Adopting meditation and mindfulness practices can benefit everyone during the pregnancy journey, according to expert Josephine Atluri, author of the forthcoming book 5-Minute Mindfulness for Pregnancy: Simple Practices to Feel Calm, Present, and Connected to Your Baby (Rockridge Press, Spring 2022).
“As a mother of seven children (I have been pregnant several times, adopted, and also partnered with two surrogates to carry four of our children), I remember how challenging it was to cherish the gestational experience,” says Atluri. “For my first three children, I was preoccupied with worries about my pregnancy and the future, so much so that I felt overwhelmed and unable to be present in my journey. Looking back, I wish I’d had the tools to care for myself so I could have enjoyed being pregnant, an unmatched experience that took several heartbreaking years of assisted reproductive therapy to finally come into fruition. Many years later, after discovering meditation and mindfulness for myself and then becoming certified to teach others these skills, I was able to apply mindfulness to our later pregnancies. As a result, I noticed marked differences in my pregnancy experiences. I finally savored the process! I also improved my overall state of being through reduced stress and increased positivity. These personal experiences fueled my passion to help other people on their path to parenthood by showing them how to incorporate mindfulness into their own journeys.”
I had a chance to interview Josephine to learn more.
What are some ways to manage the stress and fears that can come with pregnancy?
One of the quickest ways to move from a state of stress to calm is to utilize a breathing technique. Slowing the pace of our breath instantly sends a signal to the brain that we are moving to a calmer state of being. Once that signal is sent to your brain, you will start to feel more relaxed in your physical body. One breathing technique that’s easy to remember is to count the length of your inhale and then double that length of time for your exhale. A longer exhale gives you the chance to release any stress or tension weighing you down.
In my new book, “5 Minute Mindfulness for Pregnancy,” there’s a whole chapter dedicated to calming your mind when you are expecting. One of the primary mindfulness modalities in the book is journaling. To manage any pregnancy fears, begin by acknowledging your thoughts and feelings even if it feels uncomfortable. Write down whatever comes to mind. Give yourself a moment of vulnerability. Then consider what might have happened to trigger these feelings. Lastly, challenge the validity of your fears. Is there truth to these concerns? Brainstorm ways to alleviate your pregnancy fears.
How can soon-to-be moms learn to accept and even ask for help?
As you progress into the later stages of pregnancy, you may still want to continue with all of your usual routines and workload despite your growing size and exhaustion. It can be difficult to accept that you can’t do things the way you used to. Chapter 8 of my book, “5 MInute Mindfulness for Pregnancy,” is titled “Cultivating a Community of Support.” This chapter helps you recognize that it is okay to ask for help and it can take a village to raise a baby from in utero and into childhood. Asking for help while you are pregnant gives you the chance to rest which is beneficial for both you and your baby.
One of the exercises in Chapter 8 asks you to make a list of things that are important for you to do and then make a list of things that you can let go of and outsource to others. Place value on your restoration so that you can disassociate guilt from your rest.
Why is it important for pregnant women to find time to themselves and how can they do that?
Pregnancy is hard physically, mentally and emotionally. Plus, there is a lot of pressure to be perfect for the health of your baby. It Is important for pregnant women to find time for themselves so that they can feel whole, nourished and in tune with their bodies, minds and feelings. In Chapter 9 of my book, there is an awareness exercise that challenges the reader to disconnect from the world in order to reconnect with oneself. One way to ensure time for oneself is to block off dedicated amounts of time in your calendar for self-care.
How can expectant parents shift into a positivity mindset?
If you’re feeling less than or negative because you are dealing with a tough inner critic or tiresome expectations, one way to shift into a positive mindset is to list all the things that make you happy or all the things that you love about yourself. Alternatively, you can also think about all of the things that you are looking forward to about parenthood. Essentially, you are hitting the pause button on the negativity and pivoting over to a different frame of mind by shifting your point of focus.
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