Bodywork for Birth Partner Bonding

This month's prenatal care topic relates to promoting a solid bond between the mom-to-be and her birth partner. If possible, the partner should come with to a prenatal bodywork session in order to find out how to effectively alleviate the woman's sciatica, general aches and pains; figure out which techniques work (i.e. reflexology, or smooth, flowing strokes) and which do not, and other means of being a supportive birth partner. Additionally, massaging the mom-to-be once a day for 10-15 minutes can help the birth partner bond with baby, and help the woman sleep. If the birth partner learns these techniques early, chances are greater that communication skills will be healthy, so the partner knows not to massage too hard or too fast. This will also clarify reflexology and acupressure points, to ensure the birth partner is not scared or in danger of inducing a miscarriage. Prenatal bodywork sessions can also help to establish creative visualizations of a fantasy birth. The more detailed the visualization is, the more powerful it is for how the birth will manifest. For example, maybe a string quartet is playing in the hospital room when you deliver your baby, maybe your favorite restaurant delivers food to your hospital bed, or perhaps you deliver your baby in a tropical Tahitian island setting, or even at the top of a waterslide. The waterslide is an extremely strong visualization for promoting a smooth, easy birth. Visit this link to learn 10 ways to be the perfect birth partner. And this link for more information on the impact of visualization for pregnancy and labor.