Saturday 11 October 2008

Mind Movie for Pregnant Women

A mind movie is a visualisation tool that enables a person to provide multisensory input and provide positive suggestions to the subconscious mind about a particular and desired outcome. Quantum physics informs us that we are forever in a field of possibilities. Neuroscience has discovered that the human brain is a quantum processor, making our tomorrows out of our todays.

If we want to create something wonderful in our life, we have to imagine it, in full technicolour, with surround sound and 'be' completely at one with whatever we wish to create.

The experts tell us that imagining/visualising our ideals first thing in the morning and last thing at night is what powerfully impacts our subconscious minds, providing a template for our inner intelligence to express itself through.

Many women do not have experience with birth, other than what they see on that master of suggestion, the television. Unfortunately, what is presented on television is invariably sensationalist, negative, alarming and often, inaccurate or only partially accurate and ultimately distressing. That is particularly true of the birthing process. The birth of our precious babies has been corrupted by false advertising through mainstream media and the ensuing horror stories. That corruption of birth has lead to unbelievable levels of fear and trauma in our society for both mothers and babies. Unmitigated fear is toxic to body and mental function and the reason that is so is explained by our physiology.

Mediated by the nervous system and our 'perceptions', our physiology has two primary modes of 'being'. One, the parasympathetic mode is 'on' when we are calm, relaxed and happy, in love and optimistic. In this mode, the whole body is well perfused with oxygen rich blood, the immune system functions well as do all the other growth and repair functions of the body. In this state, the brain functions optimally, thinking is clear, we are creative and our emotions consist of the positive hormones, such as oxytocin, endorphins and relaxins.

The other mode is switched on when we perceive a threat in our environment, this is the fight, flight or freeze response, the sympathetic branch of our nervous system. When this system is activated, blood is diverted from those parts of us that are not considered essential for immediate survival when attack appears imminent and our life threatened. The parts of us that are deprived of the normal blood flow at these times include our gut and digestion, our reproductive systems and its components, including, for pregnant women, the uterus and baby, plus other maintenance and repair systems. The blood is sent to our arms and legs for fighting and fleeing. The hormones associated with this biobehavioural state are adrenalins, noradrenalins and cortisol. Cortisol is great for helping a person lift a car off someone trapped underneath, we've all heard those kind of heroic stories of unbelievable strength in dire circumstances. However, in day to day life, activation of the sympathetic aspect of our nervous system disrupts cellular and immune system function and shuts down our rational thinking, leading to road rage, neuronal death and illness. It also leads to a self defeating, self reinforcing cycle of negative experiences.

Pregnant women are well advised to avoid horror stories, television dramas and any negative representation of birth, parenting and babies. Pregnant women benefit by being immersed in positive stories, images and surrounding themselves with loving, supportive and encouraging people. Pregnant women also benefit by having someone, preferably a midwife, with whom they can talk though their fears and apprehensions, so that they approach the birth of their precious babies in a loving, confident and calm manner. In this way, women's physiology works optimally and prenates grow well.

A mind movie is designed to provide and develop a positive view and orientation to pregnancy, labour, birth and breastfeeding for pregnant women, their partners and their families.

A woman can make her own mind movie. She can make it in her imagination, or by making a real life video. Either way, collect in your mind or physically, lovely photos of birth, babies and other images that remind you of your body and mind in harmony, working well. Add your favourite music to the mix and every morning and night, soak your mind in the ideas of birth to come, remembering to think about the birth occurring at the perfect time in the perfect way with the perfect people in the perfect place when the baby is fully grown, ready for birth. Imagine the whole process, including the birth of the placenta, your feelings on seeing your baby for the first time, being skin to skin with and breastfeeding your baby. Imagine yourself joyful after the event.

You will be amazed at how effective this process is for helping create a wonderful birth experience for you and your baby.  

1 comment:

Maralyn Foureur Professor of Midwifery, University of Technology Sydney said...

This is such important information for women to consider. Well done Carolyn for posting it and I hope many women will benefit from it. Midwives and doctors working with pregnant women also need to be aware of the power of the mind to create whatever we can imagine. This knowledge can help practitioners to understand why their every interaction with the childbearing woman needs to undertaken with exquisite care and attention to the nuances of voice and language, how they touch and with what expression on their own face - we are powerfully influenced by the non verbal as well as the verbal messages we receive from each other.

Keep up the great work Carolyn!