Thursday, August 2, 2012

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


5 comments:

  1. That is so cool! We have Doulas in Canada too, although it seems to be more of a British Columbia and Ontario thing. I think the reason is because it's really hard for a woman to find an ObGyn in those provinces. Maybe you should think of patenting that design before someone else does. I think you could sell quite a few of those.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a wonderful and innovative idea! I absolutely love this and what a lovely way of supporting really life-changng work. This kind of project is very dear to my heart - childbirth is a hazardous business even in the 21st C especially where info is thin on the ground so anything that give mothers and babies a better experience is just so worthwhile. Go for it, Laura! E x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh my gosh Laura!!!!!!
    That is absolutely one of the most bizarre things I've read in a while (I dont mean about what the doulas are doing, that is an admirable work), I mean the thought of knitted vaginas and uterus.

    I have the funniest picture of my husband walking in to see me crocheting on the sofa....

    "what are you making dear?",
    "A vagina........"

    And then to watch the puzzled look on his face as he tries to figure out what I'm going to do with it......

    cheers
    Fi

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Where can I find this pattern please. I knitted the same one some years back and can't find the pattern. Another midwife wants it for teaching. I said I'd knit her one but it's this pattern specifically which I'm looking for. My email is vearle@gmail.com many thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Vearle - I no longer have the pattern that I used but this one is very similar. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/uterus
      I hope it's useful.
      Best wishes
      Laura

      Delete

I would love to hear from you! Please leave me a message...