Video - this module is about our intuition. Intuition becomes very strong when we become a mother, including our pregnancy and is our best Allie in motherhood. It guides us. Intuition is a powerful source of wisdom for mothers to tap into as it becomes our compass. It really is the most important compass because no one knows you or your baby like you do.
Intuition is what keeps you grounded in the face of all the strong external advice you undoubtedly will get. Parents, family, friends, neighbours, people on the street or in waiting rooms! Listening within and trusting yourself will help you filter all this advice and keep self doubt and needless worry at bay. We talk about this in more detail in the Gently with Baby package.
A lot of the work we do in all the modules helps you tune in and develop your intuition. In this module we talk about ways your intuition can show up for you and how you can connect with it.
Journalling
How does your intuition speak to you.
What times in your life have you felt and followed your intuition?
Coaching
Examples of birth choices intuition helps with:
Examples of big choices intuition helps with:
Examples of subtle small daily choices that intuition helps with to help you get to know babyband your rhythm
How to move in birth, what you need to do in your birthing, how your baby is feeling, what your baby whether they like this carer, when they are ready for kinder, what school is going to suit my child, the doctor says your baby is fine but you know they are not, Intuition is your inner mother compass. What is also beautiful is using intuition in the little subltle day to day things all the way through from baby time totoddkers and preschoolers, to help your day flow smoothly.
Intuition is a mothers greatest ally. It becomes your inner compass that you call upon throughout the day and with big choices you need to make for your child. I believe it is one of the most powerful skills we can develop as a mother. Intuition helps you with important choices from what your baby needs you to do in pregnancy, to how to move in birthing time, from when to go to the hospital, how your baby is feeling, whether they have a sore tummy or are just overtired, whether they like that persons energy and so on, when the doctor says they are fine but you know they are not, when are they ready for kinder, what school suits them, and it keeps going throughout their life.
Intuition also really helps with the small subtle choices from day today which is equally beautiful. When are they ready to be put down for a nap, when I can place them on the bed and sneak away, whose energy are they ok to be held by (though babies clearly let you know that too, you may be able to tell before trial and error learning), how they need to be wrapped or held, when they have had too much stimulation, whether they are u settled because of a tummy ache or they are just overtired, what is needed to settle them, what bedtime routine they like, what subtle little thing in particular is going to disturb their sleep. The list goes on and includes many subtleties. When I first held my son I felt he likes to be held tight, when I first held my daughter I wanted to stroke her head but felt it was too much stimulation for her energetically. I bought newborn wraps to baby wear my baby, however intuitively felt holding it vertical so early wasn't right even though everyone else did it. A few years later I spoke to an Asian woman who told me "in our culture they don't hold babies vertical for the first 6 months". Interesting that was what I felt too even though I had never spoken to anyone or read about that. I always felt a few minutes before they woke up from a nap that they were going to wake up in a minute.
I believe Intuition in birthing time will be a skill for women to develop. Where we choose to have our baby, which doctor/support people we choose, when we are nearing our birthing time, we need to do in the early hours, when it is time to go to the hospital, what movements and positions we need to do, do we need to walk or kneel or rock on a ball, roar or moan .... Knowing the baby is ok or perhaps knowing the baby needs help. I had a Knowing in my first birth that my baby was going to be calm throughout it and not go into distress, despite a long labour and me typically being a worry wart. . Birthing time is a wonderful time to go within and be free to listen and just follow our instincts and intuition. .
Sonia Choquette has written many wonderful books on how to "tune in" to your intuition and bring up a family with intuition. I read an inspiring story she recalled in her book about parents who were given a terrible phone call from the police saying their son had been in a big accident and was very injured and was in the hospital. They rushed to the hospital but the mother had the feeling her son was fine. When they got to the hospital they worked out that their son had witnessed the accident and helped with first aid and his wallet had fallen out next to the injured person and been picked up. I thought to myself how wonderful it would be able to parent with such a connection and intuition throughout their life.
Sonia recommends these things to connect to your intuition. Move - get your body moving, dance, yoga, walk etc, do new things, take new opportunities that synchronistically come your way, connect with your heart, listen deeply, follow your inspiration, go with the flow,
Let's begin practicing easy ways to start to connecting with your intuition:
Pause and think about what food you really feel like at this meal time? .
What cloths make you happy? Perhaps you want to change your style. Jeans and t shirt? Shirts, pinafore dresses?
What colours do you feel like wearing?
How would you like to get your body moving?
What is inspiring you at the moment? Giving you a buzz in your tummy.
How does your baby like to connect with you while in your belly? Music, touch, stroking, patting, talking, reading, singing, meditation loving energy,
What music would you like to have in the birthing room?
