Going through pregnancy is one of the most marvelous things that a woman alone can experience. You get to carry another human being in your womb, and he or she may become the next superstar or President. Your loved ones seem to care for you more now more than ever because they want you to have a safe delivery.
Despite that, it is impossible to dissolve worries when you are pregnant. You may find your changing body bizarre, primarily when it happens to be your first pregnancy. Many things can affect the baby in your belly, and not all of them produce excellent results. There’s also the likelihood of birthing a child with developmental disabilities – that will not show in any medical examination conducted on you throughout the gestation period.
Now, for your unborn baby’s sake, we suggest practicing mindfulness to keep your pregnancy worry-free.
“Mindfulness works because it helps you replace your stressful thoughts and anxiety with something positive,” according to Julie K. Jones, Ph.D., LPC.
Below are the benefits that can originate from that.
- You Can Sleep Better
Having different thoughts running nonstop in your head results to many sleepless nights. No matter how much you toss in bed or count sheep with your eyes closed, the scenarios keep playing. It is as if somebody decided to flip through the channels in your mind, and you cannot focus on anything.
This problem occurs since you may have plenty of unresolved questions that you don’t want to voice out. It is up to you whether they will remain hidden or not, but meditating will allow you to find peace within yourself, whether you receive answers or not. The more you practice it, the more you can avoid being sleep-deprived.
- Your Emotional Attachment To The Baby May Strengthen
When you ask expectant mothers if they feel excited about meeting their child soon, some may look reluctant and say, “Yeah, sure.” These women feel guilty of not feeling much about the baby in their womb, which can happen sometimes.
Luckily, once you practice mindfulness, you’ll be able to put other things at the back of your mind and communicate more with your unborn kid internally. That is when you get emotionally attached to him or her. So when someone asks the same question again, you don’t have to lie about your excitement to see your little one in person.
- You Get To Prepare For The Birth Mentally
Stress has a way of playing with your mind when you are close to your due date. Although your clothes, as well as the baby’s, are already in the bag, and the doctor assured you over and over that you and your child are healthy, you may still freak out and think of the adverse incidents that might take place during the delivery.
The truth is that mothers usually break down like that because they are not mentally prepared for the baby’s arrival. It is the time when the expectant mom starts doubting her capability to take care of another human being. It also makes her worry about what the future may bring to the family, which should not be in anyone’s priority list right now.
Once you try mindfulness meditation, though, you will be able to figure out how to deal with such anxious thoughts. You can understand that you should only be concentrating on your present life, on doing everything to deliver your baby safely.
Won’t it be incredible to get to do all of that by merely practicing mindfulness? Therapist Leonie Stewart-Weeks suggests 1-minute mindfulness exercises, and here is a sample – “For one minute, repeat ‘May I be happy, may I be well, may I be filled with kindness and peace.’ You can substitute “you” for “I” and think of someone you know and like, or just send love to all people.”
While going to your checkups and letting the OB-GYN monitor your pregnancy is important, being mindful can help reduce your worries while expecting. It is beneficial, primarily when you want to prevent complications that stress can cause. Nobody else can make that happen for you; you need to regain your inner balance first to calm your body and mind.
Learn the art of mindfulness as soon as possible. “Meditation works as a therapy to increase impulse control. This can really help when mood changes seduce us into bad behavior,” says therapist George Hofmann.
Good luck!