What does a bat say to you? When I think of bats I think of the bat doula. Yes, bats are always supported in birth by another female, as are many animals, and traditionally so were women around the world. When I moved into my current home I knew it was the right home for me, when two weeks after settling in a pregnant bat came to rest above my front door. Within days a second bat joined her, I knew this was another female the bat doula/midwife. Actually she is a midwife as she not only encourages the laboring mother to use gravity and turn head up for the first time. Usually bats hang head down, bottoms up, which is really hard to push a baby out against gravity. When the laboring bat turns around the baby now comes easily but the poor baby would hit the ground if the midwife bat didn’t catch him/her and gently return them to their mother. I have always had a fascination with bats since knowing this story and 16 years ago having the bats visit me felt like the perfect connection to my path as a doula and a doula trainer helping women reconnect to this circle of support in birth with other women and partners. Recently, I had another opportunity to get close to a bat while in Bali please see the photo above. It was a man’s pet and it was so gentle- it even knew its name and responded when called. I thanked the Bali bat for helping me years ago to understand how nature brings us closer to our friends, and other females in birth. Soon I will be sharing even more secrets of why female companionship makes such a difference in improving birth outcomes, as I am filming new clips for our upcoming Pain to Power: Orgasmic Birth Online Birth Experience.
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