Tag: pregnancy

A Conversation with Independent Midwife Angela Wakeford

Post author By Leah
Post date March 30, 2016
No Comments on A Conversation with Independent Midwife Angela Wakeford

I met Angela in her home in Fish Hoek at the end of 2015. She qualified and began working in nursing and midwifery in 1993 in South Africa and spent 15 years gaining extensive knowledge in the UK where she worked in varied care systems spanning prenatal, birth and perinatal care as well as advanced models of training: working intensively on hands-on “case studies” with immigrant women from India and Somalia.

She returned to South Africa in 2010 and immediately set up her own independent midwifery practice which functions from her home base where we met to chat.

Being a midwife verses working in government facilities, or, “the system”:

Angela spoke about her experiences working in South African Government run hospitals, which, apart from being badly subsidised, are also a space where most forms of the natural processes of birth have been lost by overworked staff who have lost sight of holistic midwifery. This, she said, is due to the systemised nature of government hospital practices. One of the typical outcomes of government facilities are therefore the fast offer of drugged pain relief and swiftly diverted labours which may show any complications, these are directed into the hands of surgeons.

Angela’s experience of witnessing labouring and pregnant women processed through this system is predominantly what led her to independent practice – a space with both a better income, kinder working hours and a holistic approach to midwifery, one which really encompasses individualised care, and the kindest treatment of labour and birth.

Our birthing industry is money and fear driven:

Angela and I continued to discuss how it is cheaper and safer to have a natural, home birth attended by a highly qualified midwife and doula as apposed to entering the hospital system. This fact is true for every woman who can afford medical aid in SA yet the insurance companies have set surprisingly low rates for natural birthing. Thus, those who can afford to make the choices are goaded into medicalised birthing and those women who can’t afford to make choices are fear driven to deliver their babies in hospitals due to, very often, a lack of access to knowledge.

Medicalised birth, Hollywood and the difficulties in wanting to be informed in our society.

Last year when I started looking into birthing and pregnancy in South Africa I became increasingly aware that I needed to explain myself to others when seeking information. I questioned this need to defend myself and came to the conclusion that, basically, it’s not ‘ok’ to know about birth, but it is ok to sexualise women’s bodies.

Funnily enough Angela brought this up herself when she spoke about a recent add campaign launched by South African Stationary brand BIC who, in celebration of Women’s Day last year posted the below add with the text reading: “Look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man, work like a boss”.

The advert which went viral on all online platforms defines how I feel when needing to explain that I’d like to educate myself about my body and birthing.

Images have become central to many of the interpretations we make about our bodies. Round bellied and romantic portraits of happy couples and rosey-cheeked newborns are what we’ve learned is the expected and normal. Everything in-between (birth and labour specifically) is illustrated by Hollywood. Screaming women in stirrups, the doctor-hero, the partner: emasculated and helpless. Birth is apparently not a place for us at all, leave it to the professionals, since our bodies obviously don’t know what they’re doing…so well illustrated by Monty Python in their 1983 film The Meaning of Life, they were ahead of their time!

“What do I do?!”, to which the reply “Nothing Dear, you’re not qualified!”.

The international Positive Birth Movement

The Positive Birth Movement (PBM) which Angela initiated in the Cape Peninsula and Southern Suburbs areas as well as the CBD is her proactive way of implementing change.

These monthly PBM meetings which she hosts consist of a mix of clients, doulas, midwives and other interested parties. The gatherings provide a sharing platform which is ultimately empowering for expecting parents. It provides discussions and information sharing in a relaxed setting which is conducive to creating a mind-set shift for how we approach birth.

This sounds like such an obvious, simple concept yet it’s not at all easy-to-come-by knowledge in South Africa.

Topics Angela mentioned had recently been covered included:

Giving men a more empowered role in birthing
The importance of seeing realistic images of labour and birth
The incorrect expectations created by media and Hollywood about birth

She’s found that opening communication channels like the PBM, has led to women making more natural decisions with regard to their birth.

