Bumps, Births, Babies

Red Tent Mums hosts a FREE holistic health conference online!

Who are they? They are a team of two women from Australia, (a yoga teacher and a doula!) who are passionately advocating natural pregnancy, mindful births and postpartums. I totally love the combination, it just reminds me of my relationship with my doula and partner in SPCB (Sacred Pregnancy and Conscious Births) retreats and workshops, Irina.

I'm a little bummed that I totally missed out on Day 1 with some really juicy talks by my favorite speakers on gentle birthing like Sarah Buckley and Debra Pascali-Bonaro. Once the talks are out live, they will only be availabe for 24 hours. You also have the option to purchase all the talks and ge to listen to whenever is most convenient for you :)

Sign up here now!

Pregnant Pause by Mommy Mundo

A few days ago, I was invited to speak at Pregnant Pause by Mommy Mundo. I talked to expecting parents (many of them first timers!) about the benefits of yoga for pregnancy, labor and birth.

Here I am starting with alignment and basic pranayama

I also shared my VBAC (vaginal birth after a ceasarian) home water birth and lotus birthing story to the group and many seemed interested in wanting a gentler path for their babies, too.

Thank you, Janice for asking me to share my knowledge and experience on birthing! I hope that I had planted seeds of consciousness for these parents to know that there are far more gentle options than what is considered "normal" these days.

To know more on this sacred pregnancy and conscious birthing journey, we have an upcoming workshop this April for expecting parents and even those who will consider parenting in the near (or far) future! Participants may email consciousbirthmanila@gmail.com 

Bengkung Belly Binding

Bengkung is a traditional Malaysian belly bind which is practiced in variations all throughout South East Asia. If you are a Filipina, you would be familiar of midwives or manghihilots massaging and pressing your hips back together after birthing. Bengkung has the same goal of tightening your hips and stacking your core muscles to give you 360 degrees support using a very long personalized cloth. It is highly recommended to help heal diastasis recti with constant support of the abdomen area.

Here are a few photos of when Irina binded my up at our first Sacred Pregnancy & Conscious Birth retreat in Antipolo.

You can do it yourself but its better when someone else binds for you!

Here is Irina binding Ria, another participant in the recent Blissful Mama's Retreat in Bahay Kalipay Palawan. 

See how cute little Sitara is holding Mama's hand?

Here I am struggling with it at first, using my teeth to hold one end of the cloth to keep it tight.

Viola! I am mighty proud of how I was able to come through with this bind by myself and getting a selfie done, too!

The Bengkung Belly Bind Kit will be available for all our participants at our Sacred Postpartum workshop tomorrow in Casa Natura. To sign up, SMS 0917-8386261

A Blissful Mama's Retreat in Palawan

We have just wrapped up a wonderful gathering of birthkeepers (Mothers, Fathers, Women, Midwife and Doulas) in Bahay Kalipay, Puerto Princesa, Palawan. It was a beautiful weekend of sharing knowledge, age-old wisdom, latest evidence-based techniques and lots of tender love + care embracing womanhood! 

I admit that I'm a little bummed that we missed Ibu Robin Lim by a few days in this place! She came to Puerto Princesa to have a little vacation time and connect with kindred souls for a project in the works which I am hugely excited about!

She is definitely one of our main inspirations for the Gentle Birth Movement in the Philippines. I will never forget how much she helped manifest the dreamy birth of my daughter, Maya. Last year, I brought 3-month old Maya to Bumi Sehat, Bali as homage to a true light in the field of sacred birth!

My parents, Maya and I visit Ibu Robin Lim in her hOMe

Irina, my doula, thank you for your great motherly energy leading this batch of participants. Here she is explaining the Gentle Birth essentials in the breezy green space of BK.

teaching optimal fetal positioning

Teaching the Rebozo technique

Clarity, thank you for holding space and sharing your inuitive painting module with our participants. Another useful release-work tool for pregnancy and any stage in our lives!

 I shared pre-natal yoga asanas which women can use at any trimester during pregnancy. Here I am wearing my very favorite Birthing themed shirt which I bought from Bumi Sehat, Bali. "How do you stay human?" Ask yourself this question at the time of the birth of your child. Is it humane the conditions that we give for love and growth to happen? Ask yourself these questions as we raise our spiritual children.

Photo taken by Irina

Timing was absurdly perfect because a volunteer who came to Bahay Kalipay the same time we started the retreat was a midwife from Germany named Isabel. She shared her expertise with everyone with much lightness and humor that really gave the mothers much more confidence in their decision to birth differently.

Here is Isabel using a pinard horn after palpation for the exact location to check the baby's heartbeat. 

Daniw spoke about eating a wholistic diet is one of the ways that mirror our lifestyle which will greatgly impact the baby in utero. Here she is below demonstrating how to introduce superfoods and local green leafy vegetables into everyday food. El Kalinado, another healer and teacher brings to life amazing nutrient dense food for everyone. I am sad to have missed out on the Avocado Chocolate Cream because I was teaching a pre-natal yoga class! 

photo credits to Isa for the collage

For the Mother Blessing Ritual, we also had men and non-preggies join us and it was just a solid community of celebrating the goddesses within us.

Coming together as a tribe of positivity helped elevate our consciousness of what pregnancy and birth is. This time of 10 moon cycles is so sacred and we as a society should protect it from otherwise.

For those interested in future workshops, we will have a repeat for the Sacred Pregnancy & Conscious Birth on April 18 at Casa Natura, San Juan. 

We are also conducting SACRED POST-PARTUM: A Mother's Honoring Workshop this Saturday, March 7 in Casa Natura.

Please email me at monica.eleazar@gmail.com or Irina at consciousbirthmanila@gmail.com if you would like to register. Limited slots only.