by Johanna on April 15, 2011
Although many parents believe that education and communication only begins AFTER baby is born, there is a great deal of current research that strongly suggests otherwise. It has been found that external stimulation (such as stroking the unborn baby through the tummy) and playing soft and melodious music are not only pleasurable to the baby, and can in fact stimulate healthy foetal development. 
Between conception and birth is the critical time to establish the basic architecture of the brain. Studies by leading child development researchers have revealed that stimulated babies show improved visual, auditory, linguistic and motor development. In general, they sleep better and are more confident, alert and content than infants who were not stimulated. They also show greater learning capacity and calm down when they hear familiar sounds to them from the womb.
DID YOU KNOW? that parents who take part in prenatal stimulation say that they develop a closer and stronger bond with their children.
The Power of Touch ~ expectant mothers often rub, pat or touch thier bellys throughout the day are communicating with their unborn baby. You could even try patting your tummy in time to the music you are listening to?
Talk to Your Baby ~ one of the easiest ways to start communicating with your baby is to imagine that they are already with you. Treat your baby as a conscious being, and talk, sing or even hum to them. This will help them to become accustomed to your voice and start to recognise language formations.
Share Your Experiences ~ the prenatal experience is all about preparing your baby for life after birth. One of the ways to do this is by sharing your normal, everyday experiences with your baby. Show them your lifestyle and the world that they will be born into. Chat about your daily experiences to your baby no matter how ordinary it may seem to you.
Stay Calm and Relaxed ~ maternal stress has a direct and negative impact on the formation of a baby’s personality even as early as in the womb. Your baby is totally dependant on you for all of their physical, psychological and emotional needs and it is important to be careful about the kind of environment and influences that you are creating for them at this extremely fragile and fertile state of their development.
by Johanna on March 27, 2011
LISTEN HERE for a wonderful radio show that holds a conversation about Birthing 
a New Paradigm requires that we as parents, grandparents, birth professionals, teachers, community leaders etc. redefine who and what we are as human beings. As we begin to create this new level of thinking we can discover ourselves through our experiences, as expressions of Lifeforce in tissue, similar in our physical structure but unique in our expression!
It is this unique expression of Lifeforce that enlivens tissue at the point of conception that the experience of parenting really begins.
Parenting is the most powerful force that shapes us as individuals and the culture we live in. It is time to own the powerful process that parenting is and the potency it carries to create our world. Our physical earth is reflecting this back to us with increasing force daily. Whether we are parents or not we have been parented and this experience has set the stage for who we have, in most cases, unconsciously become.
Conscious Parenting is the call, to discover the courage and curiosity that live within each of us and to see that our our earth and our children are reflecting back to us what we have been unwilling to see inside ourselves. As we discover and courageously own the truth of our own experiences we have the choice to move from an old oudated paradigm of unconscious living and parenting, to birth a new paradigm where we as parents/guardians consciously create our lives and model this to our children, allowing them to create their own!
Join guest-host Naomi Irons-Hill with her guests Angela Burton and Ella-Jean Schatzmann as they explore their own profound shifts in parenting, discovering it began with reclaiming themselves… And it is a journey that never ends!
In conversation with: Angela Burton and Ella-Jean Schatzmann. Angela Burton is the mother of two fully alive, ready to roar young boys – Doyle (6) and Max (4). She is married to Chris Burton, her fully alive and very engaged partner in parenting and co-creator in life. Angela finds deep meaning in managing the people side of technology initiatives and the inevitable organizational changes resulting from these initiatives. Angela has come to discover compelling similarities between parenting and organizational change management and choses to approach these similar experiences with one very old and very powerful technique – honest conversation from a place of truth, compassion and authenticity.
Living in the beautiful mountain town of Canmore, Alberta with her husband and two young children, Ella-jean works part-time as a Social Worker in the area of Mental Health Services. After being introduced to the WEl-Systems® context a couple of years ago, her curiosity and intrigue lead to her engaging in the Decloaking & Living Authentically program last year. She has been greatly impacted by the WEL-Systems® Body of Knowledge in her personal life, professional career and profoundly in her role as a mother.
Empower Birth was 'born' out of my desire to celebrate the miracle of birth. If you are looking to create a gentle, natural birth for you & your baby this site is filled with resources.
Connect with me 613.282.6001 & johanna@empowerhypnosis.ca
