Labor Pains – Essence, Meaning and Reality
Hagit Ben-Shahar
It all started at the end of 1999 on a pleasant winter day in the Galilee. I entered a large room, and I remember the feeling: a combination of contraction and excitement. And also, a kind of inner knowledge that the moment has arrived! The moment for what?! I didn't know, I just knew with all my heart that the time had come for the next thing for me, the gate has opened! All I have to do is keep walking into the unknown that is waiting for me on the other side.
In that large room I first encountered Rebirthing, a diagnostic and treatment tool that since enabled me to learn, experience first-hand, treat and teach the effect of the beginning of life: formation, pregnancy and birth, and beyond. The years since that formative weekend have been full of activity, insights, writing and guidance, I have gained a lot of knowledge and experience. The desire to create an exhibition on this essential topic occurred to me after visiting an exhibition at the Haifa Museum.
With this vision, I approached Anat Lidror, curator and director of Givat Haviva Art Gallery, and from there things started to grow.
We were all born - at the moment, this is the only entry way to be accepted as a resident of planet Earth.
The enormous and amazing wonder of the pairing of two sex cells, a sperm and an egg, and their transformation into a human being that lives, thinks, feels, dreams (already in the womb), creates, builds and achieves - is known to all of us as an everyday, common phenomenon. But what is the essence and meaning of life here on earth?
The experiences that the fetus has in the womb are not always pleasant, and modern-day birth is not a simple experience for most newborns (even for C-section babies). How does it happen that early life experiences shape us for the rest of our lives? How are our relationships, mental and physical health, our smallest choices from the moment we wake up in the morning (probably) affected by our birth?
What is birth trauma? Is every birth supposed to be traumatic? Is it possible to prevent a distressing birth?
Is it only experienced by mothers, women who give birth? Or maybe even babies may suffer from it? How do you know if your baby experienced a traumatic birth? And the fathers? And the medical staff? And the doulas and other supporters?
Can a traumatic birth be processed? What is its role in our lives? Why did this happen to me?! To us?!
We will discuss all of these in a series of encounters that will take place as part of the exhibition:
What happens to the fetus? - Tuesday, 12.11.24
Birth trauma: parents, baby and staff - how do you know? - Tuesday, 19.11.24
Processing birth trauma - possible at all ages (including in the womb) - Tuesday, 26.11.24
Anat and I have been dreaming, talking and building Labor Pains for about three and a half years. The face of the world, the country and the inner space of all of us have changed in these years, starting with the pandemic and ending with the long war that we are all experiencing from 7.10.23. The contents and our availability to engage in it have ebbed and flowed with the waves raging around us. At the same time, all along the way, our inner beacon shone with the desire to illuminate for all of us the essence, meaning and reality of birth in this country, human birth and the birth of a new Israel. These births are intertwined.
I know that when we are born with love, when all those involved in the labor of birth are embraced, the future of all of us is destined for goodness, joy, prosperity, well-being and lots of love.
You are invited to experience, listen and share your labor/birth experience.
Let's dream together for a new and possible future that we will bring about.
Hagit Ben-Shahar