For Parents-to-Be: Preparing for a beautiful trauma-free birth.
If you are choosing to bring you baby into the world with as much gentle loving awareness as you possibly can, you are part of a growing international movement of people who recognise the power of birth as a key life experience and a rite-of-passage which if navigated gracefully will help your baby thrive from the beginning of life. Conscious natural birth is the ultimate spiritual high and women's bodies are perfectly designed by nature to experience the wonder of embodied ecstatic birth.
Until fairly recently, it was thought that babies were unaware of what was happening to them as their brains are not fully formed by the time they are born. However, this couldn't be further from the truth! There is a growing body of evidence that reveals that babies are fully aware of what is happening, often before they are born and arguably from the moment they are conceived. Major personality traits are in fact, set in the womb.
Foetuses learn about the outside world and what life is like when they are floating in the waters of their mother's womb.
An embryo's nervous system develops in relation to their mother and fathers, unconsciously registering their parents responses to life. This is obvious when we consider that a mothers emotional experiences become hormonal messengers which wash over the baby and deliver sensations both positive and negative. Both parents feelings (and whatever is going on in the environment) inform the babies development.
Babies flourish and grow well in the presence of love and it's hormonal equivalent oxytocin, conversely prolonged exposure to stress hormones cause foetuses to arrest their development until the period of stress has passed.
This is why ideally pregnancy should be an overall relaxing time filled with enjoyable activites and plenty of exercise. It's the ultimate investment for the child. Life brings its own challenges and while it is not possible to eliminate stresses completely, perhaps it would be reassuring for a baby-in-utero to hear some sweet whisperings from his/her mother that although she is experiencing some emotional overwhelm or stress, not to worry - she has everything under control and she will take care of it herself. Through hypnotherapy work later on in life* it has been shown babies sometimes have the sense they need to take care of their mothers even before they are born. The flow of love should be primarily flowing from mother to baby and not the other way round, but babies are wired for survival, so the mothers wellbeing is of utmost importance to the newborn as their survival depends on it.
The waters of pregnancy and the challenge of consciously preparing for birth requires parents to engage in honest deep self-enquiry and compassionate communication with themselves and one another. When unresolved emotional issues are addressed prior to the babies arrival, the chances of having a positive birthing experience are much greater.
When we are bringing in a new life, wouldn't it also be wise to not hand over our emotional baggage to the next generation?
The physical birth itself is naturally triggered when the baby has 'banked' enough oxytocin and when these reserves are high enough, babies release hormonal messengers which start to generate contractions in the mothers uterus. This feedback system is very delicate and is usually shouldn't need to be be interfered with. Babies take their own time to ripen just as fruit should not be plucked before it is ripe.
Children are being born into a world where the mainstream medical culture does not yet fully appreciate that the the baby is actively participating in the birthing process and is fully conscious.
The new-born has an incredibly sensitive nervous system which will soak up new experiences whether good or bad, like a sponge, so its up to parents to protect their delicate nervous systems at all times. Elena-Tonetti Vladamirova describes this phenomenon of automatic absorbtion as the 'Limbic Imprint'. Tonetti states: "Limbic Imprint is the automatic functioning of the nervous system to non-cognitively absorb and memorize all of our sensations and experiences during the whole formative period, from the moment of conception through birth and the first few years of life."
So the way in which we are conceived, gestated and born has the ultimate impact on who we will become and how capable we are of experiencing and generating love and intimacy in our lives.
So why is a gentle birth so crucially important? Emotional atmospheres, noise, mishandling at birth and use of cold metal objects and anaethesia all impact negatively on the baby and can cause emotional withdrawl from life. A rigorous study conducted by Dr. William Emerson detailed the use of different obstetric interventions and the behavioral patterning these interventions engendered in the child. Not to say that there aren't time when medical help is not required. In fact, when the baby is in real trouble and it is saved, naturally, that imprints as a positive experience.
Preparing for pregnancy and birth is a time of soul-searching, Where and with whom is it right for you to give birth? The right choice will be based on whatever makes you feel the safest and most comfortable Even if that means being in hospital - it can still be sacred and beautiful.
It takes a certain strength of spirit to go against the fear-based mentality that unfortunately surrounds birth in most parts of the world. It also takes equal measures of strength and surrender to navigate through the intense psychological and physical landscapes that can come up prior to and during the birthing process. What is required to give birth succesfully is a quieting of the mind (the cortex, rational part of the brain) and the capacity to let your primal self (limbic system or emotional brain) lead the way. A quiet, relaxed environment puts the cortex at ease and allows birth hormones to flow in abundance. For an in depth exploration of the physiology of labour and role of hormones and environment in labour and birth by Dr Sarah Buckley - click here
It is up to every parent to ensure the charge of the medical care that their newborn receives. Commonly well-intentioned hospital staff perform unnecessary routine interventions during the birthing process and in the moments shortly following, which interfere with the birthing and bonding process of mother and baby.
