Preparing for Birth as a Rite of Passage
with Deirbhile Murphy
May 19
10 am MT / 6 pm CET
10 am MT / 6 pm CET
FREE
Get Access
Get Access
This Circle will be held online via GoogleMeet. Link will be provided upon registration.
This masterclass explores birth not as a medical event to be managed, but as a profound rite of passage; one that transforms a woman physically, emotionally, and psychologically. Drawing on both physiological understanding and traditional midwifery wisdom, this session offers a holistic framework for preparing for birth beyond conventional antenatal education.
We will move through the five phases of birth as a rite of passage, as coined by Dr. Rachel Reed in her book ‘Reclaiming Birth as a Rite of Passage’.
Preparation (Pregnancy as Initiation)
Pregnancy is reframed as a time of deep preparation—not only of the body, but of the mind and nervous system. We explore how fear, conditioning, and external authority can shape birth experiences, and how women can cultivate safety, trust, and self-leadership as they prepare.
Separation (Entering the Birth Portal)
Early labour is understood as a threshold moment, where a woman begins to turn inward. We explore the hormonal physiology of this phase, the impact of environment, and the importance of protecting the quiet, undisturbed conditions that support labour to unfold.
Liminality (The Altered State of Labour)
Active labour is presented as a liminal state—an in-between space where identity shifts and instinct takes over. We examine altered states of consciousness in labour, the difference between pain and intensity, and the role of surrender in supporting physiological birth.
Emergence (Birth of Baby and Placenta)
Birth is explored as both a physical and symbolic emergence. We cover key physiological processes, the role of hormones, and the importance of protecting the immediate postpartum space. The placenta is introduced not only as a biological organ, but as part of the transition between worlds.
Integration (Postpartum as Completion of the Rite)
The postpartum period is positioned as essential to completing the rite of passage. We explore the importance of rest, bonding, and community support, alongside the long-term impact of how a woman is received after birth.
Throughout the session, participants are invited to reflect on their own beliefs, fears, and expectations around birth, and to reconnect with a more instinctive and embodied understanding of the process.
This masterclass is suitable for women preparing for birth, as well as birthworkers seeking a more holistic, woman-centred approach that integrates physiology, psychology, and traditional wisdom.
We will move through the five phases of birth as a rite of passage, as coined by Dr. Rachel Reed in her book ‘Reclaiming Birth as a Rite of Passage’.
Preparation (Pregnancy as Initiation)
Pregnancy is reframed as a time of deep preparation—not only of the body, but of the mind and nervous system. We explore how fear, conditioning, and external authority can shape birth experiences, and how women can cultivate safety, trust, and self-leadership as they prepare.
Separation (Entering the Birth Portal)
Early labour is understood as a threshold moment, where a woman begins to turn inward. We explore the hormonal physiology of this phase, the impact of environment, and the importance of protecting the quiet, undisturbed conditions that support labour to unfold.
Liminality (The Altered State of Labour)
Active labour is presented as a liminal state—an in-between space where identity shifts and instinct takes over. We examine altered states of consciousness in labour, the difference between pain and intensity, and the role of surrender in supporting physiological birth.
Emergence (Birth of Baby and Placenta)
Birth is explored as both a physical and symbolic emergence. We cover key physiological processes, the role of hormones, and the importance of protecting the immediate postpartum space. The placenta is introduced not only as a biological organ, but as part of the transition between worlds.
Integration (Postpartum as Completion of the Rite)
The postpartum period is positioned as essential to completing the rite of passage. We explore the importance of rest, bonding, and community support, alongside the long-term impact of how a woman is received after birth.
Throughout the session, participants are invited to reflect on their own beliefs, fears, and expectations around birth, and to reconnect with a more instinctive and embodied understanding of the process.
This masterclass is suitable for women preparing for birth, as well as birthworkers seeking a more holistic, woman-centred approach that integrates physiology, psychology, and traditional wisdom.
Meet Your Facilitator
Deirbhile Murphy is a midwife from Belfast, Ireland. She has been devoted to this path for over 10 years, first called to midwifery at the age of fourteen through vivid dreams and an inner knowing that never left her. While other teenagers explored ordinary interests, she immersed herself in birth stories, midwifery texts, and holistic birth traditions, training herself long before her formal education began.
She went on to complete a BSc in Midwifery Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast and spent seven years as a clinical midwife in the UK, attending hundreds of births across homebirth settings, postnatal wards, birth centres, and the operating theatre. Her journey has also led her through Canada and, most recently, Guatemala, where she apprentices with traditional Mayan midwives and integrates their teachings, including abdominal massage, rebozo, ceremony, and ancestral birth practices, into her work.
In 2025, after six years of professional registration, she consciously stepped outside the medicalised maternity system to serve women who choose to birth in their full sovereignty, while still honouring the value of medical intervention when truly needed.
She believes birth is a sacred rite of passage, safest at home, guided by physiology, intuition, and spirit. Her role is to protect the natural unfolding of birth and to honour each mother–baby dyad with presence, respect, and deep reverence. It is her life’s greatest privilege to walk beside families during this transformational threshold.
She went on to complete a BSc in Midwifery Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast and spent seven years as a clinical midwife in the UK, attending hundreds of births across homebirth settings, postnatal wards, birth centres, and the operating theatre. Her journey has also led her through Canada and, most recently, Guatemala, where she apprentices with traditional Mayan midwives and integrates their teachings, including abdominal massage, rebozo, ceremony, and ancestral birth practices, into her work.
In 2025, after six years of professional registration, she consciously stepped outside the medicalised maternity system to serve women who choose to birth in their full sovereignty, while still honouring the value of medical intervention when truly needed.
She believes birth is a sacred rite of passage, safest at home, guided by physiology, intuition, and spirit. Her role is to protect the natural unfolding of birth and to honour each mother–baby dyad with presence, respect, and deep reverence. It is her life’s greatest privilege to walk beside families during this transformational threshold.
