MAMBA Hypnobirthing

Session 3

Developing Surge Resources

This session is self-guided and looks more about the use of language, imagery, metaphor and visualisation in developing resources to work through contractions and reframe labour and birth more positively in your subconscious mind.

So simply keep on reading and scrolling down to enjoy this session in your own time.

Positive imagery can be powerfully used as a resource during labour to connect the mind and body. Different images can be incorporated into the rhythm and ritual of birth, alongside movement, breathing and visualisation as things progress along your path to birthing and welcoming your baby.

A number of different metaphors may work for you at different stages. A stong tall tree in a forest, a calm and beautiful restful garden, a strong boat riding the waves of the sea….

Now is the time to find a comfortable spot to listen to this week’s guided relaxation which takes you through lots of different visualisations for labour and birth. It is a very individual thing and so some of you will connect more with certain images more than others during the relaxation. However finding one or two that you feel work well for you enables you to go on and develop your own short affirmations, which we will explore next.

So jump right in and enjoy a moment of calm.

Affirmations For Birth

Whenever you feel ready to jump into the next part of this session (it may be right after, or may be another day), you may want to have pen and paper handy.

I wonder if you can take a moment to just identify one image from the guided relaxation which felt powerful and strong to you. Perhaps an image that you could feel yourself connecting with more during the relaxation. Was it was the waves of the sea…. perhaps it was the rushing of wind through the air….. ? Whatever it was, I wonder if you can think of a short empowering phrase that links the birthing sensations to this image in a positive way?

For example, a common affirmation used by many women is ‘each wave brings me closer to my baby’. For some women the connection between nature and strength is helpful, so affirmations such as ‘just like a flower opens into the sun, I too slowly open from within’.

Now for some people this all feels a bit ‘la-di-da’ for want of a better phrase, so it’s important you find something that really does sit comfortably with your own natural style. A simple ‘I am calm, I am strong, I can do this’ is enough for some women, for others a more elaborate or visual statement can bring confidence and strength.

For ideas on affirmations which may resonate with you, take a stroll around Pinterest or even just google “birth affirmations” to find lots of ideas. Once you have found one you like, perhaps take 10 minutes to doodle or draw around this affirmation on a piece of paper so that it feels right for you (or maybe use a simple app on your phone to set it against a beautiful image). Then STICK IT ON THE FRIDGE and repeat it in your head every time you pass.

If you prefer, you can browse and save some of the MAMBA digital affirmation cards by clicking the button below. Perhaps a new screen saver reminder for the phone?

I hope you have enjoyed this session. I look forward to hearing how you got on in Session 4.

Nicola