|
The following is part of a series of posts detailing the information in my free download 26 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for Labor.  Tension. I know her well and I'm sure you do too. Sometimes she is a fleeting visitor; other times she parks herself right in that sweet spot where my neck meets my shoulders. Maybe she likes your jaw, or she settles just behind your eyes. Wherever you may find her, Tension is no stranger. Noticing where she is taking up residence in your body, and then releasing her, will bring your awareness inward and deepen the connection to your baby.
First, wherever you are right now, close your eyes and connect with your breath. Listen to the sound of your inhale and exhale. Feel your breath as it flows in and out. In this short time, you may already feel a release of Tension. Now bring your awareness to your head. Notice if Tension is there and on your exhale, breath her away. Check behind your eyes, and your jaw. What about your lips and your tongue? She likes to hid in those places too! With each exhale, soften and release this one small part of your body. Slowly, with each breath, scan your entire body... neck.... shoulders.... elbows.... wrists.... fingers.... chest.... belly.....low back.... hips.... Stay here in your hips and low back. Breathe. This is a favorite hangout for Tension. She likes the extra energy that your hip muscles are expending to support your growing baby. So notice her here.... then send her on her way with your next breaths. As many as it takes. Keep on scanning your body... knees... ankles..... arches of your feet... toes..... Exhale and soften. Inhale. Exhale and release Bring your awareness to your baby and breathe here. Now, send up a prayer of gratitude for the hard work your body is doing and sweet baby you are growing. Breathe all your love and attention to your child and just be.
0 Comments
The following is part of a series of posts detailing the information in my free download 26 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for Birth.  This is one of my favorite ways to connect with baby because it feels sooooooo good for mama, too!
No matter which way you are getting massaged, the key is to bring your full awareness to your baby. I like to first start by listening to my breath. Listen to it as you inhale.... and exhale. Once your mind starts to quiet down, bring your awareness to your growing child. With each exhale feel your body soften around his or her little body. You are providing a warm, safe environment for them to grow, so thank your body for the amazing job it is doing of nurturing this little human. There are several ways to go about getting massaged. Some are easier and cheaper than others, but all are beneficial to mom and baby! Massage Therapist This is the most decadent way to get massaged. A good prenatal massage therapist will become your best friend, especially late in your pregnancy when every ligament is stretched to the max and every muscle is working overtime. Partner Massage Enlist the help of your partner to give you a massage at the end of a long day. This is a great way for your partner to connect with you (both physically and emotionally) as well as the baby, too. Simple Hand or Foot Massage You'll need a partner for this, too. Get out your favorite lotion or oil and find a nice peaceful place to put your feet up. As your partner massages your hands or feet, allow your breath to slow down as you bring your attention to your baby. Send all your love and energy to him or her as you feel the love your partner has for you, too. BTW, a simple hand massage is simply divine, you won't realize how much you needed one until you get one! Self-given Hand Massage Don't let time, energy or lack of another person around prevent you from connecting with your baby and enjoying the benefits of a massage. A simple self-given hand massage can often work wonders. Take off your rings, find your yummiest lotion and spend five minutes massaging your own hands. Listen to your breath. Imagine how much work your hands will do for your baby once he or she arrives. Imagine the meals they will prepare, the tears they will wipe away, the loving embraces they will give. No matter how you get massaged, the important thing is that you are taking some time out of your busy day to connect with your child. In the comments, tell us how you plan on working a massage into your day today.  Nourishment for your Mind: Did you know there are things you can do before you go into labor that will help your baby get into the best position? Start here to find out what Optimal Fetal Positioning is and how to get it! Nourishment for your Body: Drink a big glass of water. Yup, right now. Do it. I'll wait.... Ahhhhhhhh, doesn't that feel good? I know that you know that drinking water is a key component to a healthy life. But sometimes it is just so darn hard to get it in. We get busy. We forget. Here is a list of 23 ways to get that water in throughout your day. Your body will thank you! Nourishment for your Soul: Many people, me included, try to bring awareness and a sense of being present to our daily life. Perhaps you do, too. Or maybe you would like to. Pregnancy is a wonderful time to incorporate some kind of mindfulness practice into your life, as is having a new baby or older children in the house. Read this article for ways to balance the frenzy of information and awareness on a daily basis. In just ten minutes, you can feel more connected, aware and present to all that is around you! What will you do for your awareness moment today? Have a blessed week, Meggan The following is part of a series of posts detailing the information in my free download: 26 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for Birth.