How she works with her clients.

Midwives need a very supportive family since their working hours are so variable. Angela has created a structure and system that works beautifully for her: she only consults and does meetings/ classes (antenatal classes) in the morning and stands on-call for around five births a month (making her very much in demand). As of January this year Angela has joined Birth Options Midwifery Team.

65% of her clients choose homebirths and the majority are water births. She works with her clients from 6 weeks onward, building a detailed knowledge about the their history and pregnancy.

Because independent midwives have such an intimate and ongoing relationship with their clients it translates into excellent and very educated choices during pregnancy and the onset of labour.

During the last months of pregnancy she sees her patients weekly. This harmonious approach, (in comparison to an obstetrician who who meets far less with clients and sometimes only enter the delivery ward during the last 30 minutes) seems to me to be the most obvious and natural way forward in the birthing process.

In conclusion we discussed statistics on birthing in SA and some ideas around this which could bring change.

Angela had a student, shadowing her for some time recently who had had the brilliant idea to create a new data base or set of statistics for independent midwives. This platform would enable them to add data regarding the births they attend and the outcomes, thus creating a new set of statistics, one which would of course not be effected my medical aids and the like. A way to provide women with better information on which to make decisions regarding birth.

After meeting with Angela I realised how important it is for individuals (and communities of women like the PBM) to instigate changes through education and information sharing.

Angela also runs antenatal classes , you can find them at The Birth Hub
The positive Birth Movement Cape Town
The Positive Birth Movement South Peninsula.

Projects Women I've Shot

Birth: This is Alexia’s Story
The Birth of Isa, 15 September 2015

Post author By Leah
Post date January 20, 2016
No Comments on Birth: This is Alexia’s Story
The Birth of Isa, 15 September 2015

Alexia and Theo invited me into their birth space to document the birth of their baby girl. Alexia sent me a message on the morning of the 15th, four months ago already, and warned me that she had gone into labour during the early hours of the morning. We had planned to meet that morning to discuss her feelings about birth photography and having me in her space. No time for that now, she trusted my integrity and I awaited further instructions.

Not much later they moved from home to the Cape Medi-Clinic where I joined them mid-morning. I discreetly slipped into the labour room and greeted them both, almost the only words I spoke for the next 6 hours, and the only words I spoke to Alexia during her labour and birth.

It was a phenomenal and mind-altering experience. There are not many opportunities for one to be present at a birth (having no responsibility from a support or medical perspective) and it left me feeling like an honored witness and like a guardian of her space.

I’ve felt so “precious” about the resulting images (and experience) that it’s taken me months to publish! A few weeks after the birth Alexia sent me a reply to some questions I had for her about her choices and perspective, these I have incorporated along with the images to share her story.

How did you prepare yourself for your labour and birth?

I was so excited for the birth right from the start. I’ve had times, before falling pregnant, where the thought of natural birth was scary for me, but when I fell pregnant I was overcome by the faith and realization that natural childbirth is what my female body was made to do and that I am just one of many many women over many, many years that had given birth naturally.

I never for one moment doubted I, and my babe, could do it, and I never focused on the perceived ‘pain’ of labour but instead focused on the miracle of the journey and where that intensity could take me on other body levels – emotionally, mentally, spiritually.

Tell me a bit about your experience in labour and birthing your babe.

Wow. An intense, magical, challenging journey that took me into the deepest parts of myself. Physically one is taken to a place where you face yourself head on. I’d describe it as transcendental.
I was really aware that my daughter Isa and I were undertaking this challenging experience together, hand in hand so to speak.

I really wanted to be consciously present for her as she entered the world. Saying all that I was also quite amazed by just how physical it is. Nitty gritty basic physical human stuff! Pretty grounding & humbling. Seven weeks later and I’m still processing!

The above image reflects how Alexia looked throughout her labour,- like a Greek goddess, totally serene, inside her own world, peaceful. She reminded me so much of the two below paintings (of Danae).

