We are a multi-cultural, multilingual partnership of birth keepers united in our vision, values and service.
In 2019 Sumati brought together a team of doulas-in-service and from the heart-energy of the resultant community Life Circle Birth was conceived.
As the year evolved that soul-energy coalesced and we birthed a founding partnership with shared mission, vision and intention. We took as our teachers the nurse-logs found in the cloud-forests of the Northwestern United States.
Our roots are entwined and our hearts and vision encompass the world.
Yes we dare to dream. To dream of a future where birth is without fear and where compassion leads.
Where families new and old are nurtured, where community thrives and flourishes, peace reigns and the earth is revered in her rightful place as Mother to us all.
In this fragile and frying world – we dare to dream.
Community
Our model of working is that of a community or village based system. It is organic, dynamic and resilient. It is compassionate, simple and direct.
We wish to acknowledge that this work would not be possible without standing on the shoulders of mothers, and grandmothers around the world who have carried held, shared and developed wisdom and showed us and continue to show us infinite paths and possibilities. We do this with them, for them and hope to pass on what we have learned so it may be of benefit to you.
We all strive to support each other and collaborate to support you.
Each of us has dedicated our lives and careers to nurturing families in our own unique ways. We bring our full strengths, talents and heart to you.
Our Guiding Values
Community-based, ‘village’ model of working together.
Cultural humility
Openness and curiosity. ‘Sadhana‘ – we never stop learning from each other and from you.
Holding collective wisdom. Our work is to actively collect, learn, understand, practice and build on wisdom that we receive from mothers, fathers, grandmothers and aunts, big siblings… we are a living library knowledge and techniques that have been hard won through lived experience, passed down from our ancestors and gained through insight.
Building, healing, growing, nurturing, bonding, repairing – we are committed to looking for the path that heals and nurtures each family, community and individual – we draw from the notion of ‘inter-being‘.
“Being held while being free is the definition of true love”. We hold you and you are free. We teach without judging, nurture without controlling; we love you – and we set you free.
Our differences are our strengths. We do not always agree with each other but we always listen and honor one another’s lived experience. Just like we honor your own family’s unique experience. Each pregnancy, birth and postpartum is unique.
Trauma aware and trauma informed. We work with the hard things and the joyful things. The things that are spoken and the things that don’t have to be spoken.
We are safe spaces and safe relationships, confidentiality is held dear, we are affiliated with no political, ethnic, racial, religious, corporate or other agenda and we fight to remain that way.
We tussle with our biases whenever they come up so that we may remain free and open. We are human and offer our humanity and real connection. We bring our whole selves.
We do not market or endorse any products implicitly. Our writing and recommendations are our own individual opinions and cannot be bought or funded. If we find we have been influenced or misled by sources of information we were convinced to believe were free and independent we, correct, romove or revise. We may change our opinions.
We are professionals. We do this for a living. We pay our bills, buy our meals, feed our children, drink our tea, grow our gardens tend to our elders, fix our cars, grow our network and knowledge, learning and skills from the money we charge for our time and work.
We maintain a fund to sponsor care for the families who need it but cannot afford to pay us. The fund is mainly filled and maintained by those of you in our community who donate to support our services for families. We thank you for your nurture and kindness.
Our writing
Recipes for healing – Beet Fennel and Carrot Borscht
Recipe to build blood – pregnancy and postpartum This Borscht-style Soup is delicious, soothing on the stomach and a very healthy way to eat plenty of beets. Beets help with building blood during pregnancy and postpartum and are very nourishing. Ingredients: 4 Medium beets peeled and cubed 2 Medium carrots peeled and sliced 1 fennel…
Traditional Postpartum Series – Recipes
Lactation Snacks and Foods – Gondh Laddu A popular snack for lactating mothers in India, especially in winter is “Gondh Laddu”. Gondh Laddus are energy orbs made with “Gondh”(edible gum) roasted and powdered nuts, dried fruit, roasted grains, warming spices, ghee and jaggery/whole sugar. Gondh or edible gum is widely used in many nutritionally loaded preparations.…
Life Circle Birth International 