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Being a Death Midwife – Part 2

May 17, 2015 Posted By Admin

Taking care of Kate, before and after her death, was my first experience as a “Death Midwife.” Up until the 20th century, death care such as that our community gave Kate, was a common family and community undertaking (forgive the play on words).

So, what is “death midwifery?” In the words of Cassandra Yonder from Cape Breton,

“Death midwifery is a social movement: it is village making. It is a grassroots response to the cultural alienation we are feeling from dying, death, post death care and grief. Death midwifery is a community centered response that recognizes death as a natural, accepted, and honoured part of life.”

There are other terms for a Death Midwife: these include Thanadoula, Death Doula and End of Life Coach. Essentially, they all embrace a holistic, deeply ecological model where relationship building throughout dying is the primary goal. It is about re-engagement with the dying, death care, and grief, and the empowerment and the stirring of communities to reclaim death care by participating in it as much as they are able.

What do Death Midwifes actually do? It depends on the personalized needs and desires of the patient and the families, however, Death Midwifes may typically:

  • Provide emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to the patient, family and community by staying present to all aspects of dying, death, and grieving.
  • Prepare Home Vigils through helping to connect with the dead body as a healing process through the creation of ritual after death has occurred.
  • Educate about Green Burials and different shades of green: “How to lessen our carbon footprint.”
  • Liaison with funeral directors, churches, crematoriums, and cemeteries

An example? Before my Dad’s death we made his casket. When I told Dad we had made a beautiful casket for him he said, “Oh good, I can’t wait” with a smile on his face. After his death, our family held vigil with his body present at home. The process was very healing for all of us.

My Dad's Casket
My Dad’s Casket

 

Death midwifery is not currently a regulated profession – at the moment it may be seen more as a movement, with a goal to help society openly discuss death and dying issues, and to help educate the public about death care options.

We have Death Midwives in Alberta and across Canada serving families and communities in varied capacities. We have the national organization Canadian Community for Death Midwifery.

 

By

Rayne Johnson, Member at Large, AHPCA

Death Midwife, http://tearcups.com/

Rayne Johnson
Rayne Johnson

 

 

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Alberta Hospice Palliative Care

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Alberta Hospice Palliative Care
Collectively, we're grieving far more than COVID-19 deaths, say experts. 'We grieve the loss of living our lives,' says grief counsellor Darcy Harris. ow.ly/rovl50DGK6i ... See MoreSee Less
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Alberta Hospice Palliative Care

22 hours ago

Alberta Hospice Palliative Care
An exciting day for the AHPCA team who has supported Bill C-220 from the very beginning. We are thrilled to see it reach this point. Best of luck to all who are giving testimony in support today! www.facebook.com/mattjeneroux/posts/3450868418352987Today, we take an important next step in Compassionate Care. I testify in front of the House of Commons HUMA Committee on my bill, along with my friends from the Canadian Cancer Society and Canadian Grief Alliance. We’ll stress to all Members of Parliament on the committee the need to ensure there are adequate supports after the death of a loved one. I’ll update as we progress through the meeting. ... See MoreSee Less
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