What essential oil scent would you like?
What picture, ornament, item is going to calm or empower you in the birthing room?
What birthing mantra really speaks to you right now? Or Allow one to come this week and look out for it.
What intuition can feel like when it is speaking to you.
Intuition is different to thoughts worries or fears. It is often a subtle feeling.
A feeling in the background.
A nagging niggling thought or inkling that doesn't go away. (I had the thought of writing a program like this sit inside me for 5 years. Until an old mentor contacted me out of the blue and said I keep seeing your face pop up in my head. Do you have an idea for a program you would like to develop?)
A feeling in your body which is different to a worry or fear in your mind.
A calmness with a thought or plan that you can visualise. I find when I am trying to make a life choice. Often I struggle to imagine one path while the other I can picture well. Even though I toy with the pros and cons list of each in my mind, I have learnt if I struggle to imagine it it is probably not the path I am supposed to go.
,
Dreams
Dreams can be a great way for intuition and guidance to speak to you. I receive a lot of guidance through dreams. Often it is hard to remember dreams. Reflecting and taking note of the message as soon as we wake up is good to do. You will remember what you need to. Also keeping a Dream diary is valuable.
A way to interpret dreams
An excellent way to interpret dreams is to recount the dream without naming the things or people in the dream. Then the symbolism and message will be revealed.
Often there will be a marker (something in the dream) that indicates what area of your life the guidance is about.
Finally it is then could to reflect on how I felt in the dream. Was I worried, calm about it, excited, really happy.
Here is an example to show you an interpretation of a dream and guidance in pregnancy.
While I was in late pregnancy with my second child, I had a dream about my horses. They were in our hayshed yard. All my horses were there but there was also a new foal. Not the thre foals I had but a new one (a new baby). The new bsbybwas being chased around by CJ. CJ, my rather bossy mare,, was giving her a hard time. (the new baby was having a hard time). I had a strong feeling that the foal needed to get out of the yard. The foal then jumped over the post and rail fence. But got stuck with its front legs on one side and it's back on the other. It's belly hanging over the fence. We needed to help it over. (The baby needed to come out and needed some help getting out). We calmly helped the baby, the baby was fine. This didn't send me into alarm "oh my goodness the baby is going to get stuck coming out!" I felt calm in the dream. I was grateful for the message that the baby may need some help. I had a Knowing again that my baby would arrive on her due date. A few days before I was a bit worried I wasnt feeling much movement. I really thought it was just because I had been following a journey of a mother in a Facebook group that was having stressful time with her newborn and that that stress was making me all anxious. I just wanted to hear the heart beat. I mentioned to the nurse which then set off all alarm bells and sent me upstairs for further tests. They measured my fluid and said it was low and I need to be induced. I needed to have constant monitoring and couldn't have my baby in the birth centre. I felt that I was going into labour and would birth in a day or two. The baby rests before birth. I was distraught, desperately wanting a natural birth as I had an epidural for my first and didn't feel it and knowing we only planned for two children. I sobbed driving all the way home, After a big sob on my doulas shoulder after she said "it will be perfect" I got into my car and turned on the engine, heard the song from my fathers funeral which I had not heard in a long time. I felt he was telling me it will be all ok. . Almost reassuringly my baby moved lots that night. My mind was torn between a Knowing and medical advice and a strong want in myself.. However I had in my mind that dream. That my baby was having a hard time and needed a bit of help to cone out. So I agreed to a stretch and sweep that afternoon and an induction the next morning. . I was already 3 cm confirming I was going into labour already. I went and got some acupuncture that evening. The acupuncture therapist saying I don't feel you need much, I think you will do this on your own. I got in my car to drive home and heard a song on the radio from years ago that I loved and was special to me with the chorus "I'm coming". It reassured me. The next morning I went into labour in the early hours of the morning. My husband drove me to the birth centre where I walked into the birth centre knelt down and had my baby. For the first few days my baby had a "neglect". She wouldn't turn her head to the right. Being a neurologi al physio I recognised this as I have treated many a stoke patient with this and I knew what to do to correct it, new her brain was very changeable. So yes I was going into labour like I knew, perhaps she was "having a hard time in there" and she did need that bit of help to come out.
Names
Some mothers have names appear to them. It comes as a vision of written name perhaps while hanging up the washing, or it might come in a dream or meditation. Often mothers have a dream of the baby telling them their name. If this appeals to you, talk to your baby, in a meditation or before bed and ask them to tell you their name.
