Birthing Dream

My dream is that every woman, everywhere, will know the joy of a truly safe, comfortable and satisfying birthing for herself and her baby” ~ Marie F. Mongan founder of Hypnobirthing® .

My questions to pregnant mothers are many. “What is your birthing dream”? How do you envision this very special day? If you are a first time mother what are your expectations and have you taken the time to educate yourself so that you can see your vision? What steps are you going to follow to achieve your dream? Remember birth is not a medical event! It is a completely normal and natural occurrence that most women can achieve without the assistance of the medical community. You are not sick. You are doing something completely miraculous, growing and birthing a human being into this world. How, where, when, and the details are up to you! Not your doctor.

Kim Wildner was quoted in her book Mother’s Intention: How Belief Shapes Birth “You are constructing your own reality with the choices you make...or don't make. If you really want a healthy pregnancy and joyful birth, and you truly understand that you are the one in control, then you must examine what you have or haven't done so far to create the outcome you want”. So a positive outcome results from positive input. Think about how birthing is portrayed in the media, movies, and in books. It is considered either dramatic or comedic. It is truly neither. This is an incredible journey becoming a mother. It is emotional, physical, and spiritual. You have to look for the positive sources of input. Birthing is beautiful. Your vision should allow that beauty to shine. Achieving the dream can be accomplished in many different ways. “Seeing is believing”. Visualization, Affirmations, and even a Dream Map can all have a very strong impact on reaffirming your intention to have your birthing dream. I ask my mothers to see their birth exactly as they want it to happen. They should journal their vision and when writing engage all of the senses! It will make it much more real— Put as much description into it as you can. Create and weave the story. Don’t write it like a grocery list. The more you can see yourself, feel yourself, engage all of your senses the better.

Smell -think about a scent you enjoy, it could be a candle or maybe the way your birth companion smells.
Taste - see yourself snacking on a favorite food to increase your energy.
Sight - see yourself having your perfect birth (using the Hypnobirthing techniques) holding the baby, or seeing the beauty of flowers in your room
Hearing - use your love of music in your story. What music is the soundtrack of your life?
Touch - think about your birth companions loving touch or how soft the baby will feel once you get to hold them. Then after you have completed writing the story, focus and meditate upon it frequently.

Add or subtract to it but keep the basic integrity of your dream together. You can do the same thing with a dream map. Basically you get a poster board, glue, and some magazines or other textures. You cut out those pictures, words, and phrases that support your dream. Once the page is complete place the map somewhere you can gaze upon it frequently. It will again help you to meditate upon your dream and to enhance the visualization meditation along with writing affirmations that will support your dream. Use affirmation phrases in creative ways that will help support and enhance your preparedness for birthing. Writing affirmations lends them power. By writing each out several times you are reinforcing its message.

Some suggested Hypnobirthing® Affirmations are: I am relaxed and happy that my baby is finally coming to me. I am focused on a smooth, easy birth. I trust my body to know what it is to do. My mind is relaxed; my body is relaxed. I feel confident; I feel safe; I feel secure. When writing affirmations you should always write in the present or past tense. Do not use the future tense. You want your mind to know it has already happened. Use the most positive terms you can. Never use negatives in affirmations. As you are learning to do affirmations, write them down so you will remember exactly what you want to say. Keep them short and very specific. Personalize them with your name. Always believe that what you are saying is happening. The more you believe, the stronger the affirmation. Being repetitive and persistent helps to set them in your head and in your unconscious being. Always have a specific time daily set aside for your meditations, affirmations and visualizations. This will help set a pattern for you so you will do them daily. “The vision that you glorify in your mind, the ideal that you enthrone in your heart- this you will build your life by, and this you will become”. ~ James Allen The more you make your birthing dream real, in full Technicolor, with all your senses engaged the easier it will be to trust yourself to relax and step right into your birthing imagery. So take the time to develop your vision and you will realize your dream for you and your family.