Clancy’s Path From Trauma to Free Birth and Healing Doula Work

Clancy is an Australian based birth worker and mother of three. Although she had planned to birth her first baby at home, instead she ended up with a traumatic hospital birth experience. 

In this podcast episode Clancy shares with us the terrain she has traversed in the 8 ½ years since Louie’s birth, including an early loss experience followed by a four years long journey to conceive her next baby. She talks about the solo bush retreat she went on for 4 nights with just water and a tarp, a life-changing ceremonial undertaking that enabled her to drop into full trust when she became pregnant again. This time she had a wild pregnancy and free birth, an incredibly healing experience despite the fact that Clancy was really sick when she went into labour! And it was not to be her last birth either… she found herself unexpectedly pregnant when Opal was 9 months old.

Clancy also shares about her doula work and why she no longer attends births within the system, as well as the role she plays in supporting others to heal after a traumatic birth. I’d been looking forward to talking with Clancy for some time, and now I’m excited to get to share her story and her wisdom with you.

Also discussed:

• unhelpful 'optimal positioning' focus
• PROM, ARM, posterior baby
• 'good girl' impacts
• obstetric violence
• forceps & episiotomy
• postpartum incontinence
• prophylactic antibiotics for baby
• early birth/miscarriage
• conception struggles
• slow birth of placenta
• doula training
• birthing physiology & what interferes with it (causing unnecessary trauma)
• Healing a bad second degree tear naturally

Follow Clancy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womancraftway/