Meditations on pregnancy

EAST Cork mum of two Yvonne Brewer admits she was always nervous about childbirth.

So when she experienced bad pain and bleeding five weeks into her pregnancy with Roan, now 10, and was threatened with miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, it seemed to justify all her fears.

“All through the pregnancy, I was very nervous and worried. It was treated as an at-risk pregnancy, which meant constant scans to check the baby was still there. I worried: was I going to have the baby? Would it be ok? How would I cope with the pain of birth?”

Brewer, 40, tried to tell herself everything would be ok on the day. “They told me I needed an epidural because my body was so tired. I felt they knew best medically, but my inner wisdom was telling me no. I should have listened. The epidural didn’t work.”

Brewer’s second pregnancy with Adam, now five, was entirely different — trustful and nurturing. It had occurred to her that, first time around, she had been ultra-focused on the baby’s growth and development.

“You’re thinking about your own size, the size of the bump, the clothes you’ll wear. You have scans to determine the size of the baby. Everything is to do with physical size. While pregnant with Adam, I became more conscious of my own emotional and personal development as a mother.”

Brewer came across words spoken by author Barbara Katz Rothman, who has written extensively on childbirth issues, that resonated deeply with her: ‘Birth isn’t about making babies. Birth is about making mothers — strong, competent, capable mothers, who trust themselves and know their inner strength’. “That quote spoke to me, telling me to trust myself.”

She did pregnancy yoga to gain a greater sense of control around the birth. During this time she became interested in meditation and began writing. This creative process has now culminated in her e-book Breathe and Bloom — Soul Mother Meditations. It contains 10 meditations ranging from ‘The ginger bread house’ to the ‘Cherry blossom swing’.

Brewer, a reflexologist and Reiki master, hopes the book will help other expectant mums. Plans are underway for the meditations to be used in pregnancy meditation classes in the New Year.

* Download the book from www.breatheandbloom.com, www.amazon.co.uk