In some cultures there is a birthing tree for women to hang from as contractions come and go. Any position that takes the weight off the feet and pelvic floor, allowing the cervix to open freely... in a house, good places are door frames, tops of doors although you may want to experiment in pregnancy to find places of a suitable height for you.
Our shed has a cross beam which was where I was for the majority of the first stage of baby number 2 and for number 3 I asked a friend to put me some hooks in the ceiling in our lounge. Tied some strong fabric around these to make a beam and heh presto a perfect birthing tool.
I believe this helped me to get the babies down down into the pelvis as I was doing some really inspired leg movements (almost like breast stroke one leg at a time) opening the hips but also such high circular movements as one might associate with the manoevre used with shoulder dystocia, freeing the foetus from being caught on bones (not a technical term!)
Intuitively allowing my body to tell me what position i should be in, hanging allows all over body shaking, big stretches throughout to relieve tensions, and of course aides the pull of gravity by releasing any muscles that may stand in its way.
Lets get those hooks into maternity suites!! Just brilliant for pain relief - the best pain relief is to listen and act swiftly to what your body is telling you. This way, that way a bit, swaying, wiggling, swooning, rolling, hanging firm, and words I could not dream of to describe the skilled art in your muscle sequences, known only by you and probably for the most part unconscious.
Safe skills, safe birthing.
Showing posts with label intuition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label intuition. Show all posts
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
A 'How To' for birth visualisation
If you are unfamiliar with locating this source of knowing, perhaps your breech is a good time to start accessing it. Here is one way you might like to try turning your attention inside.
Ideally make sure you'll not be interrupted by phones or visitors. Sit on a chair with your back straight and feet flat on the floor or lie down on your left side with carefully positioned cushions. It is helpful to stay awake during this process so choose the time of day for optimum attention!
Take some breaths imagining that with each inbreath you are renewing your body and mind with fresh bright air and with each outbreath you are letting go of any concerns and worries - perhaps watch them float away like clouds and trust that you need not think about them for the next few moments. This is time for you and your baby. Just breathing, giving life, giving time.
You could imagine roots growing down from the soles of your feet deep down into the earth, spreading our like the roots of a tree, connecting with the central core of the earth.
At that core is a golden ball of light, the light will then come up the roots in to your body and you can picture it filling your body, keeping you grounded and safe. Scan through now and feel that golden light touching your feet and toes, your lower leg, knee, upper leg, pelvis, lower back, belly, your womb and baby nestled there. Follow the light to your centre, somewhere around your heart or solar plexus and let it pool there.
You can imagine a silver ball above the head, glistening with the light of inspiration. This is the place of your life path, individual to you, always available to connect with. Pull a strand of the silver light down, through the top of your head and let it light up each part of the body that it reaches - your scalp, the back of the head, forehead, smoothing any lines as the muscles relax, your face, eyes, jaw, neck, throat, let your shoulder blades lower and relax receiving the golden light and it flows along your upper arms, elbows, lower arms, wrists, hands and fingers.
And then feel the silver light mingle with the golden light in your centre. A perfect balance of the nurturing earth and heavenly inspiration. Experience that balance for a moment.
From this central place you can take your attention back to your baby and check in with her or him - is there anything that comes to mind about how they are? Let your mind be soft and see if anything comes. Share any thoughts or feelings that you'd like to with your baby.
This is a good time to notice any fears that you have. Make a note of it for your attention later. Recognise that any places of ill ease as you sit in this quiet space are valuable signposts for areas that need your focus. Perhaps something that you thought you were worried about was a screen for a deeper concern underneath. By exploring a little now in this safe space, you are doing valuable clearing work along the path to a safe and uninhibited birth.
Sometimes the worry may disappear quickly and pop as you recognise it, sometimes you may need to let them go knowing that you can come back to them another time.
If you find your mind wandering, gently bring it back to your centre and the gold and silver lights mingling. Perhaps it helps to concentrate on each inbreath followed by an outbreath. This is a valuable way to centre yourself and stay in the safe moment of connecting with your instinctive truth. Thoughts may come and go, acknowledge them and let them go for now. Let go of anything you don't need right here, right now. There's all the time in the world to pick up on those thoughts later!
Gently scanning through, aware of each part of your body, noticing things and moving on. Perhaps there are no sensations and that is absolutely fine too, its just how you are in this moment.
Bringing your attention back by noticing sounds outside the room and inside the room. Wiggling your fingers and toes feeling the chair you are sitting on. Write or draw anything you would like to as you come back to the here and now. If you find it difficult to come back, stamp your feet and get on with some everyday things. A glass of water is also a great way to come back.
