Guest Guru: Bonding with Baby through Birth Art

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.

 

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 When you are done, ponder on your work. Be curious and explore what emotions you felt when working on it. Are their hidden fears you can recognise about what you think will happen during the birth? Are their unresolved issues in your preparation for baby or even missing information you feel you need before the big day? I encourage you to do this regularly and see how your feelings develop through each trimester.

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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