Primary Purpose of This Website

The primary point of this website is to provide women with actual images, videos and stories that they can use as practical tools to help them in envisioning the birth of their own children.  Birth art, images and stories are available on youtube and elsewhere across the web.  Unfortunately, some of these materials are not always beneficial to the pregnant woman.  Just as one image of birth might prove a source of relaxation and empowerment to the pregnant woman, another one might detract from the birth experience or attempt to provoke fear in her.  Women seeking a calm birth should avoid these sorts of images, as well as any stories of birth that might prove jarring.  The images found on this website have been carefully selected to help women approach the births of their babies with calmness and confidence. 

How to Visualize Birth Using This Imagery

1.  Take several moments to look at one of the images or videos that appeals to you.

2.  Read the comments related to the imagery.  After reading descriptive sentences, pause and close your eyes, taking time to imagine in your mind what you have just seen and read about.  Visualizing the image, breath deeply and slowly with your belly.  Count to a certain number and then exhale, doubling the number on the exhale (e.g. count to 8 when inhaling, then exhale to 16).  Always open your mouth and relax your jaw when breathing, especially on the exhale. In breathing from your belly, you will often make sounds when you exhale.  

3. Open your eyes, go back and look at the image or watch the video.

4. If you feel especially relaxed by a particular image or video, make viewing and visualizing of this image a regular part of your meditations on birth during your pregnancy.  Look at the image repeatedly and continue the visualization practice of closing your eyes and conjuring the image up in your own mind.

5. During labor and birth, return to the images in your mind that you have meditated upon while pregnant.  These will bring strength and calmness to you during the birthing process.  

Visualization in Ancient, Traditional and Contemporary Practice

For thousands of years, ancient and traditional medicines around the world have utilized imagery and visualization as powerful tools in the healing of illness, extension of life, and revitalization of the human body.  These same tools have also been effective in the aiding and empowerment of pregnant women as they approach the births of their children.

While over the course of her pregnancy a woman is often excited to watch her belly grow, feelings of bewilderment commonly accompany this excitement as she wonders how her labor will unfold.  It is possible that she also experiences worry or fear as she tries to imagine how her baby will emerge from her body on the day of his or her birth.  Imagery and visualization are greatly effective not only in reducing these worries or fears, but in transforming them such that the woman is capable of shifting her perception of the pain that she will feel during her labor.  Ultimately, imagery and visualization can help a woman to envision the natural process of her baby’s birth in a more relaxed manner.  In turn, she is able to relax her body during the birth itself, facilitating a calm delivery.