Birth Artwork

Sukma Rengganis Samara Yusuf.
The 3rd of March, in the year 2022,
0507 hours,
Just before sunrise

A blessing, A gift. The rainbow after a series of storms.
​The strength of your mother,The love of your father,
The steady beating of your resilient little body
This is your Tree of Life. The image of your placenta
The companion that was specifically created by the womb that carried you safe and sound through many trials,
​Even before you arrived. Earth side It is so good 
To have you Here.You are eagerly anticipated.

You’ve probably seen the usual – statues of mothers and goddesses, ripe and round, smooth surfaces, pristine images of a demure woman embracing a newborn infant who is gently suckling at her breast… something like that. The focus is usually on the birthing person and the child,  fruit of their labour (literally). But I would like to talk about the other passenger of the womb, the star of the last stage of the birth process: the placenta. This incredible organ is created specifically for the baby in the womb and is composed of the DNA from both the mother and father.
The placenta is not usually one of the celebrated parts of pregnancy and childbirth, nor does it elicit the same excited questions that usually get asked of the baby:
 “Omigosh, so perfect!”
 “How much did it weigh?? Wow, that’s a good size!”  “How long did you have to push for?!”. ​

Yet, each placenta is perfectly crafted for the baby, as if the baby has a built-in guardian angel co-pilot, setting to work as soon as possible, holding space and perfectly facilitating a respectful exchange between mother and child.
The mother’s blood and the baby’s blood never mix together in the placenta. Did you know that??? They have their own separate arteries and paths in the placenta, yet still manage to exchange the things that count: oxygen, waste, nutrients, antibodies… it does all of these jobs immediately, letting the baby develop their own systems in their own due time. 
Y’know, the placenta kind of acts like a good postpartum doula would for their client: Providing a nurturing space for this new life to figure itself out; bringing in the good things needed for sustainable growth, while helping to move the waste. It is for such a short amount of time, with so much to do - and yet, it’s role has been perfectly fulfilled when the baby is born, so it gracefully bows out, often with minimal fanfare. In a vaginal birth, typically the placenta is acknowledged with a bit of resentment, and a grimace at it’s delivery and raw appearance.
The placenta print, then, is a bit of a magic trick. If you ever have the opportunity to take a “tour” of the placenta organ, usually offered by the doctor or midwife that attended the birth, try to do so! The true awe-inspiring power behind the placenta is revealed when the main arteries of the fetal side (the smooth side of the placenta which faces the baby) and the umbilical cord are highlighted with paint, arranged artfully on a flat surface, and a large piece of watercolour paper is pressed against it to reveal what looks remarkably like a tree in full foliage.
The placenta has also been called the Tree of Life.

This particular print is from the birth story of one of the toughest mothers I’ve ever met. Faced with past birth experiences of difficult pregnancies, families across great distances, unplanned interventions, serious health complications, hospitalizations, etcetera… holding her hand in my left and my Starbucks Birthday Drink in the other, as we both pray for strength and how could we possibly know that, less than a year later, another child would be carried to term safely and joyfully? They welcomed Sukma Rengganis earlier this month, with myself, their doula, cracking jokes with the nurse and cheering them on. The little girl’s names are also  chosen with so much intention: essentially, “a soul / spirit, for whom we wish that life is sweetened”.
*placenta artwork is on 11”x15” watercolour paper; medium is acrylic paint and ink; sealed with Dorland’s Wax Medium. Each print is a customized, commissioned add-on product that Mira offers to her birth clients; please contact her directly to inquire more!