You can also do this with the sex of the child. I wanted to know the sex of my baby however I didn't want medical intervention to tell me, I wanted my intuition. I had a dream of a tiny baby's hands and feet touching each other with bright pink nail polish. I also could only think of the colours peach and dusky rose while pregnant. These colour really suited my baby girl.
A name may synchronisticalky come to you in your pregnancy. Be on the look out for it. . Once I was looking in a dress catalogue. The dress had names and I found one I completely loved "Everly". It made me feel full of joy.
A name may just come to you when you look at your baby. Also seeing the baby will help you see whatvsuits them. Hannah came to me as soon as I saw my daughter so that became her middle name.
You may like to think of a quality that is realky meaningful to you and have that meaning for your childs name. For example Grace is a quality I love. I feel it hasn't been in my family generations, and I have had to work hard on it as a life lesson. I wanted my daughter to just have it so I looked for a name of Anne derivative. And she amazingly has this quality which she has shown since day dot. Grace in waiting, Grace when her brother took toys off her, Grace when up toys, including her brothers mess, Grace when her brother finds a toy and the trash and treasure market and we didn't find anything for her .... she is amazing with it.
Another nice idea, Kabbalah philosophy Aldo has, is to name your baby after someone you admire or has been meaningful in your life. The energy of the qualities you admire in them will go to your baby. This is why we can't nsmevour baby when we know someone with that name who we don't gel with the energy of.
.Man check list:
Men can have baby and birth intuitions for baby and birth, and their child too.
Example: When we got into the car I was having an overwhelmed moment and said to my husband "I don't think I can do this" (I thought this was just the start and I had 10 hours to go, but little did I know I was in transition already). My husband calmly said "I think you are going to get to the hospital and have the baby straight away". I said "really?" At the time I thought what would you know, but it calmed me a bit and that is actually what happened.
Example 2: At kinder orientation my husband was pale white and looked like he was going to vomit the whole rest of the day. My son soon got very horribly bullied at that kinder. I believe my husband intuitively felt this.
Example 3 As our son gets older and we are making school choices, I check in with my husband. He just feels we are doing the right thing. Our son and my husband are two peas in a pod. Often I seek my husbands thoughts on how my son is affected by things as he just understands and knows him.
Look out for messages in your dreams or visions. This can be a nice way for bsbybto connect with you.
Listen to and discuss names with your wife. This is part of the joy and celebration for a woman.
Move to Growing 1
(Harmony ball)
Music
Have a pregnancy massage
Meditation - connecting to baby, talking, sending love, listening, touch
Intuition is what keeps you grounded in the face of all the strong external advice you undoubtedly will get. Parents, family, friends, neighbours, people on the street or in waiting rooms! Listening within and trusting yourself will help you filter all this advice and keep self doubt and needless worry at bay. We talk about this in more detail in the Gently with Baby package.
A lot of the work we do in all the modules helps you tune in and develop your intuition. In this module we talk about ways your intuition can show up for you and how you can connect with it.
Journalling
How does your intuition speak to you.
What times in your life have you felt and followed your intuition?
Coaching
Examples of birth choices intuition helps with:
Examples of big choices intuition helps with:
Examples of subtle small daily choices that intuition helps with to help you get to know babyband your rhythm
How to move in birth, what you need to do in your birthing, how your baby is feeling, what your baby whether they like this carer, when they are ready for kinder, what school is going to suit my child, the doctor says your baby is fine but you know they are not, Intuition is your inner mother compass. What is also beautiful is using intuition in the little subltle day to day things all the way through from baby time totoddkers and preschoolers, to help your day flow smoothly.
Intuition is a mothers greatest ally. It becomes your inner compass that you call upon throughout the day and with big choices you need to make for your child. I believe it is one of the most powerful skills we can develop as a mother. Intuition helps you with important choices from what your baby needs you to do in pregnancy, to how to move in birthing time, from when to go to the hospital, how your baby is feeling, whether they have a sore tummy or are just overtired, whether they like that persons energy and so on, when the doctor says they are fine but you know they are not, when are they ready for kinder, what school suits them, and it keeps going throughout their life.
Intuition also really helps with the small subtle choices from day today which is equally beautiful. When are they ready to be put down for a nap, when I can place them on the bed and sneak away, whose energy are they ok to be held by (though babies clearly let you know that too, you may be able to tell before trial and error learning), how they need to be wrapped or held, when they have had too much stimulation, whether they are u settled because of a tummy ache or they are just overtired, what is needed to settle them, what bedtime routine they like, what subtle little thing in particular is going to disturb their sleep. The list goes on and includes many subtleties. When I first held my son I felt he likes to be held tight, when I first held my daughter I wanted to stroke her head but felt it was too much stimulation for her energetically. I bought newborn wraps to baby wear my baby, however intuitively felt holding it vertical so early wasn't right even though everyone else did it. A few years later I spoke to an Asian woman who told me "in our culture they don't hold babies vertical for the first 6 months". Interesting that was what I felt too even though I had never spoken to anyone or read about that. I always felt a few minutes before they woke up from a nap that they were going to wake up in a minute.
