Working with clay:

Constructing the pelvic floor.

A site of contention and socialised disconnection.

When you enter this experience for the first time, there is little guidance or support on how to prepare for birth and the postnatal period. I was asked, “Do you have any questions?” But what is a good question when you don’t yet know what you don’t know?

I began my pregnancy by following the standard advice: scans, blood tests, and routine appointments. A good patient follows the doctor’s instructions. Yet, at 30 weeks I realised that unless I took the time to educate myself, the entire experience would simply happen to me rather than with me.

I began exploring birth education and came across hypnobirthing. I found I was no longer a passive participant. I became informed. I had questions. I developed preferences for how I wanted to give birth. It was an empowering shift.

What’s important to say is that seeking this knowledge did not mean I was placing my baby in harm’s way. This is often the tension many women encounter: either comply without question, or risk being seen as irresponsible or self-centred for wanting agency in their own birth experience.

The mother becomes secondary. Encouraged to disconnect from her own body in the interests of the baby. Yet this detachment, I believe, serves neither mother nor their child.

Constructing the pelvic bone

I know my story is not isolated. My sister, my mother, my friends—many women have felt let down and disempowered by their birth and postnatal experiences.

This clay work is a continuation of this thread, of building knowledge. As I worked, I couldn’t help but think about how the historical subjugation of women continues to echo in contemporary contexts. Seeing where we are now requires looking at what has transpired.