Glimpses of Life Lately

A kaleidoscopic stream of consciousness musings. It’s been a while since I wrote a blog post so I thought I’ll write about what I’ve been up to. This year and last year has been filled with so many memorable events and happenings. I’ll start with my time last summer at the birthing home in Taytay, Philippines.

Waterbirth

Witnessing and attending my first birth at the birthing home was a water birth!

A humble birth room

One of the laboring rooms in the birthing home. Traditional midwifery care is simple yet powerful.

Precious one

Holding one of the babies that I helped deliver (with my teacher midwife's help, of course!) earth-side. Such a precious moment I'll never forget.

Palengke

Morning stroll around the neighborhood farmer's market during my off-call hours. I miss the fruits!

Traditional Filipino food

Can't forget my roots through food!

Midwifery skills

Learning midwifery skills as a birthworker doula from Filipina midwives was such an honor.

Prenatal classes

Glimpse of one of the prenatal class' topic, which is around nutrition.

Community Care

Providing quality midwifery care door-to-door.

There’s something about having an all-Filipino birth team, the Filipino families we served in the birth room, and seeing the magic of traditional midwifery care—the ancestral power is palpable. This is something we’ve always done for thousands of years.

If you want to learn more about my journey at the birthing home in Taytay, here’s a glimpse (power point slides) from my skill-share report back to my colleagues at Northwest Reproductive Justice Collective (NRJC). I’m happy to share that I’m currently planning a project come to fruition about collaborating with the elder midwives that I learned from and to showcase some of their work in my local community here in Portland, so stay tuned for that! I’m continually learning from my teachers, elder midwives to this day because we still keep in contact. Sometimes I process with them the births I’ve attended and how to move through vicarious trauma. This work is so rewarding but it’s also so exhausting, I’m grateful I can lean on my teachers and guides when I need it.

I’ve been grateful to have had the time and access to visit my homelands a few times lately. It’s something that I hope to do is to visit my once a year or so. There are lands that I’m stewarding when I’m home, as well as deepening connections with my family and communities there. This year I won’t be visiting though, but I am planning to next year! Other memorable moments lately pictured here:

Medicine Making

When I'm not attending births or seeing clients, I love making herbal medicine. Here's a small batch of "The Birther's Salve" that I gift to my clients during postpartum. Some of the herbs are grown in my garden, like calendula blooms!

Medicine from the garden

Excellent for nipple balm, diaper rash, and minor skin conditions.

Doula Panel

I was at a doula panel in Vancouver, WA in collaboration with Community Doula Alliance (CDA).

Basket of ceremony

On my way to my client's blessing ceremony that's included (optional) in my Blooming Birth Doula package!

Self Heal Herb

Morning harvest of self heal herb that will turn into an oxymel.

Filipino community apothecary

I recently joined Portland's Filipino Bayanihan Center's Community Based-Health Program as one of the practitioners and community herbalist. Reading about ancestral herbs, so dreamy!

Herbal talks

Hosting an herbal talk at the Filipino community center with my friend Rubi.

Meditation Retreat

I went to a Buddhist meditation retreat this year at Joshua Tree, CA. Wow, I'm in love with the desert.

Dharma

Meaningful note from my dharma teacher.

Scrapbooking

Started scrapbooking to combat workaholism and burnout! Because that is so real in this work too. Making time for non-work related activities that bring me joy.

Other updates: I have a Testimonials page now! If you’re a past doula client or herbal medicine customer and would like to leave me testimonial/review of my services, please send me an email through my Contact. In addition, if you’re a birthworker, midwife, or small business owner who would like to showcase my work/add me to your referral list/collaborate, please reach out, I’d love to connect over tea together sometime!