Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending the day at a wonderful training about using a rebozo in labor. A rebozo is essentially a long piece of woven fabric used in Latin America for everything from covering the head in church to carrying babies. Women in Latin America have found hundreds of uses for their rebozos including supporting pregnant bellies and massage. I now know some of these techniques.
I have had a rebozo in my tool kit for a long time. I loved the look of it and I knew a few ways to use it. I have used it to support bellies during contractions and I have used it to give moms something to hold on to during a supported squat. I have even taught some of these techniques in my classes. Most of the time though, the rebozo never makes an appearance at births. Now I am feeling a new love for this versatile tool. In fact, I am hoping to add a 9 foot rebozo to my tool kit in the near future. I know that I still won’t use my rebozo at every birth, but it never hurts to have another tool. If my rebozo is able to comfort one mama in labor it will be completely worth it.
