The History of Birthkeeping

Birth is a profound rite of passage and traditionally, across time and cultures, women have always been supported and cared for by other women through pregnancy, labour and beyond. A birthkeeper is, simply, a woman who protects the birth environment. I am not a labour coach, birth assistant or a medic.

The word ‘doula‘ is the Greek  work for ‘slave’ and understandably there is an aversion to this word by Greek people who prefer the word ‘paramana’ as it is synonymous with ‘midwife‘. However, the word has caught on and is now widely used.

Birthkeeper is a term coined by Jeannine Parvati Baker, marrying the terms Earth Keeper (eco-activist and holders of the sacred Earth-based wisdom) and Birth Worker (doula, midwife, etc), thus meaning a birth activist and keeper of the sacred wisdom of birth. 

Having a consistent, trusted companion during this time can make a world of difference—to your birth experience and confidence as a parent and the overall emotional and mental wellbeing of everyone involved.

The space that we enter during labour is indeed one of knowing, mystery, grounding, higher connection, letting go, vulnerability, power, ending and beginning…everything.

Birth is a profound rite of passage and traditionally, across time and cultures, women have always been supported and cared for by other women through pregnancy, labour and beyond.