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| Family Wisdom and Women's Arts Asheville, NC (828) 236-1799 info@thematrona.com |
| The House of La Matrona |
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| This website designed by Shekinah Web Services |
| 2002 Spirit of Birth Conference: Returning Birth To The Family August 23-25, 2002 Asheville, NC |
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| Compassionate Birth with Whapio Diane Bartlett |
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| For over twenty years, Whapio Diane Bartlett has facilitated the health and well-being of women and their families. In 2001, she founded The House of La Matrona in Asheville, NC, where she offers homeopathic consultations, family counseling, mediation services, and a two-year Holistic Midwifery Program. This program combines modern knowledge and ancient wisdom, training competent, compassionate midwives to serve families in the traditional ways. Whapio's passions include women's mysteries, music and children. She writes and speaks frequently on reclaiming the sacred in birth, death, and all life. Whapio presented us with the idea that, in pregnancy, a mother enters the realms of non-ordinary reality, which culminates in the birth experience-- an authentic altered state. Compassionate birth upholds the ideal of a completely undisturbed labor and delivery, allowing birth to unfold in the same way as a sexual experience or an ecstatic experience of the sacred. In the process, whole new dimensions of revelatory information become available to both parents. Whapio illustrated her points with wonderful stories, and taught us how to redefine the traditional 'stages of labor' according to the altered state of birth. Not only do mothers pass through specific "gates" en route to bringing forth their children, but the father takes a central role as well. At the invitation of the mother, he can also enter this ecstatic realm. Whapio's truth is that the caregiver stands on the periphery, guarding the birthing couple and preventing interference or intrusion. This is compassionate birth. |
| Family-Centered Birth with Eileen Sullivan |
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| Eileen Sullivan has been a childbirth educator and doula since 1987. She was originally trained by a traditional midwife, and has also received training through Doulas of North America (DONA) and through the revolutionary and highly acclaimed Birthing From Within method. Eileen is a retired La Leche League leader, and has been active with Charlotte Doulas; the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN); the Coalition for Improvement in Maternity Services (CIMS); and other organizations relating to birth, midwifery, doulas and breastfeeding. She is currently the NC State Representative for the Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA). Eileen is also a certified Reiki Master. She offers a variety of pregnancy- and birth-related services, classes and workshops in the Charlotte, NC, area. Visit her website at www.shekinahbirthing.com. Eileen spoke about how families can shape unique and authentic birth experiences, wherever they choose to birth. There is more to returning birth to the family than a non-medicated mother walking around during labor, with her older children present, and the father cutting the umbilical cord. As a group, we focused on how to maintain privacy, how to advocate for ourselves, how to minimize disturbances during labor while still feeling safe and cared for, waterbirth, and other options. Through stories and sharing, Eileen, along with Whapio Diane Bartlett, Susun Weed, and Sarahn Henderson, gave us tools for transforming ourselves from objects of medical management to confident co-creators. |
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