It's been WAY to long since I've done a guest guru post...plus I've been booked of from work so have some time on my hands... turns out stress and a UTI are not friends with a 34 week prego uterus :) go figure ;)
Today's post, in keeping with all things Baby in my life is Written by my good friend and Doula-in-Training, Jeanine.
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Bonding with Baby through Birth
Art
Much of this content is inspired
by Birthing from Within by Pam England and Rob Horowitz
Sometimes words are not enough. In pregnancy, the
emotions carried by the parents can often be limited by language. Have you ever
woken up and “felt” your dream even though you couldn’t communicate to someone
what had happened in it?
Birth art can express emotions and fears and offer a
place where parents-to-be can explore the upcoming miracle of birth. Don’t
panic here if you think you’re not an artistic person! Sometimes left-brained
people, verbal or thinking types can be the most apprehensive or uncomfortable
about making birth art. Many times, though, these people are the ones that benefit
the most from the activity as it leads to expression.
So, where do you start? Any time in your pregnancy is
a good time! Set the scene by becoming calm and connecting with your baby
inside. Be curious and explore your feelings about the subject you choose. Be
raw, honest and spontaneous and don’t be tempted to plan and carefully
calculate perfection. Be receptive and not goal-oriented. It is nice to work
with a friend or a small group and especially remember to involve the
father-to-be. Most importantly, give yourself TIME.
Choose a topic to give you a picture in your
mind. Here are some examples:
·
A womb with a view
·
How you see yourself as a pregnant woman
·
Create an image that can help you relax, open and
bring your baby into the world
·
A journey or landscape of birth (symbolised by nature)
You can choose any materials that you have available.
Anything from pencil sketching, watercolour, acrylic or collages to sculpting
modelling clay or making a belly cast (this can be decorated later and
displayed). Make sure to date and save your art.
I close with a reply given by a 106-year-old man when
asked what it was like to have lived 106 years. He answered, “I didn’t live 106
years. I lived one moment at a time”. Take this to heart when doing your birth
art, just as you will when going through your momentous birth experience: One
step at a time and eventually you will look back and see a wondrous work of
art!
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Seems like an interesting way to document your preganancy :)
Thanks so much Jeanine ! If you looking for a Doula in the Pretoria Area please le me know and I'll be happy to pass on her contact details