What was your reason for wanting a natural birth in a hospital environment?

I wanted to birth as naturally as possible. I initially wanted a home birth but for various validated reasons my husband wasn’t comfortable with it and I was happy to accommodate him so that he could also have the birthing experience he desired. I chose a hospital I felt safe and comfortable in.

In hindsight, at home or in hospital, I managed to experience the birth I desired by going inward – the physical environment and happenings around me didn’t make much of a difference in the end.

How did you feel having me present in your birthing space?

I loved having you there! You were like a little guardian angel, quietly present.
You have a beautiful nurturing, gentle energy and I don’t think it would have been the same without you!

For a while you were the only woman in the room with us and I was very aware of that at the time and grateful for your presence.
The images speak for this I feel.

The moment Isa was born Alexia’s intense powerful and feminine force changed to emotion and wonder as she reached out crying and took her baby.

It was such a dramatic change in tone in the room I had to look up from the eyepiece of my camera for a second, bewildered that it was the same person who had just morphed life phases in those split seconds… I was astounded, the moment very surreal.

I documented the experience as objectively and honestly as I could. This meant that those moments which are so often excluded from our stories were ones that Alexia could choose to retain if she wanted to. For example; the birthing of her placenta which was intense, quite rough and painful, the blood and instruments that littered the trolley standing next to her bed….I incorporated it all.

Afterwards I asked Alexia what she wanted to see and she asked for everything.
She said that from her own perspective she had no idea of the goings-on outside the boundaries of her own body. Now, she wanted to see the experience from a the outside.

You made comments about your experiences in the weeks following the birth and that you felt that there was much information here that you would like to share?

Yes! Personally, I was quite shocked by how unprepared I was for those first weeks following the birth. I’ve grown up around babies, au paired new borns etc so I come from a place with some experience yet I felt completely overwhelmed at first.

I personally experienced huge amounts of emotional healing during this time, never mind the normal physical challenges and lifestyle changes (which one doesn’t really get until one experiences it) and with no personal support system, I found a huge need to share and connect with other moms.

I do feel there is a pressure to be socially silent about the challenges faced during this time for various reasons.
I do think there is a need, living in a modern, disjointed community, for open and honest sharing.

As with pregnancy and birthing, I really believe knowledge is the key to a positive experience. There is so much info and discussion around pregnancy and birthing but I feel a huge lack of communication about the postnatal phase of the experience.

I’m on a mission to really open up about this fourth trimester – I call it “keeping it real”.

It is so emotional to look at these images now!

I was so deep within myself at the time, I was unaware of so much going on around me. What a gift to be able to have that special moment recorded. And I’m thrilled my baby girl gets to witness her incredible entry into this world.

Tags birth photography cape town, birth story, birth story south africa, birthing, breast feeding, doula, labour, maternity photography cape town, natural birth, natural birth cape media clinic cape town, natural birth cape town, natural birth media clinic, newborn photography cape town, parenting, placenta, pregnancy

Interviews & Conversations Women I've Shot Women Related Happenings

An Interview with Doula & Peri-natal Yoga Instructor Harriet Came
Part II

Post author By Leah
Post date November 10, 2015
No Comments on An Interview with Doula & Peri-natal Yoga Instructor Harriet Came
Part II

A few days after I documented yoga instructor and doula Harriet Came teaching pre-natal yoga I attended a special evening event she hosts once or twice a month.
I watched as she guided a large group, all couples in their third-trimester of pregnancy, in a workshop on birthing support and yoga practices for labour.

The workshop was hosted in the evening at The Shala and lit primarily with candles. The large attic room was filled with soft music, nervous men and their heavily pregnant partners.
Harriet discussed the labour experience, oxytocin, postures and partner support. One could describe the workshop as a mini-doula training experience, it was holistically and sensitively approached.
After my own busy day it was soothing and inspiring to watch and quietly document the process Harriet led her clients through.

