Meditate before you medicate: 2-CD set prepares you to labour blissfully
Among the poignant phrases in Ava Curtola’s The Energy of Birthing is this: “Labour is never what you expect … it can be better!” Really? So many of us were raised with fear surrounding labour: it will be long, it will be painful, it will be powerless. Even in birth-activist circles, the message is often one of getting through the pain without medication rather than one of enjoying the process of giving birth.
Is it possible to be both present and comfortable your labour? Can you be aware of pain without giving into it? Can an understanding of meditation, chakras, acupressure, and reflexology contribute to a better birth experience?
Ava Curtola — registered nurse, reiki master, hypnotist, and mother — says yes, but not only that; she offers 2-CD program and book to help you achieve your own best birth (with a little help from meditation and self-hypnosis). What you won’t find here is a downplaying of the work involved in labour; instead, there is a focus on the fact that yes, it is work, and yes, you can do it.
During the preparatory stage of pregnancy, you’ll enjoy a selection of relaxing and empowering meditations that will connect your and your baby’s energy for the work ahead. You’ll learn to tap into the intuitive trust you have in your body and your baby, and you’ll learn to focus your energy in ways that will help make the work of labour not only manageable, but also empowering.
A second CD is played during labour: it progresses from gentle melodies to breathing and nesting music, and finally into blessings and om shanti mantras that help welcome your baby into the world. The melodies serve as triggers and reminders for the meditations from the first CD so you can slip effortlessly into the best headspace while concentrating on your labour. (Pro tip: Did you ever think the sounds of a whale baritone would help you push your baby out? Just wait until you hear track #3.)
Throughout the accompanying book, tips for using acupressure and reflexology during your labour are presented not as options to keep in your back pocket “just in case”, but as solid and proven methods of pain management. There is so much comfort to be found in these ancient practices, and even if they aren’t necessary during your labour, the techniques may come in handy with a fussy baby down the road.
The program is about trusting that you have the resources required to labour effectively and, yes, blissfully. Your labour can be better than you expect if you believe it can be, and there is no reason to believe otherwise.
From the January 2010 issue of The Source
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