Mindful Birth Prep
When preparing to have your first child, taking childbirth courses, exploring your options, reading reviews for swings and swaddles and strollers, fitting in exercise, remembering to hydrate, and listening to birth stories from family and friends and strangers can run you ragged—and with good reason!
Planning for baby (or babies) can be time consuming and exhausting! Perusing Google and product reviews may feel like the best first step. (Please don’t get me wrong—these are VERY important aspects of your birth prep! As an avid reader—and Virgo—research is exactly where I naturally direct most of my energy!)
But at the same time, there is another approach to preparation that can easily be overlooked. And that is the preparation found in stillness … in taking time to just be … to just breathe … to meditate and create that first profound connection with your baby. This is what’s known as mindful birth prep.
In my work with soon-to-be parents and observations of labor and birth, one of the most beneficial uses of time during pregnancy has always been to develop a meditation/mindfulness practice—or to consciously continue and adapt any practice already in place.
But why is it called a PRACTICE and why is consistent practice important? The answer is simple:
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.
.
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because childbirth
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is like
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No
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Other
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Experience.
Childbirth more often than not requires a level of focus, awareness, breath, and surrender that has not been previously experienced, and this is where practice can and will be your guide through these unchartered, wonderful waters.
A consistent mindfulness practice has been shown to actually change the neuropathways of the brain. Additional research has shown that these neuropathways are even MORE conducive to restructuring during pregnancy! A consistent practice can change how we experience and respond to the many sensations that will happen during the birthing process.
Mindful birth preparation can assist in quicker access to the following helpful responses during labor and birth:
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Nonattachment to thoughts
• Communication with your baby
• Staying grounded and centered in the body
• An increased sense of calm and safety
• Decreased production of stress hormones
• Maintaining a gentle focus and positive mindset
• Enhanced mind/body connection
• Flexibility when plans change
• Intentional surrender to the present moment
In 2016, after years of exploring different modalities of meditation and mindfulness, I decided to take a teacher-training course. My purpose for enrolling was not only to learn how to share the meditation experience with others, but to develop a more consistent practice for myself. The training course I chose took place in Massachusetts with a wonderful teacher, Andy Kelly, also known as the Boston Buddha. His program is called Meditation for Everyone. I chose his training primarily for that name! I have always believed that meditation is for everyone, and that everyone can learn to do it, and I hope to continue to spread that message.
My meditation practice may not look like yours, and yours may not look like another’s, but I truly believe every practice is beneficial. My method is to introduce a variety of mindfulness tools to help you discover an individualized practice that makes sense for you. There are only two requirements:
A willingness to try
Prioritizing a bit of daily quiet time
One of my goals as a birth doula is to help you find and put into practice the breathing, focus, and calming techniques that work best for you. If you would like more support getting started, I also offer a 4-week Mindful Birth Prep class that explores your “meditation personality” and helps you develop a practice that fits into your life—not only during pregnancy and birth, but in your new life as a parent, in your work life, and in all other aspects of life.
To learn more, send me a message or give me a call. I would love to help you discover your own mindful meditation practice!
Happy Meditating!