Afterwards I discussed some of the workshop and Harriets opinions on birthing with her, here is some of what she had to say:

What would you say best contributes to a happy pregnancy and confident birth?

In point form, I believe the following are the some of the most important factors:

Taking it seriously but not too seriously

Using it as permission to be soft, to nurture, nest, take care of yourself and not feel guilty about it

Good diet

Regular (non strenuous) exercise

Yoga

Tissue salt program

Homeopathy

Positivity

Genetics

Great support network

Supportive partner

Reading enough but not too much

Believing in yourself

Staying away from negativity

Letting go

Having a supportive and experienced birthing team

Society, usually via advertising/media, puts a lot of pressure on women to maintain a sassy, effortless, young identity and the iconic mother figure. This leaves no space for leaking breasts, stretch marks and exhaustion. How do these polished notions of women influence a mother’s experience/choices about birthing as well as her experience as a new mother? Have you noticed issues here for the women you’ve worked alongside?

This is a great question, and issues that I have to deal with on a daily basis in the industry that I work in, and as a 40 something mother myself.
I think it’s incredibly hard for a woman now. I think there are many things that come into play.

Firstly the media: We see so many celebrities/female roles models in the media having these perfect transitions into motherhood… the photo shoots, the seemingly effortless morphing back into their pre-birth weight, the movies, the magazines, the internet etc etc. So much of what we see is hype and photoshopping.

I don’t believe that there’s a woman, who, at some point, hasn’t wept at great length over breastfeeding, who hasn’t lost herself completely and felt overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task, who hasn’t realised that she will never truly be alone again and had moments of “what the fuck have I done”.

We live in a world where often the truth is completely glossed over in order for things to look more beautiful and, for a lot of women, the journey into motherhood is a complete shock.
This quest for perfection influences us without a doubt: sometimes in a good way, sometimes negatively.

On the positive side, women are very switched onto a healthy way of life during pregnancy. Pre-natal diet and exercise is well researched now, pregnancy apps that give us such an incredible visual journey through the 9 months are encouraging and insightful, different natural birthing techniques, superb pain relief during birth, information on post natal recovery… all these things that can make a real, positive difference to a pregnancy and a successful and fulfilling birth.

But, I think on the downside, women now want it all because we see so many other women in media who appear to have it.

We want the perfect bump and a body to match. We want a beautiful family, we want to birth idyllically, we want to breastfeed, we want to have successful marriages, we want to have a career, we want to have a strong network of friends, we want the good body, the beautiful skin, the kids that eat broccoli and don’t watch TV, we want to eat organically, we want the best schools and the 4×4’s…

My experience is that you can’t have it all without something giving… and my advice (mainly anecdotal I hasten to add) is to be true to yourself, to let go a little and to realise that so much of what was important pre-kids, really isn’t anymore.

I work very hard to create this support network through my post natal classes, whastapp groups amongst students, an address book of professionals to supply to my students, regular tea parties/forums for a local support and community, great websites/blogs that give a real and encouraging insight into motherhood and life with kids.

Many of us are having our children late in life; I did myself and I’d say well over 50% of my students are in their mid to late 30’s. In the first 6 months of last year I had 4 news mums having their first child in their early and mid 40’s (fabulous to witness something wanted and waited for so much). As a result, women have a lifestyle that is more affluent, more selfish, more sorted (emotionally and financially) than the younger mums and I often see them struggle in the beginning as they realise that the spontaneity and glamour of their ‘selfish’ life is being replaced by nappies, sleepless nights, leaking breasts, marital strife and pureed butternut squash.

Of course as women, they adapt and cope, but it’s definitely a shift in society and culture since our parents parented and something that I don’t think many of us are aware of or expecting.

After meeting a number of South African doulas and midwives I’ve been surprised at how very differently each approaches her profession.
Hence our conversation gave me a new perspective. Your approach struck me as kind of go-between in that you focus a lot on your clients having a pro-active experience which is influenced by the kind of person they are to start with.

