babyyogi

Pregnancy Meditation

Deep Belly Breath. Sit in comfortable upright position with eyes closed.  Focus on breath flowing in and out.  Your pulse slowing down in turn slows down your baby’s pulse.  You are connected thru the umbilical cord your pulse feeding your babies pulse.  Start by taking a deep belly breath and slow down your bodies chemisty and circulation.  Deep smooth slow breathing is a way of letting your baby know that everything is all right. 

Meditation is a way of communicating your confidence and relaxed state of mind in the pregnancy.  You can communicate to your baby while in the womb not only by talking to your baby but thru your heart beat and the slow monitored breathing techniques.  This technique can be practices out of the womb as well.  The baby can be placed on your chest, feeling your heart beat and your breathing patterns, the baby will relax and slow down, he too will be coaxed into relaxing.

Now breast feeding, I learned the latch from Nurses, lactation consultants and experts first in theory while pregnant in a breast feeding class at Alta Bates Medical Center in Berkeley, CA.  November 2007. I got to put that practice to the test when my son was born three weeks early.  At birth my son weighed only 5 pounds and 4 ounces and was 18 inches long.  He was considered a “Chicky Premie” by the nurses.  When I asked the nurses what the term meant, they answered that a Chicky Premie was a newborn with a low birth weight but all his systems are functioning normal and his drive to breast feed is strong. So William Andrew Dougherty was ready to eat, ready to be touched and loved, he was just small. 

In the hospital I made it a priority that he was going to latch and we would leave the hospital Breast Feeding Champions.  So the next few days we practiced breastfeeding, latching until we were both comfortable with breast feeding.  It was not until we were discharged and went home that I started to meditate during breast feeding. As I mentioned before that my son was born early and only 5 pounds 4 ounces.  The last month in the womb is when babies tend to gain a lot of weight fast, since my son was born early he missed this monthly growth spurt.  Had he stayed in my womb full term he would have gained those last months pounds and been around 9-10 pounds. 

Now as his mother I wanted him to get the maximum benefit from my breast milk and make up the weight so that he would not be at a disadvantage.   The nightly, hourly feedings were emotionally draining.  Removing negative thoughts and experiences during breast feeding from my psyche was a huge relief that allowed me to pick up strong and continue positively addressing my baby’s needs. Meditation allowed me to remove negative preceptions and be strong.  It also allowed my son and I to bond in such a wonderful way.   I would meditate during the first week at home once a day.

The following seven meditations, one for each day were done depending on what I physically needed that day.   It was not until after the first month that I started to do a specific meditation a day and expand develop each meditation writing them down in a meditation diary.  Make each beginning of breast feeding meditation a fun connection process.

A good latch is most important so latching takes priority but I found happens best during the be present process.  I have an incredible comfortable couch that allowed me to sit comfortably and yet be supported.  Able to keep my baby feeding with the aid of pillows under my arms.  My feet are on the ground giving me a grounded presence.  

1.  Be Present.

2.  Slow your breath and breath into your belly, feel the air filling and raising your stomach.

3.  Connect with your baby thru eyesight and skin on skin touch.

4.  Close relaxed eyes - as baby closes his eyes close your eyes.  

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