Focusing on BEBE

Phew! Life and work has been going at double speed lately leaving little time to write. That’s ok- I’ve always committed myself to allow writing to be cathartic; I write as the Spirit moves me and as I have something to say.

Well, I’m coming to the end of my childbirth educator’s training. I chose the BEBE (Baby-Empowered Birthing Education) focus for several reasons:

1) I believe in the power of the unborn to perceive the world LONG before birth. We are people with value and experiences from conception on and I think it’s important to recognize these tiny people as they can recognize us. It’s completely amazing to me how scientists back up how very early prenates (the nifty word that means ‘before being born’) can be influenced by their world. As developing people, they deserve our respect and recognition. As our babies, they deserve our love and our attention!

2) I believe that families are healthier emotionally and psychologically when they are able to slowly make the transition from couple to family. If parents spend their whole pregnancy acknowledging and interacting with their baby (babies?) as a person and a full-fledged member of their family, the birth, while still momentous and powerful, is also simply a continuation of the relationships already created. Supporting prenatal bonding allows the family to flow into its larger self and helps set up parents for responsive parenting- which is always healthier for baby and parents.

“…When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place…” Psalm 8:3

3) I believe that every second we have with our babies is precious. As a mom who has lost two babies myself, I cherish the memories I have of the times I was intentional about parenting my littles before their births. I remember specifically, at 2o weeks pregnant with my son, standing in a darkened back yard in upstate Pennsylvania. Light pollution being almost non-existent there means that there are WAY more stars to see. We stood there, my sweet husband and I, his arms around me and my hands resting lightly on my belly, and I remember breathing a prayer of thanks for that moment up to my Father. I remember sinking into my husband’s arms and just being so very grateful that we three were there together in that moment.

Two weeks later, the doctor told us there was no heartbeat.

That moment in a star-lit field is precious to me. It was a moment I will never have again- I will never again stand with my husband and my son and look at the stars. But, because I was aware of him being part of that sacred night, I will always have that memory. If I had been too rushed or had only thought of parenting as something that began at birth, I could have missed that moment.

Every single second with our babies should be celebrated. Every moment is precious and fleeting. Usually, we have an entire lifetime of memories to store away, but we are guaranteed nothing. So I believe that supporting prenatal bonding is an incredibly loving thing to do for a couple.

I am so excited to begin writing my BEBE-focused childbirth education class. As you can see in the Education portion of my site, I’ve decided to call it Bonded Beginnings. Bonded as a family from conception forward toward a healthy, happy, joyous family. That’s something to celebrate!