I'm still absorbing the work that we did yesterday in the workshop with Gena McCarthy.  It was an intense and highly informative workshop on healing trauma in birth. Understanding the trauma that we may have stored in our bodies from our very own birth can impact the experience during labor.  Do you know your own birth story?  Have you asked your mom about what she experienced?  Was it a long labor or a quick one?  Did it require medical intervention?  Was she nervous or scared?  Excited and confident?  Who was there to share in your birth day?  Although you may not think you can remember that far back, your body does.  Gena taught the class tips on how to reconnect to the trauma and to rewrite the story. By doing this you are able to heal from any anxiety, fear, shame, etc that may be surrounding the event.  I know that I left will new skills to help me manage even the small day to day stressors that produce anxiety in me (NYC subways, anyone?!). I look forward to adding the skills I learned yesterday to my doula toolkit and sharing with my clients.