Pregnancy and birth is a sacred spiritual journey and its inherently receptive nature is an opportunity for mother’s to tune in and receive love from a huge field of energy. This field of energy flows all the way from source through the mother’s very own soul light essence, and encompasses the unconditional loving energy from the father as well as the unique and loving energy signature of their baby that is bonded with them in body mind and spirit.
In our modern society, there is not enough attention or acknowledgement given to the transformative nature of pregnancy and childbirth. By embracing pregnancy as a rite of passage, a wonderful space is created for the mother to move into deeper levels of self-care, self-love and conscious connection with her growing baby.
Here are 5 important tips you can follow to co-create care, self-love and a sacred connection with yourself and your baby during your pregnancy.
1. FIND YOUR BIRTH TEAM AND LIKE MINDED TRIBE
Mothers have been historically surrounded and nurtured by elders, sisters and midwives. The traditional role of members of a community or birth tribe has been to both support and help navigate a woman’s passage into motherhood. It is vitally important from a self-loving perspective to research and interview carefully the people who are going to be a part of your pregnancy and birth journey.
Birth doesn’t just happen to you, it is a co-creative experience and whilst all women innately know how to give birth, the state of modern maternity care necessitates clear discernment on behalf of couples to choose the care providers who are in alignment with their vision for birth and can therefore support them in a loving and caring manner.
Continuity of care from a known midwife, or a small group of midwives for example enables women to develop a relationship with their care providers. Women who have the same midwife caring for them during their pregnancy, labour, birth and post birth have the best opportunity to build a trusting relationship which increases their confidence and the outcomes for them and their babies.
Engaging a doula to support you for your birth and in the postpartum period is the ultimate self-loving act; doula is a Greek word that literally means “woman’s servant.” A wonderful description I read on pinterest recently describes a doula’s role perfectly; “The act of educating, loving, respecting, listening, embracing, advocating for and assisting a woman prenatally during labour, childbirth and beyond.” Hire a doula!!!
Finally, finding a tribe of like-minded friends and practitioners even before you start your family will provide you with a community of support and helpful resources to ease the family transition into parenthood. Social media is definitely a great way to connect with like minded mother’s, but it is important to establish in person friendships in your local area, you will appreciate catching up for tea, attending playgroups and exchanging information as you feed and cuddle your new babies.
2. CLEAR PAST WOUNDING AND SUPPORT YOURSELF ENERGETICALLY IN PREGNANCY
The sexual nature of pregnancy can catalyse some of our most significant initiations into self-love. Conceiving and carrying a baby is a reflective journey that can invariably trigger past unresolved trauma’s involving certain sexual shadows including violation guilt and shame. If your soul has been wounded or repressed as a little girl, you may find yourself participating unconsciously in unwanted and even harmful transgerational patterns.
During pregnancy and even at the time of birth, struggling to process from past traumas can severely impact on a mother’s capacity to be truly self-loving and practice consistent self-care. It can also contribute to a lack of confidence in their ability to give birth, become a competent parent and can also make them more susceptible to post partum depression.
Finding acceptance and forgiveness for past hurts gives us back to ourselves and can open the doorway for mother’s to access their true divine nature and assist them to come into peace and joyfulness in readiness for mothering. By embracing and affirming the safety of your inner child you will also become more capable of being a loving and compassionate mother.
Mother’s who have had a history involving an unhealthy relationship with food and their body image can also struggle with the increased demand for food during pregnancy and their ever-expanding body. These mamas need extra support and guidance on how to learn to love their pregnant body, keeping a journal and engaging in art therapy is a great way for them to adapt and express themselves in relation to their changing shape.
Useful therapies for clearing traumas include Somatic Bodywork, Holistic Kinesiology, EFT, Ho’oponopono, Craniosacral therapy, Transpersonal counselling, Art therapy, Dance therapy. Maintaining a loving heart connection with your partner and your baby during pregnancy can also be supported through regular Reiki treatments or by guided sessions with an energetic healer.
3. ENGAGE IN LOVING AND CONSISTENT SELF CARE PRACTICES
There is no better time to nurture and treat yourself than when you are pregnant!!!
– Maintain a healthy diet-Eating healthy high vibrational foods and staying hydrated with pure clean water during pregnancy assists you to feel good and provides the essential nutrients to support your growing baby. See a Naturopath throughout your pregnancy to assist you to keep up with the needs of your growing baby.
-Meditation- can help you to feel calm and grounded as well as fostering a deep connection to your baby in your womb.
-Massage-prenatal massage has so many physiological and emotional benefits for you and your baby, schedule a regular treatment during your pregnancy.
-Yoga and exercise– Prenatal yoga is a wonderful way to slow the pace down in your pregnancy, learn to connect with your baby through movement and also to learn some specific postures that can assist you to birth comfortably.
Gentle exercise during pregnancy such as walking and swimming can help improve your physical and mental wellbeing and supports your body to be in great condition for birthing.
- Bodywork- The enormity of the physical task of growing another human takes a huge toll on a woman’s body and so it is imperative that you support your developing body with consistent chiropractic or osteopathic care.
– Take regular warm baths- with your favourite pregnancy safe essential oils.
4. NURTURE YOUR CONNECTION WITH YOUR PARTNER, YOURSELF AND YOUR BABY
Embrace your pregnancy as a spiritual journey for your whole family, spend time with your partner to celebrate and reflect on your transition into parenting. Consciously create your vision and goals for a positive pregnancy and birth together.
Spend time nurturing a special relationship with your baby, some of the things you can do to connect and bond with your baby pre-birth include:
Creating a pregnancy altar or sacred space where you can keep affirmations, visualisations and a journal specific to your pregnancy journey
Read and talk to your baby
Sing and listen to music with your baby
Massage and rub your belly
Engage in regular relaxation and breath practice
Create a photo journal throughout your pregnancy
Create some birthing art and sit in circle with other pregnant mamas
Ask your tribe to organise a blessingway for you and the baby
Have your blossoming belly painted or cast in a mould you can keep forever.
Finally do yourself the biggest favour by enrolling in a quality independent childbirth education program such as the Hypnobirthing AustraliaTM program. The integral role of your partner during pregnancy and birth will be encouraged and honoured and you will both be empowered with tools, techniques and evidence-based information to make informed choices and create sacred birth experiences.
5.TRUST IN YOUR BODY, YOUR BABY AND YOUR ABILITY TO GIVE BIRTH
Embody the knowing that you were BORN TO BIRTH as nature intended. Just as your baby innately knows how to develop within the womb, your body also knows how to give birth with grace and ease. Birthing is the ultimate unfolding into surrender, a miraculous, natural and divine rite of female passage.
So love yourself, your pregnancy, your body, your baby and your birth however it unfolds for you are weaving a magical story together. Most of all surrender deeply into the infinite wellspring of love that is becoming a mother, a family and meeting your baby for the very first time!!!