Ideally make sure you'll not be interrupted by phones or visitors. Sit on a chair with your back straight and feet flat on the floor or lie down on your left side with carefully positioned cushions. It is helpful to stay awake during this process so choose the time of day for optimum attention!
Take some breaths imagining that with each inbreath you are renewing your body and mind with fresh bright air and with each outbreath you are letting go of any concerns and worries - perhaps watch them float away like clouds and trust that you need not think about them for the next few moments. This is time for you and your baby. Just breathing, giving life, giving time.
You could imagine roots growing down from the soles of your feet deep down into the earth, spreading our like the roots of a tree, connecting with the central core of the earth.
At that core is a golden ball of light, the light will then come up the roots in to your body and you can picture it filling your body, keeping you grounded and safe. Scan through now and feel that golden light touching your feet and toes, your lower leg, knee, upper leg, pelvis, lower back, belly, your womb and baby nestled there. Follow the light to your centre, somewhere around your heart or solar plexus and let it pool there.
You can imagine a silver ball above the head, glistening with the light of inspiration. This is the place of your life path, individual to you, always available to connect with. Pull a strand of the silver light down, through the top of your head and let it light up each part of the body that it reaches - your scalp, the back of the head, forehead, smoothing any lines as the muscles relax, your face, eyes, jaw, neck, throat, let your shoulder blades lower and relax receiving the golden light and it flows along your upper arms, elbows, lower arms, wrists, hands and fingers.
And then feel the silver light mingle with the golden light in your centre. A perfect balance of the nurturing earth and heavenly inspiration. Experience that balance for a moment.
From this central place you can take your attention back to your baby and check in with her or him - is there anything that comes to mind about how they are? Let your mind be soft and see if anything comes. Share any thoughts or feelings that you'd like to with your baby.
This is a good time to notice any fears that you have. Make a note of it for your attention later. Recognise that any places of ill ease as you sit in this quiet space are valuable signposts for areas that need your focus. Perhaps something that you thought you were worried about was a screen for a deeper concern underneath. By exploring a little now in this safe space, you are doing valuable clearing work along the path to a safe and uninhibited birth.
Sometimes the worry may disappear quickly and pop as you recognise it, sometimes you may need to let them go knowing that you can come back to them another time.
If you find your mind wandering, gently bring it back to your centre and the gold and silver lights mingling. Perhaps it helps to concentrate on each inbreath followed by an outbreath. This is a valuable way to centre yourself and stay in the safe moment of connecting with your instinctive truth. Thoughts may come and go, acknowledge them and let them go for now. Let go of anything you don't need right here, right now. There's all the time in the world to pick up on those thoughts later!
Gently scanning through, aware of each part of your body, noticing things and moving on. Perhaps there are no sensations and that is absolutely fine too, its just how you are in this moment.
Bringing your attention back by noticing sounds outside the room and inside the room. Wiggling your fingers and toes feeling the chair you are sitting on. Write or draw anything you would like to as you come back to the here and now. If you find it difficult to come back, stamp your feet and get on with some everyday things. A glass of water is also a great way to come back.
Weighing up 'Risk'
A mother makes safe choices. An evolutionary necessity.
You are not going to be doing anything that puts you or your baby at 'risk', the human race wouldn't have got very far if women were inclined to make crazy decisions at the last minute that endangered herself or her young.
If you feel that a c-section is the safest thing for you then you are right. If you envisage labouring for the large part at home and choosing the hospital for the birth then that is the right choice for you. Similarly, women who feel that the safety of a room they have pre-prepared with their family around them is where they will birth most comfortably then this is right for you.
I have avoided the word 'think' in that sentence as I believe that the answers to a lot of questions asked in preparation for labour come from an intuitive silent place. A gut feeling, a knowing, that can not always be backed up by statistics (although if someone statistically minded put their mind to it I'm sure the proof would be there!) but has the benefit of being a holistic decision. The decision that you know is right with all of yourself.
You are not going to be doing anything that puts you or your baby at 'risk', the human race wouldn't have got very far if women were inclined to make crazy decisions at the last minute that endangered herself or her young.
If you feel that a c-section is the safest thing for you then you are right. If you envisage labouring for the large part at home and choosing the hospital for the birth then that is the right choice for you. Similarly, women who feel that the safety of a room they have pre-prepared with their family around them is where they will birth most comfortably then this is right for you.
I have avoided the word 'think' in that sentence as I believe that the answers to a lot of questions asked in preparation for labour come from an intuitive silent place. A gut feeling, a knowing, that can not always be backed up by statistics (although if someone statistically minded put their mind to it I'm sure the proof would be there!) but has the benefit of being a holistic decision. The decision that you know is right with all of yourself.
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