From the babies point of view it may have gone through a stressful experience and providing the baby is breathing normally the first thing that should happen is to allow the baby to rest in it's mother's arms.
Often these first precious moments of bonding and falling in love - which have been coreographed by highly evolved hormones allowing it to happen right away, are taken away due to the need to do routine assessments which can actually be done later.
One of the most common interventions that can be easily prevented is the premature cutting of the cord. This is important because at birth vast quantity of blood remains in the placenta, and if the cord is severed prematurely a few things can happen:
1) The baby is deprived of up to a third of it's blood. This cord blood, also known as the placental transfusion is 100-150 mls of blood, rich in stem cells (cells which can turn into any cell including red and white blood cells). These immune factors then migrate to the blood marrow where the baby can use them to generate cells that will provide the baby with health and vitality and help it repair anything that needs to be repaired after being born. The placental transfusion is also equivalent in the richness of it's iron content to one whole month of breastfeeding.
2) Cutting off the oxygen supply from the umbilicus causes the baby to take it's first breath before the lungs are fully ready which can be acutely painful.
3)This phenomenon has been linked to anaemia, athsma and other medical conditions.
4) The baby does not have a chance to equilibrate it's own blood volume which it will do naturally if the vessels are not clamped. Mammals do not have clamping cords, so why do we?
It is important that fathers and birthing partners empower themselves with information and instinct to fully appreciate that their role is to 'hold the space' in the hospital, so that the mother can truly relax and go into her primal body-mind in order to give birth safely and effectively. Should any problems arise, it is not a time for her to engage in complex negotiations. This will take her out of her inner space, which is basically a deep trance which will enable her to navigate through labour.
Regular bodywork sessions throughout pregnancy help mothers bank sufficient levels of oxytocin in preparation for birth. Oxytocin is the love hormone activated through touch and both mums and babies need lots of it! Babies go through a lot when they are being born. Their cranial bones have to compress and overlap as they are squeezed through the birth canal and it is very common for babies to sustain some sort of trauma which may be invisible to the untrained eye. It is highly recommended by many advanced practitioners in the birthing field to go and see a cranial osteopath or a biodynamic cranio-sacral therapist as soon as you think your baby is ready so that he/she can be assesed and treated before the trauma turns into a bodily pattern of holding tension/armour. Mothers also benefit a lot from massage after the baby is born - a time they may need more nurturing than ever.
Holistic birth preparation embraces healthy lifestyle practices including good nutrition and exercise, empowers women through emotional work and bodywork while emphasizing awareness of the body-mind connection, which help integrate instinct with intelligence. Click here to find out how a Birth Into Being course prepares women/couples, click here to go to Pregnancy bodywork and birth preparation sessions for couples and click here if you are looking for a doula. Many blessings on your journey.
Until fairly recently, it was thought that babies were unaware of what was happening to them as their brains are not fully formed by the time they are born. However, this couldn't be further from the truth! There is a growing body of evidence that reveals that babies are fully aware of what is happening, often before they are born and arguably from the moment they are conceived. Major personality traits are in fact, set in the womb.
Foetuses learn about the outside world and what life is like when they are floating in the waters of their mother's womb.
An embryo's nervous system develops in relation to their mother and fathers, unconsciously registering their parents responses to life. This is obvious when we consider that a mothers emotional experiences become hormonal messengers which wash over the baby and deliver sensations both positive and negative. Both parents feelings (and whatever is going on in the environment) inform the babies development.
Babies flourish and grow well in the presence of love and it's hormonal equivalent oxytocin, conversely prolonged exposure to stress hormones cause foetuses to arrest their development until the period of stress has passed.
This is why ideally pregnancy should be an overall relaxing time filled with enjoyable activites and plenty of exercise. It's the ultimate investment for the child. Life brings its own challenges and while it is not possible to eliminate stresses completely, perhaps it would be reassuring for a baby-in-utero to hear some sweet whisperings from his/her mother that although she is experiencing some emotional overwhelm or stress, not to worry - she has everything under control and she will take care of it herself. Through hypnotherapy work later on in life* it has been shown babies sometimes have the sense they need to take care of their mothers even before they are born. The flow of love should be primarily flowing from mother to baby and not the other way round, but babies are wired for survival, so the mothers wellbeing is of utmost importance to the newborn as their survival depends on it.
The waters of pregnancy and the challenge of consciously preparing for birth requires parents to engage in honest deep self-enquiry and compassionate communication with themselves and one another. When unresolved emotional issues are addressed prior to the babies arrival, the chances of having a positive birthing experience are much greater.
When we are bringing in a new life, wouldn't it also be wise to not hand over our emotional baggage to the next generation?
The physical birth itself is naturally triggered when the baby has 'banked' enough oxytocin and when these reserves are high enough, babies release hormonal messengers which start to generate contractions in the mothers uterus. This feedback system is very delicate and is usually shouldn't need to be be interfered with. Babies take their own time to ripen just as fruit should not be plucked before it is ripe.
Children are being born into a world where the mainstream medical culture does not yet fully appreciate that the the baby is actively participating in the birthing process and is fully conscious.
