My story as a birthkeeper

I supported a birth for the first time when I was 15 years old. Because of how traumatizing was to witness the treatment received by my aunt at the hospital, I swore not to ever have a child of my own, and because of how recurrent the acts of violent misogyny that affected my cousins and mother, then my classmates and friends were, I avoided pregnant people, pregnancy-related conversations, and my mother's (nurse midwife) insider stories of hospital abuse altogether. It never clicked for me that there's no way for us to escape from that violence unless we choose to consciously see it and address it with the proper tools of cultural resilience.

My avoidance and continuous sexual and reproductive re-traumatizing led me to have self-destructive behaviors and avoid family and true friends altogether.

When I came to the States and was in a stable relationship, I felt that I wanted to have a child of my own. Self-improvement, self-care, and a process of mothering myself started, and as a consequence, the doors to forgiveness and ancestral healing opened to myself and my family.

I started my birth-keeping journey with myself, with that part of me that was hurt and ignored, and then the flow of life took me into birth-keeping through natural gynecology for friends and fellow dancers. During the pandemic, I supported a friend's pregnancy for the very first time. Thanks to her encouraging words, I dove into the world of full-spectrum doula work. After having a very disempowering and eye-opening experience during my pregnancy and birth, despite my studies and preparation, I figured that coming back to the root, of all my sexual and reproductive trauma, but also of my ancestral wisdom, was needed to help me and my family heal.

That's when I started my formal traditional partera training, with my family first and then my mamas parteras. My passion for supporting dignified birthing experiences through a very spiritual, Earth-centered, and ancestrally resourced approach led me to be here today, offering with humility my gifts and support to other Latino women who are disconnected from their families of origin, their land, and the unique support system they offer during the childbearing experience and the early mothering years.

Every support service I provide makes me grow as a person, as a mother, and as a professional, so I hold it dear in my heart and stay forever grateful for the opportunity. I also believe that healing is collective and that every time I support a dignified birthing experience, it helps to heal the wounded birthing stories of our families, blood ancestors, and the collective consciousness of those who inhabit our Mother Planet.

I would love to be able to serve you, grow, and heal hand in hand with you and your family.

Iveth ❤️