Stress is no laughing matter. Chronic stress can lead to a number of health related issues; al of which range in severity. Stress can be the root cause of minor problems like headaches, and mood swings, as well as the root cause of sever conditions like inflammation of coronary arteries, or heart attacks.
Generally speaking, people need stress like they need a hole in the head, but if there's any group of people who could use some stress relief, it's pregnant women!
For years, Dr. Moriah Thomason, a professor in the Department of Pediatrics and in the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development at Wayne State University, and her research team have used novel methods for detecting and characterizing large-scale human brain networks.
Recently, she began to study the brain activity of babies in utero. In analyzing the MRIs of developing fetuses, she came across a pretty interesting discovery. We tend to think of the brain as forming in the way a building is constructed – foundations are laid first, then we build up and up, level by level. Later in development we add the subtle nuances.
As her research pointed out, human brains develop differently. Most would assume that the mechanical aspects of the brain are formed first (since those are the bedrock, so to say). However, Thomason’s team discovered that the emotional and abstract thinking aspects come on line at the very earliest stages. Then, the more primal elements form. This completely counters all other previous findings.
What does that mean? Well, simply put: it means that when you feel anxious, or stressed, your developing baby feels it too.
Science seems to say that the chemicals coursing through a mother's body as we experience stress, joy, sadness, or fear (mixtures of hormones like cortisol and oxytocin), are transferred through the placenta and into the fetus!
So what can mothers do to reduce stress, and protect their babies from negative feelings like stress and anxiety? Bindungsanalyse.
Bindungsanalyse (meaning “bonding analysis”), is a method created by Hungarian psychologist Dr. Jenö Raffai, and taught by Dr. Gerhard Schroth, a German psychiatrist. Their specific translation of Bindungsanalyse is “Prenatal Bonding.”
Learn the basics between "Prenatal Bonding" and how to use it to benefit you and your baby! Visit page two for more!
Kathleen Man Gyllenhaal, a documentary film maker and writer, recently shared the basics of prenatal bonding in an article published by The Huffington Post. Apparently, while researching and filming her latest documentary, called In Utero, Gyllenhaal had the chance to talk with some of the leading experts in the field.
Here's her what she learned on how to implement prenatal bonding, and how it can help you and your developing baby:
Prenatal bonding sessions begin with a deep relaxation process, which enables the pregnant woman to clear her mind and connect with her body. Then, she asks her uterus for permission to access the baby. Over time, a flow of communication through mental images and spoken words is established between mother and baby, allowing for a bonding/attunement that they believe nurtures the unborn child.
Amy Hale, a behavioral neuroscientist and new mom who had done prenatal bonding, was just one of the experts interviewed by Gyllenhaal Apparently she was skeptical about trying prenatal bonding. In time she discovered--to her surprise--that the experience revealed how her stress directly affected her baby. The sessions helped her mitigate that stress and connect with her baby.
Prenatal bonding is about closing the mind, opening the heart and the body, and leaving behind stress. All so you can attune with your growing child. And this approach applies to early childhood, too. In fact, it applies to all the parenting you’ll do for the rest of your life.
Expecting moms, give it a try. Set aside a few hours each week to bond with your baby. Every emotion has a chemical correlate, so, theoretically, if you find yourself in a more tranquil and peaceful state of mind, your baby will be too!
It may seem a bit unorthodox, and nontraditional, but you have to start somewhere. But, these are your kids we're talking about. Aren;t you willing to try anything to aid their development? Put an end to your stress and theirs by giving prenatal bonding a shot!
[H/T] The Huffington Post
READ: New Research: Breastfed babies’ brains develop faster
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