I believe Intuition in birthing time will be a skill for women to develop. Where we choose to have our baby, which doctor/support people we choose, when we are nearing our birthing time, we need to do in the early hours, when it is time to go to the hospital, what movements and positions we need to do, do we need to walk or kneel or rock on a ball, roar or moan .... Knowing the baby is ok or perhaps knowing the baby needs help. I had a Knowing in my first birth that my baby was going to be calm throughout it and not go into distress, despite a long labour and me typically being a worry wart. . Birthing time is a wonderful time to go within and be free to listen and just follow our instincts and intuition. .
Sonia Choquette has written many wonderful books on how to "tune in" to your intuition and bring up a family with intuition. I read an inspiring story she recalled in her book about parents who were given a terrible phone call from the police saying their son had been in a big accident and was very injured and was in the hospital. They rushed to the hospital but the mother had the feeling her son was fine. When they got to the hospital they worked out that their son had witnessed the accident and helped with first aid and his wallet had fallen out next to the injured person and been picked up. I thought to myself how wonderful it would be able to parent with such a connection and intuition throughout their life.
Sonia recommends these things to connect to your intuition. Move - get your body moving, dance, yoga, walk etc, do new things, take new opportunities that synchronistically come your way, connect with your heart, listen deeply, follow your inspiration, go with the flow,
Let's begin practicing easy ways to start to connecting with your intuition:
Pause and think about what food you really feel like at this meal time? .
What cloths make you happy? Perhaps you want to change your style. Jeans and t shirt? Shirts, pinafore dresses?
What colours do you feel like wearing?
How would you like to get your body moving?
What is inspiring you at the moment? Giving you a buzz in your tummy.
How does your baby like to connect with you while in your belly? Music, touch, stroking, patting, talking, reading, singing, meditation loving energy,
What music would you like to have in the birthing room?
What essential oil scent would you like?
What picture, ornament, item is going to calm or empower you in the birthing room?
What birthing mantra really speaks to you right now? Or Allow one to come this week and look out for it.
What intuition can feel like when it is speaking to you.
Intuition is different to thoughts worries or fears. It is often a subtle feeling.
A feeling in the background.
A nagging niggling thought or inkling that doesn't go away. (I had the thought of writing a program like this sit inside me for 5 years. Until an old mentor contacted me out of the blue and said I keep seeing your face pop up in my head. Do you have an idea for a program you would like to develop?)
A feeling in your body which is different to a worry or fear in your mind.
A calmness with a thought or plan that you can visualise. I find when I am trying to make a life choice. Often I struggle to imagine one path while the other I can picture well. Even though I toy with the pros and cons list of each in my mind, I have learnt if I struggle to imagine it it is probably not the path I am supposed to go.
,
Dreams
Dreams can be a great way for intuition and guidance to speak to you. I receive a lot of guidance through dreams. Often it is hard to remember dreams. Reflecting and taking note of the message as soon as we wake up is good to do. You will remember what you need to. Also keeping a Dream diary is valuable.
A way to interpret dreams
An excellent way to interpret dreams is to recount the dream without naming the things or people in the dream. Then the symbolism and message will be revealed.
Often there will be a marker (something in the dream) that indicates what area of your life the guidance is about.
Finally it is then could to reflect on how I felt in the dream. Was I worried, calm about it, excited, really happy.
Here is an example to show you an interpretation of a dream and guidance in pregnancy.
