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The other night as I was layINg IN BEd with my hands INterlaced on my BElly, my hands and BElly risINg and fallINg with my Breath, my attention was gently drawn to a less Presenced part of my BIOlogy: my BElly button.
ThIS knot, a physical remINder of wHere my umbilical cord was once attached, suddenly seemed to hold more symbolism and significance than I had ever given it BEfore.
IN that moment, I was struck by a cascade of realizations and remembrances about its deeper meanINg and the broader implications it HOLDS.
To tell you The Truth, a wave of mild embarrassment washed over me.
How had I missed thIS? How had I, so immersed IN the simplicities and sophistications of Birth (BEfore and BEyond), overlooked thIS basic yet significant symbol of my BEINg? I thought to mySelf.
Here I was, someOne who — admittedly — prided herSelf on an IN-depth INnerstandINg of Birth and its nuances, yet I had just made an OBVIOUS and simple connection that had somehow eluded me until Now.
As alWays, I AM Humbled by the Hand of God. Amen.
IN that moment, I realized and remembered the ontological significance of our BElly buttons. It dawned on me that thIS seemINgly INconsequential part of our BIOlogy IS a testament of The Truth that WE are not self-made and that WE are not islands of self-sufficiency but a contINuum of Creator. Our BElly button narrates a Story of our ORIGINs, an undeniable mark of our BEgINnINgs rooted IN another BEINg – our MotHER and our FatHER, sanctified and sustaINed by God.
IN that moment, I realized and remembered that our BElly buttons symbolize our INborn BElongINg and BELovedness. Our BElongINg and BELovedness does not need to BE (further) established and / or earned, it simply IS. IN a culture that idolizes INdependence, our BElly buttons gently whisper a counter-narrative of essential connectedness and dependence (on someOne other than ourSelves), that forms the very foundation of our existence.
IN that moment, I realized and remembered how for so many people, their BElly button IS a silent scar that represents BEINg Born IN captivity and artificial and abrupt severance from the umbilical cord. A consequence of routine hospital procedures (like the premature clampINg and cuttINg of the umbilical cord). Despite The Truth that tHere are no Known BEnefits to premature clampINg and cuttINg, while tHere are BEnefits APLENTY of delayINg.
IN a related veIN, physiologic-based cord care results IN a Placental transfusion (return of the INfant’s own Blood) and facilitates smooth transition INto and through extrauterINe Life (Life outside of the Womb) by INcreasINg Birth WEight, Blood volume, hemoglobin concentration, and ferritIN levels. ThIS leads to decreased INfant morbidity and mortality, optimal neurodevelopment, reduced cases of anemia and jaundice, and accelerated stabilization IN pre-term Baby’s.
Additionally, emergINg research reveals that IN that case of resuscitative efforts IN pre-term Baby’s, physiologic-based cord care was associated with a Higher oxygen saturation and earlier INitiation of BreathINg.
When I say physiologic-based cord care, what I AM referrINg to IS cord care that: protects the physiological functions of the umbilical cord, preserves the INtegrity of the umbilical cord, and ceremonializes the separation of the umbilical cord.
Cord burnINg for example, IS a BEaUtiful Way to ceremonialize the separation (once the umbilical cord IS fully white). BurnINg the umbilical cord also has a warmINg effect on Baby's digestive system, ignitINg the digestive Fire which promotes and boosts immunological function. Which IS a form of preventative medicINe, just like Biblical (physiological) Birth and BreastfeedINg.
Do you Know about how your umbilical cord was cared for (or lack tHereof)?
Have you asked to hear the untold story of your umbilicus (BElly button)?
Have you ever Truly connected with your BElly button, recognizINg it as a significant part of your BIOlogy?
If our BElly buttons represent our earliest form of communication and connection, what does it mean for us as INdividuals and as a collective CommUNITY when thIS relationship IS unrecognized and unvalued? Could thIS disconnection play a role IN the deeper sense of isolation and dissociation many experience IN today's World?
What I Know for sure, IS that the echoes of how WE enter thIS World contINue to resonate throughout our Lives. For BEtter, or for worse.
