Beloved community: midwife, doula and sexuality counsellor Isa Hedman
Isa is a midwife, doula and sexuality counsellor based in Helsinki, Barcelona & Malmö. She offers private birth doula services and birth classes, and holds group classes around the topics of sexuality and pleasure with a true holistic point of view ~ addressing both the physical and the spiritual body.
We had the honour to talk to Isa about her work, her passions and visions for the future.
How are you ~ how are you feeling today?
Today I’m feeling inspired and excited. I’m enjoying the sunny day while sending out the final materials to my Revolutionary Pleasure coaching group. We’re spending our last days together in a few weeks. This means that I’m soon opening the space for a new group - which always fills my soul with excitement.
Who is Isa, and what are the alignments that lead you here/where you are today?
I spontaneuosly asked my sister Ida this question, I know she has an incredible gift with words, but I still didn’t quite expect this text back:
“Isa is a brilliant being, the Mother Earth come alive, a being of pure fire and light, the deepest love and the swaying motion of the ocean. She gives birth to new worlds, lives with a passion that equals the light of the sun, and is a loving embrace to newborn souls - a shining supporter of life and its pleasures.”
Needless to say that my family, especially my mother and sister, are the loves of my life. They always have my back, and see me for who I am. In the moments I forget, they remind me of my power. The love we share is absolutely, the biggest gift life has offered me. And without a doubt one of the most significant reasons to why I can stand here today, feeling safe in my being and creating a life that I always dreamed of.
I have from a very young age known what to do in life, I’ve felt a strong pull towards the things that I now call my work. The journey here hasn’t always been easy or clear in the moment. But the magnetic pull has always been there, drawing me forward.
As a child I learned to meditate and read the energetic world in my mothers footsteps. I was taught from an early age to always listen to myself, to the wisdom within. This has helped me find trust and security in both myself and the world around me. Through this trust and security I’ve been able to follow the rhythm of life, and journey forward with clarity.
As a midwife, doula and a sexological counselLor ~ what inspired you to work in this way?
My biggest inspiration are the beautiful newborn souls that I get to meet in my work. What I do is for them. I do believe that our world needs change. And what is more life changing than birthing/being born in the energy of love, respect and acceptance?
After witnessing my first birth during my studies at the Red Cross University College, I knew that I found my place. I felt such a strong urge to protect this beautiful moment of birth, simply by being present and holding space for life to happen. I’ve never felt more grounded in any feeling. Feeling so strongly for something is forever an inspiration.
My work as a midwife and doula goes hand in hand with my work as a sexological counsellor. I see sexuality as an incredibly important part of life. The life force and creative energy that sexuality reflects is a constant source of inspiration for me. Sexuality is powerful. A strong energy, that grounds us so fiercely, that we’re able to wholly open up to all the magic that our being truly carries. This, flowing life energy, is also life changing. A way back home. This I feel that we need in this time, to come back home to ourselves.
What are some of the things you love the most about being a doula?
I love witnessing the incredible life force that wildly explodes in the moments of birth. During birth this power merges with the deepest calmness. It’s like stepping into an other dimension, which feels very much like home. I’m forever learning as a doula, which I enjoy so much. I also truly love the connection that naturally emerges between me and the women I meet. In that connection lies a feeling of deep trust and safety that is hard to describe. I feel lucky and privileged to experience all this.
How do you feel women could prepare themselves for the experience of giving birth in a physiological, and also spiritual way?
I feel that the most important aspect is coming back to a deep connection with self - body, mind and soul. I remind all the women I meet that they carry all the answers, they have the power. Understanding and truly experiencing this is important, especially in the society we live in today. Everyone has a unique journey, and only by a deep connection to yourself you can hear, feel and see the steps forward on this journey.
What are some of the practices around pregnancy and childbirth that you would love to see changes in collectively, and in which ways?
I would love to see a deeper trust towards the body. Birth has become very medicalized, which is alarming. By medicalization we unfortunately do not build safety. Studies clearly show that unnecessary interventions actually can cause more complications. There’s a time and place for everything, but I do hope women would have more space to birth in peace. Pregnancy and birth should be honored, respected and protected.
I feel this trust would be easier to reach with a stronger sense of community. We live in an individualistic society, that can leave women very alone during these big moments in life. We do need each other, simple loving presence can make such a big, important difference.
I would also love to see a collective change towards seeing all aspects of life - physical, physiological and spiritual - as a whole. We humans are pretty magical creatures, all sides of us deserve attention and care taking. This becomes especially apparent during pregnancy and birth.
What are you dreaming of for the future?
The midwife and doula in me dreams of a time where women get choose where and how they give birth. For me this would mean easier opportunities for home birth and more midwife led birth centers in the world. Other than that I dream of more pleasure in the world. Pleasure is a powerful form of healing. This I hope as many as possible get to experience.
