Читать книгу Informed Choices in Motherhood - Fiona Lee - Страница 38

“Positive maternal emotions have been shown to advance the health of the unborn child. Thoughts which infuse the developing baby with a sense of happiness or calm can set the stage for a balanced, happy, and serene disposition throughout life.” - Dr Thomas Verny

Many of us consider only the effects of our physical actions on our unborn child, such as the food and supplements we put into our body, and neglect to consider the power that our emotions and thoughts have. Nourishing your baby isn’t just about putting healthy food into your body. It is also about nourishing yourself and your unborn baby with positive thoughts, intentions and healthy emotions.

In a book which he co-authored called ‘The Secret Life of The Unborn Child’, Dr Thomas Verny, who was also the founder of the Association of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health states this:

“Everything the pregnant mother feels, and thinks is communicated through hormones to her unborn child, just as surely as are alcohol and nicotine.” ⁴⁴

What pregnancy research is now showing is that a pregnant woman’s thoughts and emotions have a great impact on her child. When the mother feels anxious or stressed the stress hormones released into her bloodstream cross the placenta to her baby. A mother’s hormones when she has been experiencing intense stress can profoundly affect the distribution of blood flow in her baby, and even affect the child’s physiology. At only six months into a pregnancy an unborn baby is already emotionally active, aware and reactive. They are also able to hear, taste, feel and even learn.

Positive emotions also have a health-enhancing effect on your baby. When a pregnant woman feels joy and calm, her body releases natural endorphins. These allow the baby’s nervous system to work harmoniously and have been shown to be helpful in promoting a sense of calm in your baby.

All of us have stress and negative emotions at times. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be human. The emotional ups and downs I felt as a pregnant mother were at times overwhelming and extremely difficult for me to process. I remember in my first trimester randomly bursting into tears, wondering what on earth was wrong with me, when I was simply going through the normal hormonal changes of early pregnancy. If you’ve had similar feelings during your pregnancy, then you might have simply been experiencing the effects of hormonal fluctuations as well.

Having tools to help you at those times is vital. I used yoga, meditation, grounding, and other self-care practices to help me. It’s so important to know how to deal with negative emotions when they come up. By being more conscious and aware of negative thoughts and emotions, we can use the necessary tools to help process them.