incredibly blessed to now have had two of those experiences.  She went on to tell me a story of when she visited an island in the Panama Canal, San Blas.  (San Blas is a small island in the Panama Canal.  It is a vision of true beauty and simplicity.  It is one of over 300 other tiny island in the area.  The Kuna Indians, properly known as Guna, inhabit about 49 of those islands.)

"I was fortunate enough to witness several women have water births when I visited San Blas...in the ocean!", she said.  She explained it to be one of the most amazing events she has ever seen.  "The women calmly walk into the ocean by themselves and continue to labor and then give birth to their baby."

 Wow.  Women are certainly extraordinary.  Whatever way you decide to birth your baby, embrace it.  Know it to be sacred and not scary.  Even though, yes it is scary!  Stay in a positive space.  Stay in an open space.  Stay present.  The "scary" will go away and you will find a strength within yourself that you will never want to forget. 

Be well.  Be Brave.
MLC