How often do you just sit and be still? Me either. It's hard. There is so much to do. So many distractions. So many Shoulds. You know the Soulds: I should be doing this right now... I should pick up that.... I should... I should.... I should.... Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! If the Shoulds speak to you loud and clear, than this mindfulness practice will be perfect for you. If you do find this challenging, I recommend a simple timer. Set it for 5 minutes. You can do anything for 5 minutes, right? So when it goes off... you can get back to all those Shoulds if you want. You ready? Good. Find a comfortable place to sit. I enjoy being outside because there is so much to take in.. the sounds, the smell, the fresh air.... (Plus, when I'm inside my house, the temptation to pick something up or put something away is too great for me.) As you settle into your space, begin to notice your breath. Is it fast? Slow? Shallow? Take a few deep breaths here and notice your body relaxing. Now just sit. Breathe. Listen. You may want to allow your eyes to soften on one focal point. You may want to close them. Whatever you hear.... breathe it in...... then out. Whatever you see.... breathe it in.... then out. Whatever you feel... breathe it in....then out. No judgement. Now bring your attention to your baby. Breathe her/him in... and out. Send all your love to the being in your womb. Sit here as long as you like. When you're ready..... take a deep breath and get back to your day. It is still there waiting for you. I promise!
The following is part of a series of posts detailing the information in my free download 26 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for Birth.
I decided to do a little something different for today's post: A guided visualization! You'll need a pen/pencil and paper for this exercise.
Grab yourself a glass of refreshing lemonade or ice tea and enjoy!
In the comments share one thing that you want to remember about this exercise.
**The following is part of a series of posts detailing the information in my free download Connect With Your Baby A-Z!. Listen to the sound of each breath as you inhale... then exhale. Feel each breath.  Your breath is one of the best tools you have for coping with the intensity of labor. Breath can be used to energize you if you feel like you need a pick-me-up. It can also be used to calm you down if you are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, worried, etc. The good news is that your breath is ALWAYS with you, so you don't have to worry about forgetting it when you pack your birth bag! Breath Awareness is not your mother's Birth Breathing! Forget the patterned breathing that is often seen in movies; the he-he-he-hoo-hoo-hoo breathing that many people associate with birth. No. Breath Awareness is simply that.... being aware of your breath. It is just being aware of what your breath is doing at any given moment. You don't have to change it; you don't have to master a certain pattern; you don't have to remember anything. You just focus and notice what your breath is doing naturally. Breath Awareness is a great practice to cultivate BEFORE you go into labor so it won't feel foreign to you when you are in the middle of contractions. Making Breath Awareness a daily practice, will not only serve you in labor, but throughout parenthood as well! Make Breath Awareness a part of your childbirth preparation On your next exhale, notice your breath. Notice how it sounds, notice how it feels leaving your body. Don't do anything to change it, just notice where it is.
Do the same with the next inhale.... Then exhale.... Then inhale... Exhale.... Inhale... With every inhale and exhale, bring your focus and awareness solely to each breath. Close your eyes. Focus only on the breath. Feel it fill your belly..... your chest..... Feel it slowly leave your body. Let the sounds and distractions around you fade as the focus on your breath increases. Keep going. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now...Slowly bring your awareness back to your surroundings. How do you feel now? Different? More relaxed? More energized? What did you notice about yourself? Was it hard? Easy? Did your mind quiet down or did the chatter ramp up? There is no right or wrong way to do this.... just listen and feel your breath. You can do this practice anywhere. In fact, the more stressed or distracted you are, the more it will be like labor, so don't shy away from these moment. Chances are you might find you already do this when you are in stressful situations. I encourage you, both in times of stress and in times of relaxation, to practice Breath Awareness throughout your week. In the comments let us know what worked for you. What did you notice about yourself as you practiced Breath Awareness? photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mezdeathhead/3163117585/">Mez Love</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a> |
Archives
March 2017
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
Contact
Meggan Dodge
Castle Rock, CO 303.807.9608 hbbirthservices@gmail.com |
|
"The bird has also found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself where she may lay her young." Ps.84:3
Private childbirth classes, doula care, and postpartum support serving Castle Rock, Parker, and South Denver.
©2015 Humble Beginnings Birth Services by Meggan Dodge