SOPHROLOGY AT THE SERVICE OF PREGNANT WOMEN
Pregnancy is a beautiful passage in a woman’s life, but it can also be a time filled with questions, doubt, fear, insecurity and anticipation. We might also feel being overmedicated which can bring on extra stress, not to mention the mountain of further recommendations coming from all directions: eat like an athlete, quit smoking, ban alcohol, don’t overtire yourself… and so forth, the list goes on.
And what if we started to think of pregnancy as an incredible event vs. a medical problem?
Of course it’s perfectly normal to have a few questions and concerns, but it’s also possible to stay calm by learning to trust the natural aspects of childbirth, feel confident, allowing baby to bathe in peaceful amniotic fluid, helping an arrival in this world without sensing fear and beyond reproach.
What do babies learn inside their mother’s wombs? Latest research in foetal psychology and biology shows premature learning about the outside world as early as the first month in utero. For instance, we know that stress hormones penetrate the placenta, so if mom is relaxed, baby is too. We also now know that fear can cause complications during delivery.
Sophrology has various exercises that cover breathing, relaxation, visualization and encouragement, making it easier to handle contractions, childbirth and pain. We also learn to repeat positive mantras such as “ The doctor wants the best for my baby” or “ I’m in good hands”. This allows mom to be ready and mentally prepared. And it will make a world of difference for her and for the whole medical team.
As contractions become more intense, we would take a seating position with a fully straight back. This allows you to react well to contractions because the “frontal lobe is disconnected from the brain as the primitive side of the brain that takes over”. The frontal lobe holds whatever we have learnt from society, including the general assumption that “childbirth=pain”. The primitive brain, however, represents our capacity to respond instinctively.
To get the most out of the preparation phase, best start as soon as your fourth month. But do bear in mind, sophrology is not a substitute to medical care. Future moms, do you want to blossom in a stress-free pregnancy?
As soon as you’re at least four months along, sign up for group or individual sophrology workshops at the Vitality Center or in Discovery Bay, with Aude Mahoudeau, certified sophrologist.
For more information, contact 6256 0406 or sophrologyhk@hotmail.com Childbirth: A word to avoid; replaced with Happy event. «When are you expecting the happy event?» Dictionary of received ideas (1913) Citations by Gustave Flaubert
Aude Mahoudeau-Campoyer - Sophrologist sophrologyhk@hotmail.com www.sophrologyhk.com
