Positive affirmations are important throughout any stage in our lives, but during pregnancy, they have a double impact since it positively affects both the mother and the future baby.
According to specialists in psychology, the fetus lacks neurological maturation, because of this, it is not possible for the fetus to have the same emotions that an adult has. The baby's emotions are possible only three months after her/his birth, when the baby is able to develop the neural tubes that will make emotions possible. So what effect do the mother's positive statements during pregnancy have on her future baby?
Follow this reading and become aware of how your thoughts during pregnancy affect your reality before, during and after delivery.
How do the mother's thoughts impact the development of the fetus?
Although a fetus lacks emotions, it can experience sensations and that is why it can startle, feel pleasure or be in a state of alarm. Similarly, the mother's emotions generate sensations in the fetus that, being positive, reinforce her immune system; on the contrary, it drives the secretion of toxic hormones that depress the immune system of the fetus.
This does not mean that feeling stress or anxiety during pregnancy is totally negative. Having a range of emotions allows the fetus to become familiar with different emotions and relate to them in a positive way. It is normal to feel happy and also stress during pregnancy, what cannot be considered normal is that the mother feels sadness, stress, anger or anxiety every day, all day.
According to perinatal psychologist Enrique García, emotional education begins in the womb. The placenta acts as a filter for negative emotions. When the mother, for example, feels fear or stress, the body releases biochemical substances that produce cortisol, which is positive for alarming us and running away. But, once the dangerous situation is over, it disappears from the body without causing major problems. In this case, the placenta filters cortisol, which is toxic, preventing it from affecting the fetus.
But in those cases where the levels of cortisol in the mother are very high and constantly, they will manage to reach the fetus without the placenta being able to filter them. When this happens, the fetus experiences a constant sense of danger and the consequences will be seen after delivery.
Consequences for the fetus of constantly experiencing negative sensations
Studies that have been carried out to discover the impact of the mother's emotions on the fetus have revealed that children who have been exposed during pregnancy to feelings of anxiety and constant stress have twice the risk of suffering from a deficit of attention, hyperactivity, are more likely to be anxious and have behaviour problems. These are children who at birth are more susceptible to crying, stress and anxiety.
It is also possible that mothers who experience constant negative feelings during pregnancy reduce blood flow to the fetus, which translates into fewer nutrients for its formation and development.
For this reason, the mother must seek to have biochemical responses of pleasure so that she secretes hormones such as oxytocin that help her establish a more positive bond with her baby.
Pleasure hormones can begin to secrete with positive thoughts that are driven by conscious positive affirmations that are very powerful.
Positive affirmations during pregnancy or during childbirth help release oxytocin, thanks to the feeling of love and pleasure, its presence strengthens the mother-child bond, transmits security to the fetus and even helps the delivery to be faster.
How to create your own positive affirmations?
You can personalize your positive affirmations by becoming aware of what worries you during pregnancy, then writing the phrase as you feel it, and finally rewriting it in a positive way. For example, imagine that one of your concerns is that you are not getting enough sleep.
We invite you to write your concern in the following way:
I can't fall asleep at night. Now, rewrite that negative sentence in a positive way, for example:
Finding ways to fall asleep is my priority because I need better rest for my baby's development. In this way, you open yourself to the universe to find solutions to what worries you, be proactive and change your stress routines.