How can we help our babies be calm and content? How can we create the best environment for them to flourish? One way is to begin with ourselves as parents or carers.
Studies have proved that stress during pregnancy can have lasting effects on babies – not only in their infancy but throughout their lives. Dr Verny in “The Secret Life of the Unborn Child” (1982) refers to a study that showed that the most active fetuses grew into the most anxious children. He writes eloquently about how as mothers we have the possibility of helping our babies in utero by paying attention to our own emotional and soul health.
How to do this is the question. We all find ourselves in situations that are far from ideal, and how can we protect our growing babies from things we have no control over? Firstly – we always have a choice. Perhaps we can’t change the outer circumstances, but we can nurture a positive attitude. I once read of someone who was in the concentration camps who said that outside the barrack window she could see a branch, and it was through observing this tiny bit of nature that gave her inward strength to endure the atrocities she faced every day.
So why not walk in nature everyday, standing still at a chosen place for a few moments to observe a favourite tree or plant. The life-forces of plants are also in us, in the way we grow. And the baby in utero is definitely growing! So trying to connect with these natural growth forces is helpful. It also might seem boring. That’s ok! You should have lots of time.
Of course this requires conscious choice. You need to slow down. A tree doesn’t grow to full height in a day. Once your baby is born you will find yourself at home night and day, so it’s good to get used to this as soon as you can. Quiet contemplation of some beautiful place in nature is a good way of calming your soul.
Juju Sundin, an Australian physical therapist who teaches women birth skills https://jujusundin.wordpress.com/page/4/, suggests that visualisation during labour or looking at a beautiful picture of a place we love can help bring a sense of serenity and work against anxiety. In fact, there was a famous study where they measured people’s level of stress and found that even looking at a postcard of a natural scene lowered their cortisol. So there are many ways we can try and nurture our inner lives, work on calming our emotions and helping our babies into the world in a peaceful and gentle way.