My attitude is simple. I’d love for every birth that I go to to be natural, drug free, 5 hours long, candlelit and peaceful! But it’s not about me. It’s about the mother and the father and the kind of birth that they want.
I guess I’m not really ‘pro’ anything, or, perhaps, I’m ‘pro’ everything!
I’m supportive of all kinds of birth, as long as the parents recognise what they want to work towards and make informed choices as they go through their pregnancy to try and achieve that.

As a result of this approach I support all types of birth happily and with no judgement, whatever they are; natural, caesarean, drug free, medicated, epidurals, hypnobirthing, home births.

I have helped clients make decisions to have elective Caesareans (for whatever reason), and I’ve helped clients go from wanting an elective Caesarean to choosing and preparing for a drug free vaginal birth.

As long as they are happy with the choices they make for their birth, I’m happy, and I feel that I’m doing my job.
Some births don’t quite go according to the wishes of the parents, and at that point, my job is to help make the birth as peaceful and fulfilling as I can do and support a couple as they make the transition into parenthood.

A birth day is the most magical, intense, fulfilling and extraordinary day of a mothers (and fathers) life.
The day that one gets to meet ones child for the first time and breathe in that intoxicating love is irreplaceable. This is why I tell my clients that the most important things they can do is to make decisions around their birth according to what they want. I ask them to try not to listen to judgement or opinion, and to employ a support team (Obstetrician, midwife, doula etc.) that they trust implicitly to help them prepare themselves and hopefully achieve the birth that they wish for.

A last quote I liked from Harriet…..

Being pregnant and becoming a mum is not always glamorous or beautiful. Birthing (particularly naturally) certainly is not. It is raw, challenging, exhausting, instinctive (often primal) and at times not always intensely fulfilling. For me, it’s about understanding your needs as a woman and mother, blocking out the negativity, and then drawing on a real, truthful yet positive information sources or support systems of which there are many!

A few weeks after attending this event at The Shala I was present at the labour and birth of one of her clients, also a friend of mine. It was the first time I had the honour of witnessing birth as well as the responsibilities of the different people present during a birth. What an experience! More on this later…

Harriet, thank you for sharing your insights and having me present during your classes. More on what Harriet does here.

Tags candle lit yoga, cape town doula, cape town events for couples, cape town happenings for women, cape town pregnancy, cape town prenatal yoga class, cape town yoga, couples perinatal yoga, doula, doula course for dads, expecting parent, harriet came, preggy yoga, pregnancy, The Shala Yoga, yoga

Women I've Shot

Pregnancy Portrait: This is Ursula

Post author By Leah
Post date September 18, 2015
No Comments on Pregnancy Portrait: This is Ursula

I met Ursula a number of years ago and was thrilled to be commissioned to shoot a series of pregnancy portraits of her as well as capture some family moments afterwards with herself, her daughter and her husband.

Ursula was pregnant with her second child, and in her third trimester when we worked together. The pregnancy portraits we shot were very simple but bold. I lit her with one light, set back, to just highlight her silhouette plus a little bit more detail created by a poly board on her other side.

There is a decadence in the profile of a pregnant women which I love. The shapes are so beautifully abundant. Every line of the female body becomes enhanced so that a series of interconnected spheres take over the body.

Heavily pregnant women, especially when shot in this style, remind me of the Venus of Willendorf, a paleolithic sculpture associated with fertility and childbearing (picture below).

Ursula and I also shot a few images with her young daughter in an embrace, the resulting image I find to be a special reflection of motherhood.
Together their bodies become a knot of warmth, love and nurturing.

Tags B&W nudes, B&W photography, cape town photographer, cape town photography, cape town pregnancy photo, cape town studio photography, leah hawker, Leah Hawker cape town photographer, nude photography, pregnancy, Pregnancy photoshoot, pregnant portrait