A very different Ta Dah!!!! A knitted uterus!!!!!

I've been asked to knit many different things in my time but nothing quite as bizarre as my latest FO! A knitted uterus...... here it is.

Why would I knit such a thing I hear you ask, well, let me explain..... Here in South Africa we have people called Doulas (pronounced Doolas) who are African midwives. These wonderful women go out into the rural areas and teach women about their bodies and about childbirth. There is still much tribal folklore and superstition wrapped around the miracle of childbirth and it's the Doulas who are trying to educate the rural women so that they have a better understanding of what having babies is really all about.

In order to do this fantastic work they need three dimensional models of the inside of a women's body. They need to show these women (most of whom do not read or write) how the baby grows inside the body and then makes its way out. They could use pictures but these would not clearly show how the whole process takes place whereas a knitted uterus, cervix and vagina are perfect!!! The Doula can use the model with the vagina piece attached to the cervix and then remove it to show how the cervix dilates when the baby begins to emerge.

A friend of mine knows a Doula who is training other women to be Doulas and she asked if I could make a knitted model so she could show her students. I've finished the first one but am sure she'll ask me to make more which I'm only too glad to do. The Doulas of South Africa are doing a fabulous job in educating and helping many hundreds of women who would otherwise remain in the dark about how children are born and I'm proud to be associated to them.

I'll bet many of you have never seen a knitted uterus so I hope you've enjoyed the experience!!!

Till next time.

x