Michelle Carnochan BHSc
Under a Piscean sun in the heyday that was 1978, I was surgically removed from my 20 year old mother’s womb in what turned out to be an unnecessary intervention based on the fear and panic of others. Perhaps this was the catalyst for seeking a better way to bring forth children into the world. Although I witnessed the beauty of a breastfeeding brother who self-weaned just after he turned 2 and the instinctive willingness of my parents to share their ‘big bed’ with 2 little wrigglers, I did not fully come to appreciate the beauty of pregnancy and birth until I was 9 years old and had just begun my own journey into the blossoming of womanhood. It’s amazing how much the creation can teach us if we allow it. My cat who was a serial summer birther invited me into her inner circle for the first time to witness the birth of her final kitten. This magical experience changed everything for me. The way I viewed womanhood and the way I viewed birth. It told me that all things are possible when we follow the Divine design.
When I was eleven I broke my sacrum which resulted in a slightly twisted pelvis and scoliosis. At the time my mother was told I would have great difficulty in childbirth if I ever came to that and would most likely need surgical intervention. Eleven years later when I found out I was pregnant with my first baby my stubborn inner streak (or perhaps a cellular knowing, a desire to set things right and break a perpetual cycle of fear) and my trust in God determined that I was to have a homebirth. Despite the odds, I did achieve my first homebirth for my first babe, fearlessly, joyfully.
This encouraged the fruition of my passion for a conscious pregnancy, birth, and early parenting experience. I attended the first homebirth of a friend not long after and having reconnected with my midwife I embarked on a journey that now sees me as a Birthkeeper. My training in Natural Health and as a doula and independent childbirth educator, as well as my subsequent births gave me the confidence to put my ultimate trust in this beautiful design, and the Designer. My mission now as a Birthkeeper is to encourage women to find their own inner midwife, to explore the limitless potential of their own God-given mothering abilities for their own and their children’s total wellbeing.
Children Learn What They Live.
If a child lives with criticism,
He learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility,
He learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule,
He learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame,
He learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance,
He learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement,
He learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise,
He learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness,
He learns justice.
If a child lives with security,
He learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval,
He learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,
He learns to find love in the world.
My Life Experience
- Vegetarian for 17 years
- Raw vegan practicing Natural Hygiene since 2006 (low fat raw vegan/fruitarian since 2009)
- Mother of three (two boys and a girl, aged 8,4 and 2)
- Three homebirths - two of which were unasissted (freebirth), two were also Lotus born (placenta left attached until it dried and came off by itself)
- Practiced continuum concept/attachment parenting with all three children (co-sleeping, term breastfeeding, babywearing, nappy free/elimination communciation, gentle discipline)
- At the time of writing (April 2011) I have breastfed for a total of 8 years problem-free and I am still feeding my 2 year old daughter. I have breastfed all of my childern until they have chosen to self-wean.
- Currently home-educating our children.
Formal Qualification & Work Experience
- Bachelor of Health Science
- Advanced Diploma of Classical Homoeopathy
- Advanced Diploma of Botanical Medicine
- Diploma of Naturopathic Nutrition
- Certified Doula (Traditional Birth Attendant)/ Spiritual Midwifery, including hypnosis for birth and Blessingway facilitation.
- Independant Childbirth Educator
- T.C. Fry's Life Science course (personal interest 2010)
- Have worked as the consulting naturopath in a health food store (2000)
- Have worked in a naturopathic pathology lab and asissted in Live Blood Analysis, Clot retraction testing, IgG allergy testing, hair analysis and thermography. (2000-2002)
- Supported many women and families during pregnancy and birth in home, birth centre, and hospital including freebirth through to family centred caesarean. Have also traveled internationally to support at birth. (2004-present)
My passion is exploring the childbearing year & the continuum of gentle heart-centred parenting for a sustainable future through Holistic Nutrition. My birth stories can be found at http://fruitfaery.com/about/my-birth-stories/
As a Holistic Nutrition advocate I belive that what we put into our bodies has a profound affect on our thoughts and our actions, not just it's affect on our physical being. We find that as we transition to a cleaner, simpler and more species specific diet we release ourselves from many karmic shackles. Our hearts fill with compassion and a joy for life. I have healed and overcome many health challenges through a low fat raw vegan (fruitarian) diet and Hygienic lifestyle, including post-natal depression, intense period pain and chronic fatigue. By raising my children according to these principles I provide for them a sound health insurance, I help activate their own optimum potential and lay the foundation for lifelong wellebeing. In turn this begins the process of laying down solid foundations of wellbeing for generations to come. I believe that this is my responsibility as a parent and a co-inhabitant of this planet.
As a Spiritual Midwife my endeavour is to awaken the innate midwife within each mother. I encourage autonomous pregnancy and birth in order to empower the new mother, helping her realize that motherhood is about the co-creation of consciousness within herself, her child, her partner and their family . Coupled with a natural Hygienic Lifestyle this is a very simple yet powerful way to bring about a loving, compassionate and sustainable future. Our current Maternity system as well as our general Health care system is based on fear and the profits that generates. How many of us grew up conditioned by the media and other disenchanted women (also a product of this conditioning) to fear chilbirth and it's apparent associated drama? This has been a very dangerous set-back in our conscious evolution because it makes us doubt our innate design and abilities and it alienates us from nature and the rest of creation. Birth activist Suzanne Arms once said;
If we hope to create
a non-violent world
where respect and kindness
replace fear and hatred
We must begin
with how we treat each other
at the beginning of life.
a non-violent world
where respect and kindness
replace fear and hatred
We must begin
with how we treat each other
at the beginning of life.
For that is where
our deepest patterns are set.
From these roots
grow fear and alienation
~or love and trust.
our deepest patterns are set.
From these roots
grow fear and alienation
~or love and trust.
(Suzanne Arms www.birthingthefuture.org)
I advocate for women who choose to birth at home with a midwife or unasissted (freebirth) or wherever they choose but I do not endorse and will not support families who knowingly choose harmful practices that are incongruent with creating optimum wellbeing and a compassionate consciousness.I do not advocate, endorse or support the use of animal products, vaccinations, drug use, unnecessary supplementation, feeding infants artificial breast milk or unnecessary (and often routine) medical procedures.
I believe in clear and congruent education to facilitate the process of autonomous health care.
