A Review of Memoirs of a Singing Birth
Giving birth in joy, in freedom, and at the same time in complete surrender to something far greater than yourself – and someone so new yet so powerful… this is what birth should be. A celebration worth singing over. In Memoirs of a Singing Birth, Elena Skoko does just that as she brings her baby from the womb into the world.
Memoirs of a Singing Birth is one of the most powerful and refreshing books I have read in a long time. Elena takes you on a journey with her – a journey to motherhood that begins long before her daughter is conceived. It is frank and open.
Elena weaves her pregnancy and the birth of her daughter Koko throughout the book, but it covers much more than a birth story. Birth stories are already powerful, yet Elena also shares her growth and in a sense, the growth many women experience as they travel the path to the sacred calling of mother.
She describes a time in her life when she was not ready to be a mother, and how she transformed to being ready for a child. The story of how she found Roberto describes how the ordinary events of day-to-day life brought her into a wonderful love story – and with it came the call of new life, to become a mother.
Her descriptions of how she knew she was ready for a child – overflowing with love, and how she wanted to conceive her child in consciousness are both inspiring and powerful. I love stories of conscious conception and this love story turned into a creation story was one of my favorite parts of the book.
Elena began her pregnancy as so many of us do – with a visit to the doctor, and the subsequent feeling that something was missing. She went on a hunt she calls a “bibliographic fever” and learned all she could about pregnancy and childbirth. She describes what her research uncovered, sharing thoughts, facts, and references as she details what her trail led her to.
Elena was born in Croatia but found life as a musician took her to many different places, settling for living and birthing in Bali. Her travels across various cultures give her a unique insight into life and birth in many places and lends an intriguing perspective to her observations of pregnancy and birth.
She also explores other choices she explored and made as she prepared for and welcomed Koko, including diapering and Lotus birth. She describes performing during pregnancy, her pregnancy diet, experiencing alternative therapies such as accupuncture (and what must have been wonderful – regular massage!) It is always fascinating to explore pregnancy and birth choices and Elena shares hers frankly – along with the information she used to make her choices.
The culmination of the book is perhaps Koko's birth as Elena sings her into the world, yet this wonderful blend of storytelling and information is packed with so much more. As I said, it is refreshing and at the same time uplifting and empowering. Enjoy it if you are beginning your journey to motherhood, motherhood anew, or simply celebrating what it means to be alive, woman, and mother.
