The need for connection
As sentient beings, humans crave deep, meaningful relationships. Not only with our partner, but with our children, our family, our friends, and perhaps on a less intense level, our caregivers, our neighbours, the people we meet each day. Relationships are important. In motherhood, particularly in the early weeks, months and years, our relationships tend to take a shift. Our relationships with our partner may deepen at times, and at other times feel stretched thin. Our relationship with our community may weaken as we sometimes isolate ourselves as we take care of our little people at home. And the tapestry of our friendships may develop holes as we try hard to juggle the many demands of mothering, perhaps coming to the realisation that perhaps some of our values don’t easily align any longer.
As a mother myself, I felt this STRONGLY. Massive shifts in my relationships that left me lonely and isolated. But wanting to connect with others that felt the same way. Wanting to seek support from other parents that ‘get it’ and get ME.
I searched for this elusive tribe for a while… trying various mothers groups, playgroups and online groups but never really found my fit.
What was next?
The Birth Circle was born!
Just under two years ago, while expressing my frustration with this to a fellow birth-worker, a small spark was ignited. Cat Fancote, from Cat Fancote – Capturing Birth, and I talked and talked and talked about what we found was missing for mothers, for women, and soon after The Birth Circle was born. We worked to develop a group that would help mothers to fill in those missing pieces and give them the connection they seek.
The Birth Circle soon became a Perth pregnancy support group, a mother’s group, a networking circle and tribe-builder, attracting women considering pregnancy, pregnant women, new mothers, mothers of school-aged children, birth workers, and even now is drawing interest from Dads!
We’ve recently welcomed Tessa Simcox, from The Soulful Midwife, into the fold to help us to facilitate our growing circle. She brings to it depth, stillness and authenticity, and we are so honoured to share this space with her.
Our aim is to support, inspire and encourage women to make informed birth, postpartum and mothering choices, while focusing on connection and forming relationships with each other. It is a safe space with freedom to discuss fears and concerns, meet like-minded women, and find confidence and inspiration for our journies as women.
When and where is it?
During these challenging times as we face Covid-19, our meets have temporarily moved online. An invitation to connect online via Zoom is within each Facebook event. Our meets are held on the first Friday of the month, in the Community Space at The Organic Circle in Armadale. Each month we choose a topic for discussion where we ask questions, seek answers, share experiences, and support each other. Past topics have included What is a Positive Birth?, Antenatal Education Options in Perth, Building your Support Network, and Mental Health in Pregnancy and Postpartum. We also on occasion have guest speakers such as physiotherapists and other modalities. Sometimes we stay on topic, other times we move with the flow of the group and conversation drifts in a different direction. It is a truly wonderful pregnancy support group, mothers group, and tribe-building circle, with the support of professionals in the field of perinatal counselling, midwifery, doula work, birth photography, and antenatal education.
What happens there?
All are welcome to join us. Arrive by 9:15am to set yourself up. Head next door and grab a hot coffee and a delicious treat from the Organic Circle before we start, and they’ll deliver it to you at the Community Space when it’s ready. From there we’ll begin! We open the circle with a few ground-rules to ensure that everyone feels safe and respected throughout the morning, then we open up discussion. We want everyone to feel comfortable so there is absolutely no pressure to contribute to the discussion. Some women coming seeking answers to questions, some come to share their experiences, and others come to simply sit in circle and ‘be’ without having to say anything at all.
We know that many come to these meets to connect with like-minded women, so at around 10:30am we will wrap up discussions to spend the next half an hour connecting and chatting over coffee, getting to know each other a bit better, and growing our tribes. During this time Cat, Tessa and myself are available to pull aside for a private conversation if needed.
Join us…
Just click on the event link on the right of this page. And join our group The Birth Circle – Perth South, to be a part of our beautiful community.
Contact me with any questions or queries… we’d love to see you there.
Fiona x
My name is Fiona Rogerson and I am an ACA accredited perinatal and Perth women’s counsellor, and Hypnobirthing (Mongan Method) Practitioner. I work with women and men to overcome emotional and psychological hurdles surrounding conception, pregnancy, postpartum, parenting and identity. I am also available to provide professional development training and workshops to various organisations. I am based south of the river in Perth and can be contacted by email at fiona@fionarogerson.com.au or phone 0402 017 425 or via my contact page.