The new-born has an incredibly sensitive nervous system which will soak up new experiences whether good or bad, like a sponge, so its up to parents to protect their delicate nervous systems at all times. Elena-Tonetti Vladamirova describes this phenomenon of automatic absorbtion as the 'Limbic Imprint'. Tonetti states: "Limbic Imprint is the automatic functioning of the nervous system to non-cognitively absorb and memorize all of our sensations and experiences during the whole formative period, from the moment of conception through birth and the first few years of life."
So the way in which we are conceived, gestated and born has the ultimate impact on who we will become and how capable we are of experiencing and generating love and intimacy in our lives.
So why is a gentle birth so crucially important? Emotional atmospheres, noise, mishandling at birth and use of cold metal objects and anaethesia all impact negatively on the baby and can cause emotional withdrawl from life. A rigorous study conducted by Dr. William Emerson detailed the use of different obstetric interventions and the behavioral patterning these interventions engendered in the child. Not to say that there aren't time when medical help is not required. In fact, when the baby is in real trouble and it is saved, naturally, that imprints as a positive experience.
Preparing for pregnancy and birth is a time of soul-searching, Where and with whom is it right for you to give birth? The right choice will be based on whatever makes you feel the safest and most comfortable Even if that means being in hospital - it can still be sacred and beautiful.
It takes a certain strength of spirit to go against the fear-based mentality that unfortunately surrounds birth in most parts of the world. It also takes equal measures of strength and surrender to navigate through the intense psychological and physical landscapes that can come up prior to and during the birthing process. What is required to give birth succesfully is a quieting of the mind (the cortex, rational part of the brain) and the capacity to let your primal self (limbic system or emotional brain) lead the way. A quiet, relaxed environment puts the cortex at ease and allows birth hormones to flow in abundance. For an in depth exploration of the physiology of labour and role of hormones and environment in labour and birth by Dr Sarah Buckley - click here
It is up to every parent to ensure the charge of the medical care that their newborn receives. Commonly well-intentioned hospital staff perform unnecessary routine interventions during the birthing process and in the moments shortly following, which interfere with the birthing and bonding process of mother and baby.
From the babies point of view it may have gone through a stressful experience and providing the baby is breathing normally the first thing that should happen is to allow the baby to rest in it's mother's arms.
Often these first precious moments of bonding and falling in love - which have been coreographed by highly evolved hormones allowing it to happen right away, are taken away due to the need to do routine assessments which can actually be done later.
One of the most common interventions that can be easily prevented is the premature cutting of the cord. This is important because at birth vast quantity of blood remains in the placenta, and if the cord is severed prematurely a few things can happen:
1) The baby is deprived of up to a third of it's blood. This cord blood, also known as the placental transfusion is 100-150 mls of blood, rich in stem cells (cells which can turn into any cell including red and white blood cells). These immune factors then migrate to the blood marrow where the baby can use them to generate cells that will provide the baby with health and vitality and help it repair anything that needs to be repaired after being born. The placental transfusion is also equivalent in the richness of it's iron content to one whole month of breastfeeding.
2) Cutting off the oxygen supply from the umbilicus causes the baby to take it's first breath before the lungs are fully ready which can be acutely painful.
3)This phenomenon has been linked to anaemia, athsma and other medical conditions.
4) The baby does not have a chance to equilibrate it's own blood volume which it will do naturally if the vessels are not clamped. Mammals do not have clamping cords, so why do we?
It is important that fathers and birthing partners empower themselves with information and instinct to fully appreciate that their role is to 'hold the space' in the hospital, so that the mother can truly relax and go into her primal body-mind in order to give birth safely and effectively. Should any problems arise, it is not a time for her to engage in complex negotiations. This will take her out of her inner space, which is basically a deep trance which will enable her to navigate through labour.
Regular bodywork sessions throughout pregnancy help mothers bank sufficient levels of oxytocin in preparation for birth. Oxytocin is the love hormone activated through touch and both mums and babies need lots of it! Babies go through a lot when they are being born. Their cranial bones have to compress and overlap as they are squeezed through the birth canal and it is very common for babies to sustain some sort of trauma which may be invisible to the untrained eye. It is highly recommended by many advanced practitioners in the birthing field to go and see a cranial osteopath or a biodynamic cranio-sacral therapist as soon as you think your baby is ready so that he/she can be assesed and treated before the trauma turns into a bodily pattern of holding tension/armour. Mothers also benefit a lot from massage after the baby is born - a time they may need more nurturing than ever.
Holistic birth preparation embraces healthy lifestyle practices including good nutrition and exercise, empowers women through emotional work and bodywork while emphasizing awareness of the body-mind connection, which help integrate instinct with intelligence. Click here to find out how a Birth Into Being course prepares women/couples, click here to go to Pregnancy bodywork and birth preparation sessions for couples and click here if you are looking for a doula. Many blessings on your journey.
* Voices from the Womb - Michael Gabriel