Archive for May, 2008
Hoping to Fall Pregnant? Are you Sure?
Posted by: | CommentsWhat images come to mind when you hear the phrase ‘she fell pregnant’?
‘Falling pregnant’ conceals the truth. It hides the power of the woman who has chosen consciously to bring forth new life into the world through her body. It does not so much as hint at her ability to engage in deliberate creation.
Words matter. They shape our experience. As one book reminds us ‘In the beginning was the word’.
So I in invite you to acknowledge your power and consider ‘becoming pregnant’, ‘embracing pregnancy’ or ‘allowing pregnancy’ as you consciously participate in the magical conception of your new baby.
In joy,
Deirdre Morris
Breastfeeding:7 Reasons To Consider Breastfeeding Your Baby
Posted by: | CommentsAs an empowered woman, embodying the sacred feminine, you may wish to be aware of the following benefits for you and baby of using your wonderful breasts to nourish this precious new addition to your family.
Each meal is tailor made for your baby’s requirements. Even the content of breast-milk for premature babies is different to that of full terms babies because their needs are unique.
(3)Love and bonding…as your baby feeds, your body releases Oxytocin known as the ‘love hormone’ or the ‘bonding hormone’. Oxytocin provides a sense of well being and calm in both mother and baby.
It also facilitates bonding and creates a desire in both of you for further contact with each other. So this hormone, produced while breastfeeding actually elicits those feelings of love and deep connection that support you in becoming the mother you really want to be….calm, relaxed, connected and happy.
(4) Not only does the breastfeeding and release of oxytocin enhance the bond between mother and baby, it also lays the very foundations for the experience of love for your baby.
In the breastfeeding act, your baby learns to be very comfortable being close to mum. She learns about being fully present with another as she stares into your eyes and you meet her gaze.
She learns that it is safe for her to receive love and that she is worthy of deep connection. Breastfeeding provides her cells with the experience of being cared for physically, emotionally and spiritually in a very intimate way.
These skills and experiences not only help her to recognise and choose relationships that are nourishing for her as she grows up, they also support her in nourishing herself and others in a healthy way.
(5) From a purely practical perspective, breastfeeding is much handier as you don’t need to spend endless time planning, preparing the bottles or cleaning up afterwards because you always have a supply when required.
(6) As women in the western world, many of us have been conditioned to deny, conceal or suppress the full expression of our femininity.
Your breasts were designed to feed your baby. You have the right to experience the wonder of breastfeeding. You are worthy of creating and knowing first hand the beauty and magic of breastfeeding and realising the deep wisdom of your body in this process.
(7) Breastfeeding allows you to come into your own power and embrace your sacred feminine energy.
Culturally, many of us have been downloaded with the message to aspire to a more male expression of ourselves. And while manhood and maleness is beautiful and sacred, so too is woman and womanhood.
It is time for us to allow ourselves to rejoice in who we are, in the perfection of being a woman and give ourselves permission to experience that fully. In doing so, we also free men to be themselves fully and pave the way for a generation of babies comfortable in their own skin and honouring both the masculine and feminine within.
So just ask yourself what you truly desire. What would you love for your baby? If you thought that you could do it and felt supported around breastfeeding would you try?
Why not join on Maire Clements, Tracy Gary and myself on the Blogtalk Radio Show http://www.blogtalkradio.com/TheBreastfeedingSalon to find out more about you and breastfeeding.
In joy,
Deirdre Morris
Birth: 7 Tips For Perparing Your Baby For A Safe, Gentle Birth
Posted by: | CommentsIn our preparations for birth our attention often goes to the practicalities such as having baby clothes, buggies, diapers and the never ending list of items that we have come to associate with baby’s arrival.
The following tips while simple, will definitely support you in claiming for yourself and your baby the magical beginning that you both deserve.
(1) Develop the habit of talking to your baby.
We all love to be acknowledged, noticed and included. It makes us feel special and important. It fosters a sense of belonging. And while we are aware that children love positive attention and thrive on it, we often forget that the exact same thing is true of baby in utero.
So practice chatting to your baby, letting her know what is going on and including her in family life from the beginning. Several times a day place your hands conscious on your pregnant belly and tell her you love her and how happy you are that she is here.
When she feels welcome, she will find it easier to leave the safety of the womb and come into this world in a peaceful, relaxed way
(2) Tell her how well she is doing in her development.
We all love our work to be acknowledged and admired. Point out her achievement. Every so often remind her of what is going on in her development…’you have grown to 15cms, you have lovely arms and legs’ or ‘now you are making your brain and spinal chord’. Point out how easy it was for her. Get her used to the idea that she is a success.
Then as she prepares for birth and goes down the birth canal, she already has the message that she is a success and can do this with ease.
(3) Inform yourself what birth looks like from your baby’s perspective. This will help you get an understanding of what it is like for your baby and will also remind you that your amazing body and your baby are designed to work harmoniously together as a powerful team with ease during birth.
(4) Explain to your baby what will be happening from her point of view. We all find it easier to be relaxed and confident when we have an idea what is coming up and what is expected of us.
Invite her to come head first with her face down and let her know that this is the easiest position for you both.
Choose easy options during pregnancy so that you are modelling to her this habit..because she is watching.
Most of us have received the download that birth is a horrible ordeal, something we have to endure. However this is not the truth. Women are designed to give birth vaginally. Your amazing body has been preparing gently for this event. As you allow yourself to consider and relax into the knowledge that you have the power to experience a safe, gentle birth your body will respond to this message.
Take the time to relax daily with meditation, yoga or other method that helps you quiet your mind and tune into the wisdom of the body.
Picture the birth you desire in your mind’s eye. Imagine and feel efficient contractions, gentle and steady dilation of the cervix and perfect stretching of your perineum. See your very confident, relaxed baby working in harmony with your body as she gently makes her way into the world for the very first time.
In joy,
Deirdre Morris
