The Greatest Pregnancy Ever!

I'm not alone in wanting "The Greatest Pregnancy Ever," right?  I attended an amazing workshop, by author Laurel Wilson, this past weekend.  There were birth doulas, postpartum doulas, midwives, and many other birth workers in attendance.  The book explains the "Keys to the Mother-Baby Bond." 

What do most parents want for their children?  For me, and many others I believe we want our children to be happy and healthy.  Do you feel stressed, worried and upset?  Or loved, content, and happy?  The more a pregnant mother can focus on fostering contentment in her life the more her baby will learn that that is what to expect in the world.  This doesn't mean you should never experience stress - the main takeaway is to be mindful of what you experience because you will pass it on to your baby. 

When I found out I was pregnant I read as much as possible, ate well, and exercised.  New moms can also start bonding with their babies in utero, as explained in the book.   Moms can take a few minutes each day to think about their growing baby and send loving thoughts to him or her.  This may seem silly, but research shows that babies receive input about our world via hormones from their mother.   Taking the time to send loving hormones to your baby is time well spent.

The latest research suggests that babies learn a lot while in utero.  They are able to remember songs and voices, learn an accent unique to their area, and develop their palate for food preferences.   I experienced this first hand when my fourth child heard me sing a lullaby and was visably calmed.  I sing it every night to my children and I had done so while pregnant.  I was amazed to see my youngest calm down, and listen as if he knew the lullaby already.

Laurel Wilson, has been educating doulas and parents for 20 years and the wealth of knowledge she brings to parents in the book is transformative.   I look forward to sharing bit and pieces of what I learned with every pregnant momma I meet!