While I was in late pregnancy with my second child, I had a dream about my horses. They were in our hayshed yard. All my horses were there but there was also a new foal. Not the thre foals I had but a new one (a new baby). The new bsbybwas being chased around by CJ. CJ, my rather bossy mare,, was giving her a hard time. (the new baby was having a hard time). I had a strong feeling that the foal needed to get out of the yard. The foal then jumped over the post and rail fence. But got stuck with its front legs on one side and it's back on the other. It's belly hanging over the fence. We needed to help it over. (The baby needed to come out and needed some help getting out). We calmly helped the baby, the baby was fine. This didn't send me into alarm "oh my goodness the baby is going to get stuck coming out!" I felt calm in the dream. I was grateful for the message that the baby may need some help. I had a Knowing again that my baby would arrive on her due date. A few days before I was a bit worried I wasnt feeling much movement. I really thought it was just because I had been following a journey of a mother in a Facebook group that was having stressful time with her newborn and that that stress was making me all anxious. I just wanted to hear the heart beat. I mentioned to the nurse which then set off all alarm bells and sent me upstairs for further tests. They measured my fluid and said it was low and I need to be induced. I needed to have constant monitoring and couldn't have my baby in the birth centre. I felt that I was going into labour and would birth in a day or two. The baby rests before birth. I was distraught, desperately wanting a natural birth as I had an epidural for my first and didn't feel it and knowing we only planned for two children. I sobbed driving all the way home, After a big sob on my doulas shoulder after she said "it will be perfect" I got into my car and turned on the engine, heard the song from my fathers funeral which I had not heard in a long time. I felt he was telling me it will be all ok. . Almost reassuringly my baby moved lots that night. My mind was torn between a Knowing and medical advice and a strong want in myself.. However I had in my mind that dream. That my baby was having a hard time and needed a bit of help to cone out. So I agreed to a stretch and sweep that afternoon and an induction the next morning. . I was already 3 cm confirming I was going into labour already. I went and got some acupuncture that evening. The acupuncture therapist saying I don't feel you need much, I think you will do this on your own. I got in my car to drive home and heard a song on the radio from years ago that I loved and was special to me with the chorus "I'm coming". It reassured me. The next morning I went into labour in the early hours of the morning. My husband drove me to the birth centre where I walked into the birth centre knelt down and had my baby. For the first few days my baby had a "neglect". She wouldn't turn her head to the right. Being a neurologi al physio I recognised this as I have treated many a stoke patient with this and I knew what to do to correct it, new her brain was very changeable. So yes I was going into labour like I knew, perhaps she was "having a hard time in there" and she did need that bit of help to come out.
Names
Some mothers have names appear to them. It comes as a vision of written name perhaps while hanging up the washing, or it might come in a dream or meditation. Often mothers have a dream of the baby telling them their name. If this appeals to you, talk to your baby, in a meditation or before bed and ask them to tell you their name.
You can also do this with the sex of the child. I wanted to know the sex of my baby however I didn't want medical intervention to tell me, I wanted my intuition. I had a dream of a tiny baby's hands and feet touching each other with bright pink nail polish. I also could only think of the colours peach and dusky rose while pregnant. These colour really suited my baby girl.
A name may synchronisticalky come to you in your pregnancy. Be on the look out for it. . Once I was looking in a dress catalogue. The dress had names and I found one I completely loved "Everly". It made me feel full of joy.
A name may just come to you when you look at your baby. Also seeing the baby will help you see whatvsuits them. Hannah came to me as soon as I saw my daughter so that became her middle name.
You may like to think of a quality that is realky meaningful to you and have that meaning for your childs name. For example Grace is a quality I love. I feel it hasn't been in my family generations, and I have had to work hard on it as a life lesson. I wanted my daughter to just have it so I looked for a name of Anne derivative. And she amazingly has this quality which she has shown since day dot. Grace in waiting, Grace when her brother took toys off her, Grace when up toys, including her brothers mess, Grace when her brother finds a toy and the trash and treasure market and we didn't find anything for her .... she is amazing with it.
Another nice idea, Kabbalah philosophy Aldo has, is to name your baby after someone you admire or has been meaningful in your life. The energy of the qualities you admire in them will go to your baby. This is why we can't nsmevour baby when we know someone with that name who we don't gel with the energy of.
.Man check list:
Men can have baby and birth intuitions for baby and birth, and their child too.
Example: When we got into the car I was having an overwhelmed moment and said to my husband "I don't think I can do this" (I thought this was just the start and I had 10 hours to go, but little did I know I was in transition already). My husband calmly said "I think you are going to get to the hospital and have the baby straight away". I said "really?" At the time I thought what would you know, but it calmed me a bit and that is actually what happened.
Example 2: At kinder orientation my husband was pale white and looked like he was going to vomit the whole rest of the day. My son soon got very horribly bullied at that kinder. I believe my husband intuitively felt this.
Example 3 As our son gets older and we are making school choices, I check in with my husband. He just feels we are doing the right thing. Our son and my husband are two peas in a pod. Often I seek my husbands thoughts on how my son is affected by things as he just understands and knows him.
Look out for messages in your dreams or visions. This can be a nice way for bsbybto connect with you.
Listen to and discuss names with your wife. This is part of the joy and celebration for a woman.
Move to Growing 1
(Harmony ball)
Music
Have a pregnancy massage
Meditation - connecting to baby, talking, sending love, listening, touch