Now in a moment I'm going to guide you through a short visualization that you can do each time you feel your bump harden in preparation for labor.
Remember there is usually no sensation or pain when this happens,
It's just a wave of energy moving through the muscles.
And when labor really begins,
It's these same waves but they're more noticeable because there's more energy and they have more work to do to open your cervix.
But the more comfortable you become with the practice waves,
The easier it will be to manage the real waves.
So now,
Place your hands over your bump and feel the softness,
The roundness.
Close your eyes,
Drop your chin to your chest and direct your attention inwards,
Connecting to the essence of your baby.
Visualize how they might be lying curled up inside of you and the feeling of being held and supported by the muscles of your uterus.
Your baby moves into many different positions throughout your pregnancy.
You may even have an idea of how they are lying,
But I encourage you to always visualize them in the perfect head down position for birth.
Even though they will only really settle into this position around 36 weeks and even though they instinctively know that this is the right position,
It's important for them to move around and explore their space before lining up at the exit.
Your baby spends most of their time upside down in a right side up world and that's totally okay.
Every movement you make is felt by your baby and helps to develop their vestibular system.
When you're moving your body or walking or you're in a prenatal class,
You're creating space and the gentle stretching,
Twisting,
Reaching and rocking your baby back and forth provides your baby with a host of sensory information that is crucial for their development.
So take a moment to imagine your baby in the perfect head down position.
Imagine the world they are experiencing,
The sound of your beating heart,
The movement of your chest with each in-breath and each exhale,
The sound of your circulation as blood is pumped around your body,
The muted sounds of your voice,
Your partner's voice,
My voice,
The sound of your favorite piece of music,
The sound of nature on a still day.
Direct your breath to your hands and imagine sending the breath to the muscles surrounding your baby.
It may seem strange but literally imagine that you're breathing into your hands and the breath is being transferred to your belly.
Notice how your belly softens in response.
Feel the warm energy slowly spreading through your muscles.
Imagine richly oxygenated blood flowing to your baby.
I'm going to stop speaking for two minutes so that you can really tune in and notice how your baby responds to your loving touch,
Your undivided attention,
Your conscious breath,
Your heartbeats,
Your breathing,
Your breathing,
Your breathing,
Your breathing,
Your breathing,
Your breathing.
