Birth: A New Story

Use the community code SAMARA-10 for a 10% discount on the Birth: A New Story CourseThrough the lens of philosophy, pre and perinatal psychology, traditional midwifery, anthropology and modern medicine, this course invites us to widen our understanding about birth and its deep interrelationship with the rest of our lives. It explores what is possible beyond the dominant story about birth and how we can collectively create a new story that is in service of thriving life.

Through the lens of philosophy, pre and perinatal psychology, traditional midwifery, anthropology and modern medicine, this course invites us to widen our understanding about birth and its deep interrelationship with the rest of our lives. It explores what is possible beyond the dominant story about birth and how we can collectively create a new story that is in service of thriving life. USE THE DISCOUNT CODE SAMARA-BIRTH-10 to get 10% off the course. You can register HERE

This episode is a rich conversation between Theodore Lowry, host of the Story Paths podcast, and myself. It was an absolute pleasure to be interviewed by Theodore and to have the opportunity to bring all my contemplations, research and sensing together into a wholesome conversation which completes the first season of the birth a new story podcast, before I take a pause to give my full attention to the film which is entering its post production phase.  In this conversation we explore how birth, like life, unfolds in different fields of belief. We contemplate the natural design of birth or birth's holy architecture as a reflection of our human potential for deeper states of love, trust and empathy. Of course, we cover the deep interrelationship between birth and sex. And we also allow our minds and hearts to imagine a world where a council of pregnant women is consulted for important world decisions and a world where humans live in kinship with the life force that created us. You can support Birth: A New Story HERE

Eva Maria Bredler is a PhD student, editor, and dancer from Germany. In her PhD, she’s exploring human rights in the context of pregnancy and childbirth. Her work seeks to bring the body back into the law – a sphere mostly inhabited by rational, autonomous legal subjects without bodies or relationships. As such, the law is unable to grasp pregnancy and childbirth as connected and embodied experiences. While doing research at the University of Oxford, she fell in love with social dancing. Trained as a ballet dancer, she is now focussing on Bachata and wants to inspire people to reconnect both to their own and other people’s bodies on a deeper level. You can support Birth: A New Story HERE Photography by Imogen Love

Matiga is a Space holding Birthworker & Massage therapist from South East London. Walking with women and families along different stages of their maternal journey, she is honoured to witness the transition to earthside by many bright souls that have trusted her presence.  Matiga is currently being gently called to support during the other major life transition, that being departures, and she is excited to see where the roads lead next. To learn more about Matiga's offerings, please visit https://www.makebadoula.co.uk/ You can support Birth: A New Story HERE

Raised in the hip hop and muslim community in South London, Nicola Mahdiyyah Goodall has been involved in birth for almost thirty years. She was guided by her adopted mama Rifat Peggy Nafisa Brown - a traditional midwife taught by God, her local Grand Midwives and her local indigenous elders in Portland. Officially trained in 2002 with Michel Odent as one of the first Paramana Doulas. She works actively not only as a doula, but is also part of many different initiatives which promote good health for women. She is the founder of the Red Tent Doulas training initiative and the director of the Wysewomen - a series of learning circles aimed at women sharing with women through storytelling, publications and healthy social media, to bring back traditional practices in our modern world, a growing apothecary and a publishing company. Red Tent now includes End of Life doula, traditional postpartum, TCM and radical educators preparation. She utilises her many ancestral lines and endeavours to weave them all together to bring back the traditional universal healing modalities we have discarded. To learn more about Nicola Goodall please visit: https://nicolathebirthkeeper.com/ For Red Tent Doula courses and information please visit: https://redtentdoulas.co.uk/ You can support Birth: A New Story HERE

In this conversation, Samara Concepción invites Natalie Feary to share how she created the conditions within and around herself to experience an ecstatic home birth after a difficult J incision caesarean.  Natalie is a mother to two children aged 9 and 5 and was born and grew up in London with a Mexican mother and English father. She has worked extensively as a politics and business journalist for both print and broadcast media and is the co-owner of two Mexican restaurants by the name of Santo Remedio in London. Natalie had a wonderful birth experience with the birth of her second child, Cecilia, which was transformative in many ways. BIRTH: A New Story is an upcoming documentary film by Samara Concepción that explores what is possible beyond the medical model of birth. You can support Birth: A New Story HERE

This episode is my second interview with birthkeeper, birth educator and birth activist, Kemi Johnson.  In this episode we focus on dissolving some of the most deeply ingrained myths about birth with the intention of creating new possibilities for families beyond the dominant story about birth. Kemi Johnson is an experienced Birthkeeper, former NHS and former Independent Midwife in the UK. She provides services to women and families who are seeking more than the conveyor-belt style of care and education that the NHS is providing people with currently.  As well as working with first-time mothers-to-be, Kemi also helps people unravel their thoughts regarding previous birth experiences. They walk away lighter, more informed and able to plan future births with strength and confidence restored. Half of Kemi’s work is dedicated to coaching other Birthkeepers in their power to support families all over the world.  To find out more about Kemi’s work, please visit https://www.kemibirthjoyjohnson.com/ You can support Birth: A New Story HERE

Kemi Johnson is an experienced Birthkeeper, former NHS and former Independent Midwife in the UK. She provides services to women and families who are seeking more than the conveyor-belt style of care and education that the NHS is providing people with currently.  As well as working with first-time mothers-to-be, Kemi also helps people unravel their thoughts regarding previous birth experiences. They walk away lighter, more informed and able to plan future births with strength and confidence restored. Half of Kemi’s work is dedicated to coaching other Birthkeepers in their power to support families all over the world.  To find out more about Kemi’s work, please visit https://www.kemibirthjoyjohnson.com/ You can support Birth: A New Story HERE

Wholistic Sexuality teacher Sheri Winston is a groundbreaking, award-winning author and teacher who offers empowering, entertaining erotic education for everyone. She’s the author of the award-winning Women’s Anatomy of Arousal: Secret Maps to Buried Pleasure (which I personally couldn’t recommend enough) and Succulent SexCraft: Your Hands-On Guide to Erotic Play and Practice. She’s also a contributor to the award-winning Secrets of the Sex Masters. Sheri is the founder of the Intimate Arts Center. She offers pleasure-centered sex-ed for grown-ups via a wide variety of practical and transformational intimate arts educational recorded online classes, books and blogs. Sheri’s unique holistic offerings are informed by over two decades as a sexuality teacher, on top of decades of practice as a certified nurse-midwife, gynecology practitioner, registered nurse, childbirth educator and massage therapist. Sheri delights in inspiring people to have a lot more pleasure, fun and fulfillment! To find out more about Sheri’s offerings, please visit https://intimateartscenter.com/ You can support Birth: A New Story HERE