Rosie Dalton | Writer
MY FULL NAME IS
Rosie Dalton
Culturally, my background is
Australian
I live in
Cronulla on Dharawal Country
I am a mother to
Mac Dalton Mevissen — who is almost two now.
I aspire to
A grounded and present mother to Mac, sharing with him the creativity of the world around him.
On the weekend you'll find me
Spending time with my family and friends, preferably in nature.
For fun I like to
DANCE!
I knew I was pregnant when
I felt this uncharacteristic sense of calm wash over me.
My favourite part of pregnancy was
Connecting with Mac in my belly and feeling how active he was. This was my first insight into his vivacious personality!
"I read a lot of books by Ina May Gaskin and tried to arm myself with knowledge..."
The worst was
The confusion and indecision I originally felt in choosing the right model of care for myself and our family.
To prepare for birth, I
Worked with a doula, Lizzy Criner, who helped me deal with any fears that cropped up. I read a lot of books by Ina May Gaskin and tried to arm myself with knowledge, but also surrender to the process and be at ease with the unknown.
Looking back, I feel my birth was
Just as it was meant to be!
3 words to describe my journey from maiden to mother are
Transformative, humbling, and heart-expanding.
The biggest challenge has been
Tuning out all the noise, judgement, and opinions of others.
If I could turn back time I would have
Done it all over again in a heartbeat!
The thing I love most about motherhood is
Seeing the world through the wonder of my son's eyes.
I like to fill up my cup by
Reading, writing, and swimming in the ocean.
My one piece of wisdom to share would be
Trust your intuition, in birth and parenthood alike.
"Trust your intuition"
My favourite WOOM product is
I think the WOOM curation is so beautiful. There are many products on the site that I personally used throughout pregnancy. I especially loved the Perineum Massage Oil by Weleda and the Love Tea pregnancy blend.
To me, being a woman means
Tapping into a rich lineage of incredible women that we can learn from and grow in harmony with.
WHO IS ROSIE DALTON, the writer?
Rosie Dalton is an Australian writer exploring fashion, art, and culture through the mediums of poetry, prose, and the personal essay. As a freelance writer and consultant, Rosie collaborates with international brands and publishers through her content studio On the Collar.
She is the author of Dossier, shares palate poetry via Off Carte, and runs a seasonal reading subscription called Sunday Story. Rosie is also the online editor for JANE PRIVÉE and a contributing editor for JANE in print.
The Universe inside
We called you in upon the moon
set the candles burning
hearts on fire
Mapped the stars
across the night sky
and across our mind’s eye
Imagined your smile
and soul aglow
shifting, shifting
Slowly taking shape now
in rhythm with the tide
our universe inside
Mother
I.
It began on May 26th
the day I knew you were with us
Another ordinary Tuesday
when we saw you for the first time
Just a tiny sunbeam, suspended inside
As the months flew by
we grew together,
you and I
And we dreamed big dreams of who you might be
your dad and I
Sometimes I would overthink things
as I have a habit of doing
We started out somewhere
and ended up elsewhere
Blowing in the wind
but grounded by your soul
earthy as the soil
II.
I asked you what it looked like
your dream birth
in the salty bath
two as one
And, in meditation, you showed me
that yellow façade and fragrant wall of jasmine
‘You will know where you’re meant to birth’ they say
for me, it was the who
when I met Ash, I just knew
she would be the one to deliver you
I felt into the anticipation of your arrival
a meditation
We practised breathing with Anne
planned a calm and quiet birth
But then things shifted
‘Small?’
the referral read
‘large’
the sonographer corrected
There were moments of fear
moments of resistance
Surrender,
I would tell myself
let go and flow
like water
the sea
III.
A Thursday, this time
our final appointment with Ash
in the midst of a summer heatwave
The day had started with a sunrise swim
as had become our custom
A faceless doctor wanted to induce
so we tried all of the things
to tempt you earthside
Surrender, surrender
and slowly
the veil, it lifted
Waves
from 2 or 3am
regular
consistent
close together
Your dad ran us a bath,
lit some candles
We watched a sixties spy movie
and I tried to rest in between contractions
to swim with them
It was mid-morning
when we hugged Lizzy goodbye,
sun beating down
and piled into the Land Cruiser
We listened to Almost Cut My Hair
refusing to give in an inch to fear
Nine centimetres on arrival
a warm bath
and your dad’s palms to squeeze
He spritzed some rosewater
as your waters flowed forth
to meet new waters
The trance-like sounds of Deep Forest
uncharacteristic looseness of my jaw
a smile
You moved slowly
easing my body
gently
stuck for just a beat
So, I stared up into your dad’s eyes
drawing strength from his strength
like a cosmic dance, between we three
And there you were
floating underwater
between two worlds
You opened your big blue eyes
blinked
2.47pm
three hours after arriving in that dimly lit room
the bright sun blazing beyond
IV.
And so I surrender
slowly, slowly
Trust in my softness
the ability to control less
and let go more
Watch the clouds wander
This way
and that way
fluid
but not without direction
Like a made up dance ... one with feeling
Deep
as the ocean
or your baby blues
You are not yet five moons young
And the clouds, they dance on
dancing free across the sky
Excerpts from Rosie's most recent print publication - DOSSIER , a book of essays, poetry, and prose.
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