Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Catherine Braxton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Catherine , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
Thank you so much for having me! I’m so excited to be sharing with CanvasRebel!
In order to name the medicine my mother gifted to me, I first have to name those Mothers who gave us our medicine. My name is Catherine, daughter of Brenda, daughter of Anna Doris, daughter of Curlea, daughter of Cora. My mother is the matriarch of our family. I am descended from incredible Black American women whose wombs and prayers called me into being so that I could stand here today on their shoulders. My mother is included in this. She is a force of incredible vision, beauty, discipline, spiritual strength, kindness and consistent curiosity. I am honored to be her child. My mother hadn’t necessarily planned on having me, but like a true student of life, she dove wholeheartedly into the task.
With an educator background, my mother reads at least one book a week. She’s been that way for as long as I could remember and of course, I’ve picked up and nurtured the habit. I’ve worked consistently since I was 12 years old, and our weekly errands would always include a stop at the library or a stop at Barnes & Nobles / Borders Bookstores. (I know, I’ve dated myself if you’re from NY and know what I mean) Most of my money earned babysitting went on books, new dance attire for conservatory training or metaphysical materials for my own altar space in my bedroom devoted to the ancestors.
My mother taught me to never forget where you come from and more importantly, who you come from. This deep sense of rootedness remains with me in interpersonal stories of my ancestors, yummy foods, community love, self love and care in addition to how I show up at and in my work. As a birthworker, bodyworker, yoga teacher and herbalist, my work is in holding space for people to witness their own abilities of healing. I don’t have a magic wand, nor do I want to. While I do have multiple certifications, degrees, books and hands on knowledge, my wisdom comes mostly from my mother and her mothers before her.
My mother has never been shy about sharing her story and well as the women’s stories that she gained wisdom from. Their downfalls and successes were always open for conversation in our house to learn from. She consistently showed me that humanness is nothing to be ashamed of. As long as you own your truths, show up and know your roots, you are living a life worthy of each day. Communication was and is a swinging door that lead to deep levels of bonding in our house growing up and into today.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Catherine Braxton, pronouns are she/her/hers & they/them/theirs. I identify as a Black American and as a queer individual. I was born and raised in Long Island & Brooklyn NY, and currently call Portland, OR home. My guided path is in Birthwork as a full spectrum birthworker (doula) providing support in Birth/Postpartum/Fertility/Pregnancy Loss & Abortion. I’m also a bodyworker and Licensed Massage Therapist and Craniosacral Therapist, Yoga Teacher and Herbalist. Currently, I’m gearing up to go back to school for a Masters of Science in Midwifery. I am an entrepreneur, my business In Search of A Garden Birth & Bodywork LLC blends birthwork with bodywork and is a holistic wellness space dedicated to serving folks through the reproductive and generative health journeys. My business was named after the Alice Walker text “In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens”, because of the importance of honoring the Black women who have come before me, the way in which I came to this work and also the importance of Black birthing people being centered in these spaces.
As a birth center born child delivered by a midwife, I entered this work at birth. I came into the magnificence that is birthwork consciously at the age of seven years old when I was exposed to my first live labor and birth. As more babies began to be born in my family and more of the elders facilitated their welcome, I found myself drawn to be with them and learn. I babysat as a side job all through middle and high school and then in undergrad, studied Africana Studies with a focus on Ritual and Birth in the antebellum era. I perceived at the time that I would spend my days making art and theater pieces about the Black birthing body. I went through a couple large iterations of failures in this realm before I realized that the work would look different for me long term.
What I love most about my work is being present during such a transitional and vulnerable time in the lives of mostly Black, Brown and/or Queer families. I’m able to teach Childbirth Education and Newborn Care with clients. We also go over labor prep, practicing ways in which they can move their bodies and partners can be present and supportive. We talk about their joys, their fears, their questionings.
I teach prenatal and postpartum yoga and have multiple upcoming birth clients who then transition into postpartum care. Alongside birth clients are also abortion clients, pregnancy loss clients, and fertility work as well. Additionally, I offer in-home massage for pregnant and postpartum people, Craniosacral therapy for adults and babies and make herbal medicines. Sometimes, I am lucky enough to be able to hold space for clients past acute postpartum (six weeks) for six months, a year or even 18-20 months of babies life. This extension gives me the opportunity to support families in forming a sustainable routine as their home life changes with the addition of a child / children months after most family members have left and life is “supposed to resume to normal”. We discuss and move through what this new normal is! I’m present for the developing child, engaging them in their mind, language and bodily understanding. An example of this: stretches in early life that turn into yoga as they age (One of them has recently fallen in love with Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog).
With the recent awareness of maternal and infant mortality, wearing multiple hats gives space for education, learning advocacy and building resilience within communities that I serve. I’m incredibly honored to be present in this way. I’m so incredibly proud of the ways in which I see clients change and shift throughout their journeys. I continue to hunger for knowledge in this journey of shifting the face of birth from a staunchly medical and sterile environment, to one that is rooted in trust of the process and beauty of a journey that centers the families / birthing peoples voices. This is what pulls me to study midwifery, specifically as a Certified Professional Midwife providing care outside the hospital for largely home births and/or birth center births.
If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?
If I could go back, I would choose this same profession, possibly choosing to study midwifery earlier. Instead of going to undergrad straight from high school, I would have chosen to take a gap year and travel. One of the biggest practices I have learned from caregiving work is that rest is paramount. There will always be more births and when I meet with clients, I often tell them to go interview a couple doulas because I never want them or myself to make a decision with lack of knowledge or scarcity mindset. I have deep trust that where I am meant to be will unfold.
Birthwork is not the kind of job that you study, you get your degree and then you head into in order to retire in a number of years. Birthwork is a calling. It’s rough, There’s a large lack of sleep and a heightened time in activation states. Life experience is integral to this work. Caring for oneself is non-negotiable, when you’re a birthworker, because if I don’t care for me, I cannot care for my community.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I’m still unlearning this! I am not an expert! I am unlearning that my work is my value. Wow, even in writing it, I’m noticing a clenching in my jaw and a tightening in my belly. Living in a capitalist driven world, we are conditioned from a young age that our worth is in our work. What we get done is what matters most in this philosophy. As a Black American person descended from enslaved and free people of color and as a female bodied person, I am in multiple ways a student of this school of thought. A stereotype that I’ve encountered often is that we (Black women) are lazy, we don’t do enough and that Black women are angry if expressing their true feelings. Often this perceived “anger” is really exhaustion and activation of the Polyvagal Nervous System, in other words…fight/flight/freeze/fawn/etc. I had to be okay with not only communicating this to others but also with noticing my body’s reactions and responses in real time. This skill is something my ancestors were never afforded and I am privileged to be able to tune in.
The work that I do is not a 9am – 5pm job 5 days a week. Sometimes, it’s a 3 day no break birth that collides with a bodywork schedule and yoga classes and before I know it, I’ve worked 7 days without a break. Reset the week and here we go again. Sometimes I go months with down time when I take time away from births and this allows me to travel, visit friends and family and just be. I live an unconventional life that operates outside of the “grind” while also being wrapped up in it wholeheartedly.
Learning to block out time for me to wake up late, have tea, go to the spa, cook yummy food and eat it, etc. has been a large learning curve. I’ve been on the “grind” schedule since I was a child. It took many years of varying types of therapy, journaling, and deep engagement with self and my ancestors to see that the way that I was conditioned was causing deep harm and dis-ease. I had to learn to let go, to rest and to make the time for calm. I’m still learning.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://insearchofagarden.com
- Instagram: @_insearchofagarden_
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/insearchofagarden