Prebirth Communication

“A thought, conceived by the heart, nourished by the breath, takes root into every cell of our body”. Binnie A. Dansby

One of the main things that i loved about being pregnant was being in constant communication with my unborn son. He felt like a person from the beginning and i instinctively talked to him every day throughout the pregnancy as well as after he was born. I even talked to him occasionally before he was conceived because i felt his presence in the months beforehand. It helped to form a wonderful bond with him before we 'saw' each other face to face and it has helped a great deal in my understanding of him since his birth. Listening to the telepathic/nonverbal communication as well as the verbal has been invaluable, especially now that he is 19 months old and although he is beginning to communicate verbally he gets hugely frustrated by not being able to say more. He has been strongly communicating from the beginning firstly in dreams and flashes of insight but then in strong feelings, images and thoughts. I simply included him in everything, chatting to him about everything and anything; what was happening, how i was feeling, how much i loved him as well as telling him stories and singing to him. My husband did the same, making sure that his voice was also heard, he is Norwegian and we were living in the UK at the time so it was really important to him that our son heard some Norwegian from early on. Infact the Norwegian lullaby that he sang to him almost every day for 9 months is still the one song that calms our son to this day.

Communicating with my son on this level not only made me take the time to 'listen' to him but also to myself. It was reassuring to be able to tune into him and to feel that he was a very strong and happy baby from the start. Somehow because of this i knew that everything was going to be ok with the pregnancy, despite the obvious worries that you have when it is your first child.

We had been thinking about names even before our son was conceived but hadn't found a name that we both liked or that worked in both Norwegian and in English and coming from these different countries it was important that it worked in both places. At about 5 months of pregnancy the name Theodore appeared from a dream i had in which i felt like he was showing me how he would like to be born- in water, at night, in a peaceful setting, with low lighting and with very few people around. The experience and the name  just felt right and we loved it immediatley so that almost without thinking about it he was named from that moment on and it felt very magical as if he had chosen the name, which i suppose he had. I also love the fact that his name means 'Gift from God' and he does feel just that, a very magical, bright and shining star baby.

While i was pregnant i found some wonderful Cds with guided meditations aimed at helping women to communicate with their unborn child and also to help them prepare for and visualise the birth that they wanted to create together with their baby. It was a wonderful process listening to these Cds and i think it definately helped me to be less afraid of the birthing process and to open up to the possibility that i could have an ecstatic birth rather than the fear filled and painful ones that i had heard about that obscured the idea that birth could be anything else.

Cd List:
1) One of my favourites were the Cds created by Kate Street. The first called Messages from the Womb which is "designed to strengthen and enhance your prebirth connection with your baby" and her second Cd which came free with the first called  Beautiful Birth Meditation which is designed to help you "manifest the Birth you WANT, not the birth you fear". See Kate Streets website for more information



I also used:

2) The "Peaceful Pregnancy" Cd created by Veronika and Paul Robinson (editors of 'The Mother Magazine' a magazine devoted to fertility awareness, conscious conception, peaceful pregnancy, sacred birth, full term breastfeeding, natural immunity and other holistic lifestyle choices for the whole family) The CD can be ordered online from www.theartofchange.co.uk  or from www.themothermagazine.co.uk.

"Some women speak of the joy and exhilaration of giving birth. It is well established that the personality of the baby reflects the feelings and state of mind of the mother during pregnancy and birth. Peaceful Pregnancy contains gentle, guided relaxations followed by affirmations and beautiful, calming music. The feelings you would expect to have in a joyous pregnancy and birth are reinforced as you listen to the Cd."

"Peaceful Pregnancy will help a woman get in touch with her feelings and her own body…to believe in herself and her ability to give birth naturally." Ruth Davison, midwife and gentle birth consultant.
"Paul’s encouraging message and soothing voice are a wonderful support in preparation for the beautiful experience of birth." Reverend Graeme Johnson, international motivator.

3) "Having a baby is the most natural thing in the world" is a Cd by Binnie A Dansby.



I loved this CD because it made me feel so calm and opened me further to the idea that birth could be beautiful, natural and pleasurable. Binnie Dansby is an expert in conscious birthing practices, a counsellor, spiritual teacher, breathwork therapist, lecturer, author, designer and artist. She has designed and led courses throughout the world for more than 20 years. This CD is designed to help support relaxation and confidence during pregnancy, labour and birth. It is available from www.ecstaticbirth.com, www.sourcebreath.com and www.fatherstobe.org

4)  "Ecstatic Birth-conceive the possibility" by Binnie A Dansby

This is a Cd-Rom giving you pictures, videos and recorded interviews with people who have created their own ecstatic births as well as Binnie Dansby and other professionals speaking about the birth process.

"How would you approach birth if you were convinced that the baby is conscious and making decisions? I consistently observe birth as easy, satisfying and ecstatic for women, irrespective of age, background or medical history. Acceptance of the idea that an ecstatic birth is possible sets in motion a process that is both healing and empowering. We can give our babies, our projects and our lives ecstasy."

and finally with my second son i used this incredible healing Cd "Returning" by Jennifer Berezan during the pregnancy and also in the birth. You can listen to an extract of it here. It touched me deeply and i found it gave me the support and cocooning that i needed. 

"A long playing healing chant to the Mother of Us All, Returning CD by Jennifer Berezan, was recorded in one of the world’s oldest temples in a chamber created for sound. 

The Hyposeum in the Hal Saflieni district of Paola is an elaborate subterranean temple/tomb used for ritual activity and communal burials by the Neolithic people of Malta (south of Italy). Jennifer Berezan, evoking the lineage of ancient singing priestesses, weaves together this rich musical tapestry with chants, drones and vocal improvisations accompanied by guitar and hand percussion.The music was recorded in the Hypogeum in Malta which is an ancient temple/tomb built 6000 years ago for rituals. The round chambers were 'built for sound', the shape and carvings also symbolizing the cyclic nature of life and death."

It is wonderful to think that ultimately you can create or at the very least go a long way to create the birth that you want with the support of others who believe and wish to uphold your vision and while in constant comunication with your baby because he\she is very much part of the process and it is important not to forget their role in this.