BABYOPATHY CAMPAIGN – Routine
begins in the womb!
Congratulations to the Carter’s and what a
fabulous way for Beyoncé to announce her latest pregnancy ‘I have three
heartbeats!’ and that’s not the only ‘multiple’ she will be experiencing over
the coming months!
Babyopathy is all about
you and your baby’s sensory journey and for your baby this of course begins in
the womb when all of your baby’s senses first develop. One of the best sensory
tools both mum and baby have to connect is touch, or more specifically the
movements your baby makes in the womb and you will feel.
My focus for this campaign is all about those
movements and the routine they develop over the pregnancy and how you can use
their sensory world to nurture their wellbeing and routine for when they enter
our world.
Routine during pregnancy is very rarely
spoken about other than “is baby active” and maybe “when do you notice the most
movement”. If the answer to these questions is ‘baby’s movements keeps me awake
all night’ then it is more than likely your baby will be up all night and
sleeping all day when they arrive. However, we can nurture that and work on a
routine that is more conducive to ‘day and night’ and ‘bedtime’ when they
arrive. That’s in my next blog.
First though is the most important part of
my ‘Routine in the Womb’ campaign, focusing on knowing your baby’s routine, and
in particular their pattern of movements, as it is this that you should be
aware of and any subtle changes as this is how you follow your baby’s
well-being.
From the stunning images she posted Beyoncé
is heading towards approximately 24 weeks and as with most pregnancies this is
when she will feel definite movements and kicks and those movements will start
to strengthen and form a routine for baby Carters in the womb.
So why is this so important for Beyoncé and
all pregnant mums?
The new recommended way to know your
pregnancy is healthy & progressing is to become familiar with the baby’s
regular daily pattern of movements, hence our Babyopathy Campaign - The
‘Routine in the womb’.
Learn your baby’s usual routine in the womb,
there will be certain times of the day (or night) that your baby will be more
active and times when they will not seem to move at all and are most likely
sleeping. If the routine that you
know is usual for your baby changes suddenly then raise this with your midwife.
Having spoken to a number of midwives
recently through my Mentor Mum duties they have stressed that they do not count
the kicks any more. They focus purely on your baby’s usual routine and any
changes to that is what makes them take a closer look, or listen as they case
may be!
This campaign links very closely to and
supports my other Babyopathy messages for mums when pregnant:
·
Stress during pregnancy can
have a direct effect on your baby through the cortisol you produce when
stressed that passes through the womb to your baby. This can not only have a
direct effect on their development (most importantly brain development in the
womb and post-natal mental health well-being) but can also cause your baby to
become distressed in the womb causing a change to their usual movement routine.
Babyopathy provides mums with ways to help them deal with stress and find a
routine that works for them.
·
Routine in the womb – routine
when born. The routine your baby has in the womb is pretty much the routine
they will have when they are born. So if your baby keeps you up all night with
movements you can expect a baby who is awake in the night once born. The
routine that you follow can have an impact on the routine your baby develops as
your baby’s behavior is influenced by any hormones you may produce. If you are
very active and even stressed in the evenings on your journey home or attending
an exercise class, those hormones will be making your baby more active at
night. Babyopathy provides mums with ways to nurture their baby’s routine
through their own routine using Babyopathy influences such as music, meditation
and aromatherapy etc.
·
Reading, and in baby Carters
case I am sure love of music, begins in the Womb – as baby’s senses first come
alive whilst in the womb so does the foundation for every avenue of
development. By reading or playing music to your baby in the womb they will
recognize the familiar voice, tones and patterns when they are born that not
only provides a sense of security and well-being in an sensory overloaded world
but will also be building on the foundation for language, literacy and music!
As always, I must stress that babies are all
unique and whilst some may fall in to the routine you nurture straight away,
others will not. Above all, do not get stressed and do not think you have
‘failed’ as you have not. You should use all of these tips as things to try to
encourage and nurture your baby’s own will and personality and eventually you
will both get there. Individuality is a beautiful thing, embrace it and nurture
that too!
So, join our campaign to spread the new message that will
nurture babies through their sensory journey and support us using the hashtag
#RoutineintheWomb and join our Facebook community at
www.facebook.com/routineinthewomb
Information from NHS.UK website:
Do I need to keep track of the kicking?
It is recommended that from 24 weeks of pregnancy that
you become familiar with your baby’s
typical daily pattern of movements. It is important for you to know the
amount of movement that is normal for your baby. A change in the level of
activity of your baby, either reduced or excessively active, may indicate a
problem is developing and should be reported to your midwife/doctor.
Author
Angela J Spencer -Babyopathy Ltd
Angela has owned and operated children’s
nurseries for over 20 years opening her first in 1993 at the age of 21. After
neither of her children slept through the night for their first three years,
Angela decided to research deeper in to child development and everything that
can nurture or have an adverse effect on it. This research quickly took the
route of sensory stimulation and the first programme called Natural Care was
introduced in to her Angels at Play nurseries in 2000.
This research did not stop there though, however,
and from using her own natural imagery within the nurseries, Angela began
researching the impact of the natural world on development and came across the
biophilia hypothesis which is also now incorporated in to her newly named
Nascuropathy Programme and Babyopathy (for pregnancy and under 1’s).
Angela
is not a doctor and cannot give medical advice. Babyopathy and it’s components
should be used as a compliment to medical advice and not as a replacement for
medical care.
