Our Philosophy

Our Mission:

İçsel Doğum, as the Turkish sister of America’s Birthing From Within (Birthing From Within), shares t
he same mission to inspire and teach expectant and new parents, and those who work with them, to:

• Prepare for birth as a Rite of Passage.
• Understand the power and life-long impact that “birthing from within” offers all participants in birth.
• Co-create holistic prenatal care that is informative, transformative, and builds a foundation for birthing in awareness in our birth culture, whatever the birth location or outcome or events of the birth.
• Prevent or minimize emotionally difficult births (for parents and professionals) through compassionate, honest preparation.

 

Our Philosophical Assumptions and Guiding Principles:

From the book, Birthing From Within (Book purchase):

• Childbirth is a profound rite of passage, not a medical event (even when medical care is part of the birth).
• The essence of childbirth preparation is self-discovery, not assimilating obstetric information. The teacher (mentor) is “midwife” to the parents’ discovery process, not the expert from whom wisdom flows.
• Childbirth preparation is a continually evolving process (for parents and teachers), not a static structure of techniques and knowledge.
• Parents’ individual needs and differences help determine class content.
• Active, creative self-expression is critical to childbirth preparation.
• The purpose of childbirth preparation is to prepare mothers to give birth-in-awareness, not to achieve a specific birth outcome.
• Pregnancy and birth outcome are influenced by a variety of factors, but can’t be controlled by planning.
• In order to help parents mobilize their coping resources, it is critical for childbirth classes to acknowledge that unexpected, unwelcome events may happen during labor.
• Parents deserve support for any birth option which might be right for them (whether it be drugs, cesarean, home birth, or bottle-feeding).
• Pain is an inevitable part of childbirth, yet much can be done to ease suffering.
• Pain-coping practices work best when integrated into daily life, rather than “dusted off” for labor.
• Fathers and birth partners help best as birth guardians or loving partners, not as coaches; they also need support.
• For parents, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum is a time of continuous learning and adjustment; holistic support and education should be available throughout that period.
• Childbirth preparation is also parent preparation.