https://www.surfandbirth.com/blog daily 0.75 2026-02-17 https://www.surfandbirth.com/blog/Blog Post Title One-3zaa9-zlxng-67tfc-sthpn-7m5p2 monthly 0.5 2026-02-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/d5da2dae-67c2-4157-9f9c-5f0465a3f375/Walk+papyrus.jpg Blog - The Missing Muse - Make it stand out “Walk Papyrus” art by Dina El Dessouky https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/c5f0b7b1-beb4-4fae-b538-228c37c15c31/Dina+and+first+board_mid+20s.png Blog - The Missing Muse - That same summer before my senior year of high school, I bought a longboard from a lifeguard coworker for $150. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/2686ea6b-fde8-48cd-956d-8c5dc5bab235/2021_05_181N2A147270.JPG Blog - The Missing Muse - Being in the water and dancing with the waves gave my confidence level a big boost Photo Credit Kaili Reynolds https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/9e1ce17a-163d-4be8-b359-0aadd4de8343/2023_11_16+Walk+stills+KR-4.jpg Blog - The Missing Muse https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/9644d179-fd6a-4d88-b4c2-8822f49271b7/Fern+belly_retouch_semi+close.jpg Blog - The Missing Muse - Make it stand out It’s hard for me to believe that Kanaka Maoli mommas weren’t surfing pregnant since time immemorial, but imagery of any women surfing—pregnant or not—was hard to come by when I started surfing in California in the late 1990s. The inspiring imagery of women surfing that I had back in college in the early 2000s came from a VHS tape I bought back in the day of the original Blue Crush and it was kinda my little Surf Bible, which I would rewatch religiously. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/7919703c-9113-4716-b132-2dc6045a1ccb/Dina_1st+pregnancy_36wks_by+Alaya+Vautier.JPG Blog - The Missing Muse I found an English woman’s blog about how she continued by getting on a surf mat. Because I didn’t even know if I would like it, I bought a really crappy blow up mat that was essentially a poorly made beach toy. I loved the feeling, so I decided to buy a professionally crafted surf mat from Paul Gross in Paso Robles that I still use today. As the pregnancy started to feel more real, I read a lot about pregnancy and birth; most notably, Spiritual Midwifery, by Ina May Gaskin. I learned about Gaskin through numerous birth-focused documentaries. Between the documentaries and Gaskin’s book, I realized home birth was as an enticing option. As a Black-presenting Egyptian, I had concern about the quality of care I would get in the conventional medical system. But I didn’t abandon it altogether and opted for tandem care, which meant hiring a home-birth midwife who would offer extensive appointments throughout pregnancy—and of course would oversee labor and delivery—while also having a few OBGYN appointments for the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. My midwife was extremely knowledgeable and rational with my prenatal health. I intuitively trusted her. Both she and the OB encouraged me to continue surfing through pregnancy so long as I listened to my body and avoided collisions. My parents had reservations at the beginning, but nobody was like, “you can't go in the water.” Ultimately, they trusted my judgment, especially once they knew that my whole care team approved of me surfing. I think that’s what convinced them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/cc84eef2-dd22-4ef6-a6d4-39331bf6f7aa/IMG_1268+2.jpg Blog - The Missing Muse - Make it stand out Interestingly enough, it was actually a few folks in the surf community who lectured me with unsolicited advice and commentary about surfing pregnant. Close to when my first child was born, there was a big south swell. I took out my mat and took off on some decent size waves at a peak that jacks up on that swell direction. I positioned myself away from the crowd like I always do. I had a lot of fun and for the most part, folks either supported me or didn’t notice my belly that was hidden in the ocean. However, I remember a fellow woman surfer frantically recounting to me that she thought I was “gonna have a placental abruption from bouncing around out there!” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/8115d09f-00bb-4650-a4dd-74093f36e719/Up+North_full+termish.png Blog - The Missing Muse https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/f5e10f27-e092-413c-a27f-a32796726fc5/1N2A9065.jpg Blog - The Missing Muse The ocean teaches you to simultaneously trust in yourself and in the powers of creation that are bigger than you https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/421d9217-c8b7-4368-b648-5c1f995e10d2/brithtub_mama+baby.jpeg Blog - The Missing Muse - But it turns out that between the long pushing period and everything that the midwife and doula suggested, our first baby was able to make it out safely, and with little to no injury to me. Photo Credit Olek Lyzwanski https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/27dba524-d226-4719-b60a-c3d8a2e89598/deep+arch_Moment%282%29.jpg Blog - The Missing Muse https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/0d2a2503-a4b2-410a-aafd-3952a9b71df4/Andrew+Molera_scoping+2.JPG Blog - The Missing Muse - Ever since they were little, I’ve repeatedly offered my kids opportunities to surf with me or just play in the water. Periodically my youngest proactively seeks it. My oldest used to begrudgingly accompany us, but currently isn’t interested. Where their interest lands with surfing is not up to me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/8a582680-edfc-4128-a5cf-3a01d0edbadb/2025_12_12+Dina+n+Beanz.jpg Blog - The Missing Muse - Born in Hamburg to parents from Cairo, Dina El Dessouky immigrated to the United States at age three. Dina teaches writing at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she completed her doctorate in Literature. Her work appears in Mizna, Spiral Orb, and Min Fami: Arab Feminist Reflections on Identity, Space, and Resistance (Inanna Publications, 2014). She is an alum of VONA/Voices, the Quest Writer’s Conference, and Las Dos Brujas Writers’ Workshops, and has served as a resident writer in the Santa Cruz Recycled Art Program. She is the author of the chapbook “From the Zabbala’s Cart,” included in New-Generation African Poets: A Chapbook Box Set (Sita). Recently Dina wrote, produced, and starred in her film WALK “a story of rebirth and reclamation. Dominant histories and oppressive actors try to bury us, erase us, reduce us to invisibility, or render us one-dimensional; WALK asks us to challenge all of this, to dream new realities into being for our communities.” Click the link to watch W A L K https://www.surfandbirth.com/blog/Blog Post Title One-3zaa9-zlxng-67tfc-sthpn monthly 0.5 2026-02-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/1c27b260-6314-450a-90a9-d3c5da71f81b/KReynoldschildbirthed.jpg Blog - From labor rooms to lineups - Make it stand out Demonstrating the many uses of a Rebozo in labor in order to allow the waters, baby, and hips to work together. Photo Credit: Deidre Lorenzo https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/1707dad0-d307-4143-8bb5-5253f0258e33/ClaraMokriphoto.JPEG Blog - From labor rooms to lineups - Make it stand out Photo Credit: Clara Mokri https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/05948082-118f-4ab8-9f54-070ed623057f/meetingpennysimpkin.jpg Blog - From labor rooms to lineups - Make it stand out Meeting childbirth educator legend, Penny Simkin, with my birth worker bestie, Krystal Long & baby Dahlia https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/1768584659147-QEBNPO7QU7J3KFAVVX07/IMG_0885.jpg Blog - From labor rooms to lineups https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/1768584659597-A7PJKI2J9EHPYW1GZSXD/IMG_0886.jpg Blog - From labor rooms to lineups https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/1768584661076-L9J2C3WLG4OBIB4KWMKK/IMG_0887.jpg Blog - From labor rooms to lineups https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63449781dd07f265cb017474/ab0ff388-094c-4b51-a908-7e2d4d408947/KReynolds-9.png Blog - From labor rooms to lineups - Make it stand out An anonymous mother enjoying one of her last surfs before meeting her baby on the outside. Photo Credit: Kaili Reynolds https://www.surfandbirth.com/home daily 1.0 2026-01-29 https://www.surfandbirth.com/contact daily 0.75 2026-01-16